Before you start
- You know the total job amount.
- You know when the customer should be billed for each part of the work.
When to use a payment schedule
Use a payment schedule when one invoice at the end is not enough. Deposits, progress billing, fixed milestones, named schedules, and final-balance invoices help the office collect cash while longer work is still underway.
Do this
- 1
Start from the quote or job
Open the quote or job that needs staged billing before creating invoices.
- 2
Choose the billing style
Pick deposit, remaining balance, percentage, fixed milestone, or named payment schedule based on how the customer agreed to pay.
- 3
Name each step clearly
Use labels like Deposit, Materials, Phase 1, Completion, or Final Balance so the customer understands why the invoice arrived.
- 4
Review due dates and amounts
Confirm every step has the right amount, due date, and customer-facing note before sending.
- 5
Track what is already billed
Before sending the next invoice, check the job billing summary so you do not double-bill or skip the final balance.
Most common mistake
Owners often create a manual invoice without checking the job's billing schedule first. Start from the job or quote whenever possible so the invoice stays connected to the approved work.
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