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Ontario holdback timeline

Work out a holdback and the dates you should diarise.

Jump to the result

Your figures

The price you are calculating the holdback on.

Starts at 10, the basic holdback in section 22. Change it to match your contract.

The date you are counting the owner-payment days from.

Starts at 28 from section 6.4. Check your contract and the Construction Act.

The date you are counting the lien-period days from.

Starts at 60 from section 31. Check your contract and the Construction Act.

Result

Holdback

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Enter the contract amount and the two dates to see the holdback and diary dates.

Holdback is the contract amount times the percent you type. Each diary date is the date you enter plus the number of days you type.

Example: 10000 at 10 percent is a 1000 holdback and 9000 after holdback. An invoice on 2026-01-15 plus 28 days is 2026-02-12. A completion date of 2026-03-01 plus 60 days is 2026-04-30.

Rules as of 2026-10-02, source: Construction Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. C.30. Construction Act on ontario.ca

Result

    Estimate for planning only. This is not tax, legal, accounting or financial advice. Results depend on the figures you enter. Check all numbers, rates and rules with the official source or a qualified professional before relying on them.

    About this calculation

    How it works

    Type the contract amount and a holdback percent. The page multiplies them. It also adds the day counts you type to the invoice date and the completion date, and shows those diary dates. Example: 10000 × 10 percent = 1000 holdback. 2026-01-15 plus 28 days is 2026-02-12. 2026-03-01 plus 60 days is 2026-04-30.

    Rules

    The starting percent is 10 and the starting day counts are 28 and 60, from sections 22, 6.4 and 31 of the Construction Act as published on ontario.ca. Every figure is editable. These diary dates are not a statement that a lien has expired or that a holdback must be released. Check your contract and the Construction Act. This is not legal advice.

    Is 10 percent always the holdback?

    The basic holdback in section 22 is 10 percent. The field starts there and you can change it. Check your contract and the Construction Act.

    Do the diary dates expire a lien?

    No. They are the dates plus the day counts you typed, so you can diarise them. Check your contract and the Construction Act before you treat a lien as expired or release a holdback.

    Does this cover other provinces?

    This page is Ontario first. Day counts and the percent are yours to edit. It does not apply another province’s act.

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