Fact check: How long must contractors in Washington state retain project records?

1. Summary of the results

The duration for which contractors in Washington state must retain project records is six years after project completion, acceptance, disposal, or abandonment, according to the analyses provided by ^[4] and ^[5]. Specifically, records relating to the design, construction, and project management of significant buildings/facilities must be retained for six years after completion or abandonment of the project, then transferred to the Washington State Archives for permanent retention, as stated in ^[4]. On the other hand, records relating to routine buildings/facilities must be retained for six years after disposal of the asset or abandonment of the project, then destroyed, also according to ^[4]. Additionally, ^[4] cites the Washington Local Government Common Records Retention Schedule, which states that design, construction, and project management records for public works projects must be kept for six years after the project's completion or abandonment. However, several sources, including ^[6], ^[1], ^[2], ^[6], and ^[3], do not provide information on the duration for which contractors in Washington state must retain project records, with some discussing unrelated topics such as personnel file rules and retainage for private projects ^{[1] [2] [3]}.

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

A key piece of missing context is the distinction between public and private projects, as the provided analyses primarily focus on public works projects, with ^[1] being the only source to mention private projects, but not in the context of record retention ^[1]. Furthermore, the analyses do not account for potential variations in record retention requirements based on the type of contractor or project size, which could be important considerations. Alternative viewpoints may include the perspectives of contractors, employers, or employees, who may have different concerns and priorities when it comes to record retention, such as the need to maintain personnel files for at least three years following an employee's separation, as mentioned in ^[3]. Additionally, the sources do not provide information on the consequences of non-compliance with record retention requirements, which could be an important consideration for contractors in Washington state.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original statement may be considered too narrow, as it only asks about the duration for which contractors in Washington state must retain project records, without considering the potential variations in requirements based on project type, contractor type, or other factors, as noted in the analyses provided by ^[4] and ^[5]. Additionally, the statement may be misleading, as it implies that there is a single, straightforward answer to the question, when in fact the requirements may be more complex and nuanced, as suggested by the lack of information on private projects and other topics in sources such as ^[6], ^[1], ^[2], ^[6], and ^[3]. The sources that do not provide information on record retention requirements, such as ^[6] and ^[6], may be biased towards other topics, such as personnel file rules or retainage for private projects, which could be of more interest to certain stakeholders, such as employers or contractors in the private sector ^{[1] [2] [3]}.