How to Invoice for Progress on a Build

Bill against milestones, not all at the end

On a build or long project, waiting until the end to invoice strangles your cash flow — you are funding labour and materials for weeks or months before seeing a cent. Progress invoicing solves this by billing at agreed points: completed stages, milestones, or a percentage of works done.

The structure must be agreed upfront, usually as a payment schedule in your contract — for example, deposit, slab, frame, lock-up, completion. Each progress invoice then claims the amount tied to a stage you have reached. The client pays for demonstrable progress, and you are funded as you go rather than carrying the whole job.

Show the contract value and progress to date

A progress invoice should always sit in the context of the whole contract, so the client can see where this claim fits. The clearest format shows the total, what has been claimed before, this claim, and what remains.

• Total contract value
• This stage or milestone, described
• Previously claimed to date
• This progress claim
• Balance remaining on the contract

That running picture reassures the client that claims are tracking sensibly against the contract, not running ahead of the actual work.

Reference the schedule and the stage reached

Tie every progress claim to the agreed payment schedule and the specific stage it represents. 'Progress claim 3 of 5 — Frame complete' tells the client exactly where the build is and which scheduled payment this is. This anchoring to a pre-agreed schedule is what makes progress claims feel fair rather than ad-hoc.

If your arrangement bills by percentage of completion rather than fixed stages, state the percentage this claim takes you to: 'Works 60% complete; previously claimed to 40%; this claim covers 40–60%.' Either way, the client should be able to verify the claim against visible progress on site.

What to include, plus retentions

Your progress-claim checklist:

• 'Tax Invoice' (GST if registered) and a unique number, plus your ABN
• Client name and the project or contract reference
• The claim number and the stage or percentage reached
• Contract value, previously claimed, this claim and balance remaining
• Any retention or holdback amount, if your contract has one
• Subtotal, GST and total due for this claim
• Payment details and a due date

Some contracts hold back a retention until completion — show it clearly if it applies. This is general information, not legal or financial advice; building contracts and security-of-payment rules vary, so check your specific contract. Build a clean progress-claim layout with the free Invoice Generator.