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Progress Invoicing from a Hard-Bid Quote

Bill an approved lump-sum quote in stages using billing periods, percent-complete tracking, and retainage

What This Feature Does

Progress invoicing lets you bill an approved lump-sum (hard-bid) quote in stages instead of all at once. You create a billing period, record how much of each line item has been completed this period, and the system calculates the amount due, cumulative percent complete, and any retainage withheld. Each locked period builds on the ones before it, giving you a running schedule-of-values style claim across the life of the project.

Use it for fixed-price contracts that are paid in progress claims (for example, monthly claims against a construction contract sum).

Before You Start

Progress invoicing only becomes available when both of these are true for the quote:

  1. The quote has at least one hard-bid (lump-sum) line item. Hard-bid lines are priced as a fixed lump for the line, rather than by unit rate and quantity. If a quote has no hard-bid lines, the progress invoicing entry point does not appear.
  2. The quote is approved. The entry point stays visible but disabled until the quote reaches Approved status (it also remains available once the quote is Partially Invoiced, Invoiced, or Paid). Hovering the disabled button shows: "Quote must be approved before it can be invoiced."

It also helps to have your default retainage percentage configured in account settings, so new periods pre-fill the correct retainage rate (you can still override it per line).

How to Open the Invoice Editor

Because this is billed from the quote (not from the Invoices list), the entry point lives on the quote itself:

  1. Go to Quotes in the left sidebar and open the approved hard-bid quote.
  2. In the quote editor header, click Create Invoice.
  3. You are taken to the Invoice editor for that quote — this is the progress invoicing page.

Once a quote has one or more progress invoices, a banner appears on the quote ("This quote has progress invoices") with an Open invoice editor link that returns you to the same page. From then on, the same Create Invoice entry keeps re-opening the running series rather than starting a new one.

Day-to-Day Usage

How to Create the First Billing Period

  1. On the Invoice editor, you'll see the empty state: "Create the first billing period to start invoicing this quote."
  2. Click New Period (the New Billing Period modal opens).
  3. Select the date range you are invoicing for under Select billing period.
  4. Click Create Period.

Rules for period date ranges:

  • Ranges cannot overlap existing periods.
  • Each new period must start after the latest existing period (a hint shows the earliest allowed start date).

How to Record Progress for a Period

Each line of the quote's hard-bid scope appears as a row in the progress grid. The columns are:

  • Item No. and Description of Work — from the quote line item.
  • Contract Sum (A) — the line's total contract value.
  • Previously Invoiced (B) — total billed for this line in earlier locked periods.
  • Work Completed This Period (C) — the amount you are claiming now. Enter either the dollar amount or the % Complete — the other updates automatically.
  • Total Completed to Date (D = B + C) — running total.
  • % Complete (E = D / A) — cumulative percent for the line. You cannot go below the percentage already locked in prior periods.
  • Balance to Finish (F = A − D) — remaining contract value.
  • Retainage % and Retainage This Period (G) — see below.

The TOTALS row and the summary cards at the top (Contract Sum, Completed to Date, Net Due, Total % Complete) update as you type.

Set the Issue date and Due date for the claim using the date pickers.

How Retainage Works

  • Each line carries a Retainage % (pre-filled from your account default; editable per line).
  • Retainage This Period (G) is the amount withheld from this period's completed work.
  • To release previously withheld retainage, use the Retainage Releases section and enter the amount to release against a line. Only positive releases are recorded.

Save Draft vs. Save & Lock

You have two ways to save a period:

  • Save Draft — keeps your progress on the open period without finalizing it. You can keep editing it later. Use this while a claim is still being worked on.
  • Save & Lock — finalizes the period. A confirmation dialog explains: "Locking makes this period read-only and freezes the quote line items it bills. Later periods build on it, so it cannot be reopened (you can still cancel the invoice)." Confirm with Lock Period.

After locking:

  • The period becomes read-only and shows a SAVED chip.
  • The quote line items it billed are frozen on the quote (you can still edit quote details and add new line items).
  • The next period starts from the locked totals.

Working Across Periods

  • Each period appears as a tab at the top of the editor. Select a tab to view that period.
  • Locked and cancelled periods are read-only. A banner reminds you: "This period is read-only. To revise, edit the latest open period."
  • Cancelled periods remain visible as history with a CANCELLED chip.

Exporting a Claim

  • Export CSV downloads the current period's line detail.
  • Print PDF produces a printable version of the claim.

If the Quote Changes Underneath an Open Period

If the quote's hard-bid lines are edited while a period is open, the editor keeps the two in sync:

  • Where it can, it updates the period automatically and shows "Line items updated to match the quote."
  • If it can't reconcile automatically, you'll see a "The quote has changed" banner with an Update line items action. Amounts you already entered for existing lines are preserved.

Troubleshooting

The "Create Invoice" button isn't showing on the quote

  • The quote must have at least one hard-bid (lump-sum) line item. Quotes with only unit-rate lines don't offer progress invoicing.

The "Create Invoice" button is visible but disabled

  • The quote isn't approved yet. Approve the quote first — the hover hint confirms: "Quote must be approved before it can be invoiced."

I can't set a line below a certain percentage

  • A line's % Complete can't drop below what was already locked in earlier periods. Prior claims can't be un-billed from a later period; cancel the relevant invoice instead.

A period won't save

  • Check that no line's Total Completed to Date exceeds its Contract Sum — the editor blocks a claim that would over-bill a line and names the line in the error.

I locked a period by mistake

  • Locked periods can't be reopened, but you can cancel the resulting invoice. Cancelled periods drop out of the running series and are shown as history.

What's Next