PORTAKABIN LIMITED
Company number: 00685303
Reporting period:
1 January 2026 to 30 June 2026
Report filed on:
9 July 2026
Approved by:
Gavin Urwin
Contracts and payments
Do any of this business's construction contracts with its suppliers include retention clauses? Yes
Payment statistics
Average time taken to pay invoices: 44 days
Total value paid:
- within 30 days: £41,700,408 (50%)
- in 31 to 60 days: £38,604,242 (46%)
- in 61 days or more: £3,751,653 (4%)
Invoices paid:
- within 30 days: 22%
- in 31 to 60 days: 70%
- in 61 days or more: 8%
Late and disputed:
- total value of payments due in the reporting period which have not been paid within the agreed period: £9,766,186
- payments due in the reporting period which have not been paid within the agreed period: 7%
- not made in the reporting period due to a dispute: 41%
Payment terms
Shortest standard payment periods
60 days
Longest standard payment period
Answer not provided
Standard payment terms
60 days from date of invoice
Were there any changes to the standard payment terms in the reporting period?
No
Were suppliers notified or consulted about these changes before they were made?
N/A
Maximum contractual payment period agreed
76 days
14th day of the second month (average is 60 days)
Any other information about payment terms
No further comment provided
Retention clauses
How does this business use retention clauses?
Retention clauses are used in specific circumstances:
Our business consists of two main routes to market.
The first (and largest - by turnover, orders and numbers of contracts and approximately 80% of the totality of each of these measures) is our hire business. Within our hire business, other than in a small number of cases, construction contracts do not include a retention clause.
The second is our sales business. Within our sales business, most construction contracts would include a retention clause. Where the main contract between Portakabin and its customer is a JCT contract or NEC, or bespoke contract, the specified retention clause would be stepped down to the supply chain. For example, if the retention clause was 5%, we would step this down to any subcontract orders placed. Portakabin Form of Subcontract includes a retention clause. When trading on Portakabin's own terms we would also consider spend and risk when assessing the need to include retention. For example, if Portakabin has appointed a subcontractor that we had not worked with before, this could be seen as high risk, so we may want to include retention within the contract regardless of its value.
Does this business only use retention clauses in construction contracts above a specific contract sum?
Yes: £10,000
Does this business use a standard percentage rate in retention clauses?
Yes: 5%
Does this business apply retention clause practices that are no more onerous than those applied to it on the same project?
Yes:
Terms within the main contract would be stepped down to the supply chain.
Releasing money under a retention clause
Process for releasing money this business has deducted or retained under a retention clause
The subcontractor would issue an application for payment to Portakabin and following review a Payment Notice would be issued to the subcontractor. Upon receipt of an invoice by Portakabin, the payment would be made in accordance with the subcontract.
Is the money released in stages?
Yes:
Retention is normally released in two stages. Half would be released upon practical completion / hand over of the project and the remaining 50% would be released 12 months later when the defects period ends.
Amount retained from suppliers in the reporting period
Amount retained stated as a percentage of the money retained from this business by its clients
45%
Amount retained stated as a percentage of the total construction payments made by this business
5%
Dispute resolution process
Portakabin Limited values its suppliers and actively seeks to ensure prompt payment to reduce the risk of invoice rejections.
We work together with our partners to ensure errors are resolved before payment is due and where this is not possible ensuring the supplier is fully aware of the issue.
Any disputes are discussed in the first instance with the members of the accounts payable and credit control departments.
Where a dispute needs to be escalated it can be done so via emailing purchasingdept@portakabin.com
Root cause analysis of invoice accuracy ensures Portakabin is striving to improve performance in this area.
Other payment information
Has this business signed up to a code of conduct or standards on payment practices? If so, which?
For example, signatories to The Fair Payment Code must commit to paying 95% of their invoices within 60 days.
No, this business has not signed up to a code of conduct or standards on payment practices.
Does this business offer e-invoicing in relation to qualifying contracts?
This is where suppliers can electronically submit and track invoices. It's not just allowing suppliers to email them an invoice.
No
Does this business offer supply chain finance?
This is where a supplier who has submitted an invoice can be paid by a third-party finance provider earlier than the agreed payment date. The business would then pay the finance provider the invoiced sum.
No
Under its payment practices and policies, can this business deduct sums from payments under qualifying contracts as a charge for remaining on a supplier list?
No
During the reporting period, did the business deduct sums from payments as a charge for remaining on a supplier list?
No