# Retention tracker Human Guide

## What This Is For
Track retainage (retention) amounts held and released throughout construction projects. It gives the agent a clearer input/output frame for retention tracker: what context to ask for, what decisions to make, and what usable artifact to return.

Use this as a human-readable version of the Retention tracker agent skill. It is meant for marketers, operators, founders, and other non-coders who want the workflow without reading agent-specific implementation instructions.

## When To Use This
- Use this when you need a repeatable process for retention tracker.
- Use this when the task needs judgment, examples, constraints, or a clear output format rather than a one-off prompt.
- Use this when you want to hand an AI assistant enough context to produce a usable marketing artifact.

## When Not To Use This
- Do not use this when you only need a quick factual answer.
- Do not use this when the work depends on private data you cannot share with the assistant.
- Do not use this as a replacement for legal, compliance, financial, or medical review.

## What You Need Before Starting
- The goal or business outcome you want.
- The audience, customer segment, or market context.
- Any source material the assistant should respect, such as notes, briefs, examples, URLs, or brand guidance.
- Constraints such as tone, length, channel, deadline, region, or approval requirements.
- A clear definition of what a good final answer should look like.

## Step-By-Step Workflow
1. State the job clearly: "Use the Retention tracker guide to help me with..."
2. Add context: audience, goal, offer, channel, source material, and constraints.
3. Ask the assistant to identify missing inputs before producing the final output.
4. Have the assistant follow the skill-specific guidance below.
5. Review the result against the final checklist and ask for revisions where needed.

## Skill-Specific Guidance
- Frame the work around retention tracker and ask for the context needed to do it well.
- Turn vague preferences into explicit choices before drafting the final output.
- Ask for a concrete deliverable, not just general advice.

## Decision Points And Nuance
The original skill emphasizes: Overview, Retainage Flow, Technical Implementation, Quick Start, Requirements.

Use these questions to steer the work:
- What is the intended audience or buyer?
- What source material must be preserved?
- What should the assistant optimize for: clarity, persuasion, accuracy, speed, creativity, or conversion?
- What examples represent the desired quality bar?
- What should the assistant avoid?

## Common Mistakes
- """Check conditions required for retention release."""

## Copy-And-Paste Prompt
```text
Use the Retention tracker human guide.

My goal:
[Describe the business outcome]

Audience:
[Describe who this is for]

Context and source material:
[Paste notes, examples, links, or existing copy]

Constraints:
[Tone, length, channel, timeline, must-include items, must-avoid items]

Before producing the final output, ask me for any missing information that would materially improve the result.
```

## Final Checklist
- [ ] The output matches the original goal.
- [ ] The audience and context are reflected in the answer.
- [ ] Important constraints and source material were preserved.
- [ ] The assistant made the relevant decisions explicit.
- [ ] The final artifact is ready to use, review, or hand to the next person.

## Source
This guide was generated from the datadrivenconstruction/ddc_skills_for_ai_agents_in_construction skill entry for `retention-tracker`.

## Source Skill Notes
These notes preserve the nuance from the original skill. Use them as supporting reference when the workflow above feels too generic.

# Retention Tracker

## Overview

Track retainage (retention) amounts held and released throughout construction projects. Monitor amounts by subcontractor, track release milestones, and ensure proper documentation for retention release.

## Retainage Flow

```
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    RETAINAGE LIFECYCLE                           │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                                  │
│  Progress Billing    →    Substantial    →    Final Release    │
│  ────────────────         ───────────         ─────────────     │
│  10% withheld            50% released         50% released      │
│  Each pay app            At punch list        At final          │
│  Cumulative              completion           completion        │
│                                                                  │
│  Owner holds from GC  →  GC holds from subs  →  Flow-down      │
│                                                                  │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
```

## Technical Implementation

```python
from dataclasses import dataclass, field
from typing import List, Dict, Optional
from datetime import datetime, timedelta
from enum import Enum

class RetentionStatus(Enum):
    HELD = "held"
    PARTIAL_RELEASE = "partial_release"
    PENDING_RELEASE = "pending_release"
    RELEASED = "released"

class ReleaseMilestone(Enum):
    SUBSTANTIAL_COMPLETION = "substantial_completion"
    PUNCH_LIST_COMPLETE = "punch_list_complete"
    FINAL_COMPLETION = "final_completion"
    WARRANTY_EXPIRATION = "warranty_expiration"

@dataclass
class RetentionEntry:
    pay_app_number: int
    billing_date: datetime
    gross_billing: float
    retention_rate: float
    retention_amount: float
    status: RetentionStatus = RetentionStatus.HELD

@dataclass
class RetentionRelease:
    id: str
    release_date: datetime
    milestone: ReleaseMilestone
    amount: float
    remaining_after: float
    approved_by: str
    conditions_met: List[str] = field(default_factory=list)
    lien_waivers_received: bool = False
    consent_of_surety: bool = False

@dataclass
class SubcontractorRetention:
    subcontractor_id: str
    subcontractor_name: str
    trade: str
    contract_value: float
    retention_rate: float
    entries: List[RetentionEntry] = field(default_factory=list)
    releases: List[RetentionRelease] = field(default_factory=list)
    total_billed: float = 0.0
    total_retained: float = 0.0
    total_released: float = 0.0
    balance_held: float = 0.0
    status: RetentionStatus = RetentionStatus.HELD