Retention (retainage) provisions govern the withholding of a percentage of payments until project completion or other milestones.
The cases below are organized by outcome and significance. Flagship cases represent the most-cited opinions that have shaped how retention clauses are interpreted in Texas courts.
No-damages-for-delay clauses in construction contracts need not meet the conspicuousness requirement established in Dresser for exculpatory negligence clauses, and such clauses are enforceable to bar delay damages absent specific exceptions.
A municipality owes no duty to a subcontractor to ensure a general contractor provides valid payment bonds, and a subcontractor cannot recover from the municipality under quantum meruit, unjust enrichment, or negligence theories when the general contractor abandons the project.
A general contractor violated Colorado's construction trust fund statute by failing to hold funds in trust for subcontractors and suppliers, and a lien release bond does not exempt contractors from trust fund obligations or excuse failure to record a lis pendens.
75 opinions sorted by most cited
| CASE | CITATION | OUTCOME | CITES |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green International, Inc. v. Solis Texas Supreme Court | 951 S.W.2d 384 (1997) | modified | 861 |
| Heldenfels Bros. v. City of Corpus Christi Texas Supreme Court | 832 S.W.2d 39 (1992) | enforced | 494 |
| Weize Co. v. Colorado Regional Construction, Inc. Colorado Court of Appeals | 251 P.3d 489 (2010) | affirmed | 386 |
| Sage Street Associates v. Northdale Construction Co. Texas Supreme Court | 863 S.W.2d 438 (1993) | remanded | 270 |
| Citizens National Bank v. Allen Rae Investments Inc. Court of Appeals of Texas | 142 S.W.3d 459 (2004) | modified | 165 |
| Parker v. Columbia Bank Court of Special Appeals of Maryland | 604 A.2d 521 (1992) | enforced | 134 |
| United States v. Baxter International, Incorporated Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit | 345 F.3d 866 (2003) | remanded | 131 |
| Blakeslee Arpaia Chapman, Inc. v. EI Constructors, Inc. Supreme Court of Connecticut | 239 Conn. 708 (1997) | enforced | 126 |
| Solar Applications Engineering, Inc. v. T.A. Operating Corp. Texas Supreme Court | 327 S.W.3d 104 (2010) | remanded | 115 |
| Flores v. Millennium Interests, Ltd. Texas Supreme Court | 185 S.W.3d 427 (2005) | enforced | 105 |
| Comsys Information Technology Services, Inc. v. Twin City Fire Insurance Co. Texas Court of Appeals, 14th District (Houston) | 130 S.W.3d 181 (2004) | remanded | 99 |
| Norwest Mortgage, Inc. v. Salinas Texas Court of Appeals, 13th District | 999 S.W.2d 846 (1999) | enforced | 94 |
| Bencon Management & General Contracting, Inc. v. Boyer, Inc. Texas Court of Appeals, 14th District (Houston) | 178 S.W.3d 198 (2005) | enforced | 88 |
| Weitz Co. v. MH WASHINGTON Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit | 631 F.3d 510 (2011) | enforced | 68 |
| Tecom, Inc. v. United States United States Court of Federal Claims | 66 Fed. Cl. 736 (2005) | enforced | 64 |
| 1325 North Van Buren, LLC v. T-3 Group, Ltd. Wisconsin Supreme Court | 2006 WI 94 (2006) | modified | 63 |
| San Antonio Credit Union v. O'CONNOR Texas Court of Appeals, 4th District (San Antonio) | 115 S.W.3d 82 (2003) | modified | 63 |
| Eastern Electric Corp. v. Shoemaker Construction Co. District Court, E.D. Pennsylvania | 657 F. Supp. 2d 545 (2009) | enforced | 59 |
| Century Marine Incorporated v. United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit | 153 F.3d 225 (1998) | enforced | 58 |
| Hassell Const. Co., Inc. v. Stature Commercial Co. Texas Court of Appeals, 14th District (Houston) | 162 S.W.3d 664 (2005) | reversed | 54 |