Business FinancesQuestion 308 of 1632

Including a contingency line item in a project budget is intended to:

a.Replace the contractor's profit line in the budget
b.Avoid the payroll taxes on the job
c.Increase the retention the owner keeps
d.Reserve money for unforeseen costs

Explanation

A contingency is a budgeted reserve for site conditions, small scope surprises and ordinary estimating error, and it is spent only when one of those arises; what is left belongs to the job's result. It is not profit, and treating it as profit means the risk has been priced once and collected twice. Payroll taxes are owed on wages whatever the budget says. And retention is set by the contract and withheld by the owner, so nothing in the contractor's own budget can change it.

This topic, taught in full in the CSLB Law & Business guide. CSLB Law & Business — Complete Study Guide (2026) — PDF + EPUB, $24.99 · 14-day refund →

Practice all 1632 questions free — no signup required.

Own the complete CSLB Law & Business guide — PDF + EPUB, $24.99 →

Related questions on this topic

Last reviewed: · editorial process

PrepPass team · Verified against California CSLB Contractor License Law & Business Exam · How we review
Reviewed by Abraham Chen — Licensed California General Contractor (CSLB License #1101856 — verify)
Report