Hold back

Portion of a construction loan withheld by a lender from a contractor until all construction work is satisfactorily completed or sufficient space is rented in a floor loan. The holdback payment is usually large enough to prevent the contractor from making a profit, but still allowing enough funds to compensate subcontractors and suppliers. for example, a contractor acquired a construction to complete a $200,000 home construction project. The bank providing the construction loan had a $25,000 holdback provision until the home received a certificate of occupancy.