--- title: "Create GL account for retainage" slug: "create-gl-account-for-retainage" updated: 2026-04-07T13:57:48Z published: 2026-04-07T13:57:48Z --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.servicetitan.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Create GL account for retainage ## Overview Use retainage if your customer wants to withhold a portion of the project cost until the work is complete. Retainage may be calculated using a single project-wide retainage rate or variable retainage rates by line item, depending on your Application for Payment settings. --- ### #### Who uses this feature - Administrators, office employees, managers, accountants, and bookkeepers - Applies to all business types - Applies to all trades #### Feature configuration - Account configuration is required to use this feature. Please contact [Technical Support](http://go.servicetitan.com/ask) for details. ## Things to know - Invoicing for retainage allows you to bill accurately as the project progresses, track retainage amount, and collect the cost at the end of project completion. For more on progress billing, see [Progress billing overview and setup](/v1/docs/progress-billing-overview-and-setup). - Use retainage as needed. If your customer requests retainage, then you can add it to the contract. - The retainage calculation method (project-wide or item-level) does not affect how retainage receivable accounts are set up or mapped in your accounting integration. ## Set up accounting integration Before you create retainage for a project, you need to set up your accounting integration and ServiceTtian to account for the retainage: - Set up your Intacct or QuickBooks integration with ServiceTitan. For more, see [Intacct Onboarding Step 1: Set up the Intacct Integration with ServiceTitan](/v1/docs/intacct-onboarding-step-1-set-up-the-intacct-integration-with-servicetitan) and [Web Connector Setup Step 1: Download and install ServiceTitan Web Connector](/v1/docs/web-connector-setup-step-1-download-and-install-connector). - Add a new GL group in Intacct and QuickBooks called Retainage Receivable. For how, see [Intacct Onboarding Step 4: Map pricebook items to Item GL Groups.](/v1/docs/intacct-onboarding-step-4-map-pricebook-to-itemglgroups) and [QBD Onboarding Step 3: Map pricebook items to a QuickBooks general ledger account](/v1/docs/qbd-onboarding-step-3-map-pricebook-items-to-qb-gl-account). - Add a new GL account in Intacct and QuickBooks called *Retainage Receivable*. For how, see [Intacct Onboarding Step 5: Map payment types to GL Accounts](/v1/docs/intacct-onboarding-step-5-map-payment-types-to-gl-accounts) and [QBD Onboarding Step 3: Map pricebook items to a QuickBooks general ledger account](/v1/docs/qbd-onboarding-step-3-map-pricebook-items-to-qb-gl-account). ## Set up ServiceTitan Once you set up your GL group and GL account, you’re ready to set up retainage in ServiceTitan: > [!NOTE] > **Note:** This retainage service and its associated GL account are used for retainage billing regardless of whether retainage is calculated at the project level or item level. 1. Go to the navigation bar and click **Settings** ![](https://cdn.document360.io/961862ab-d0f2-4d91-bb62-a62ee8184eff/Images/Documentation/icon-gnav-settings-inactive.png). 2. In the side panel, click **Integration**> **Intacct** or **QuickBooks**(depending on which integration you use) and sync the GL account. For more, see [Intacct Onboarding Step 2: Sync Intacct objects with ServiceTitan](/v1/docs/intacct-onboarding-step-2-sync-intacct-objects-with-st) and [Web Connector Setup Step 3: Reconcile ServiceTitan with QuickBooks lists](/v1/docs/web-connector-setup-step-3-reconcile-st-with-qb-lists). 3. When you’re done, go to the navigation bar and click **Pricebook**. 4. From the side menu, click **Services**. 5. Click **Add Service**. ![User interface showing options to add a service and edit columns.](https://cdn.document360.io/961862ab-d0f2-4d91-bb62-a62ee8184eff/Images/Documentation/create-gl-account-for-retainage-image-rc4nwe6d.png) 6. Enter the details for the retainage service: 1. **Name:**Retainage 2. **Price:**Enter **-1 Note:** *You’re entering a -1 in the price field because you want to ensure your invoice displays a negative. Once you identify what your retainage percentage is from your contract, you can edit this field during invoice creation.* 3. **Taxable:**Select this so you can tax the service when you bill for the retainage. ![Form fields for item code, name, description, and warranty details for Retainage.](https://cdn.document360.io/961862ab-d0f2-4d91-bb62-a62ee8184eff/Images/Documentation/create-gl-account-for-retainage-image-1fg80hlw.png) 4. **General Ledger Account:** Retainage receivable > [!NOTE] > **Note:** This GL account should be identical to the one you just set up for retainage receivable. 5. **Project Label:**Select the retainage label to ensure that the Budget vs Actual table accurately displays the retainage of the project. > [!NOTE] > **Note:** You need to create a Retainage label and create a Retainage category to assign the Retainage label to. For more, see [Project labels](/v1/docs/create-project-labels). *![Form fields for Retainage Receivable account setup, including categories and project labels.](https://cdn.document360.io/961862ab-d0f2-4d91-bb62-a62ee8184eff/Images/Documentation/create-gl-account-for-retainage-image-avmv7mm3.png)* 7. When you’re done, click **Save**. ## Want to learn more? - See [Project Job Costing report template](/v1/docs/project-job-costing-report-template)