Progress invoice
Progress invoice example for a frame stage claim
A progress invoice bills a stage of a larger job once that stage is complete, as a share of the contract price set out in the contract. This example from a western Sydney builder claims the frame stage of a new home, 20% of a $412,000 contract, plus a signed variation, $85,260 including GST, with the inspection and the claims to date in the notes.
The invoice, page by page
The invoice as the client downloads and prints it.
The pricing, line by line
- Frame stage, 20% of contract price
- 1 × $82,400.00
- Variation 3: additional skylight
- 1 × $2,860.00
- Tax
- $7,750.91
- Total
- $85,260.00
Section by section
- Header
- The builder's name, contact details and suburb, with invoice number KH-3184.
- Bill to and dates
- The owners and the building site address, issued 13 October and due in 7 days.
- Title
- Tax invoice, the claim number and stage, the builder's ABN and licence number.
- Lines
- The frame stage at 20% of the contract price and variation 3, both including GST.
- Totals
- Subtotal, the GST included, total and amount due.
- Notes and bank details
- The contract, the stage inspection, the claims to date and the variation date, then the account and reference.
How progress invoices work on a home build
A building contract for a new home sets out a progress payment schedule: a deposit, then a share of the contract price at each stage, such as base, frame, lock up, fixing and completion. When a stage is reached the builder issues a progress claim for that share. In New South Wales, contracts for residential building work over $20,000 must include a progress payment schedule, and owners are advised to pay only for work that has been done. This invoice is that claim: the stage, its share of the price, the inspection that confirms it, and the claims made so far. A signed variation is billed alongside it as its own line.
How the amounts are worked out
The contract price is $412,000 including GST, and the frame stage is 20% of it, $82,400. Variation 3, an additional skylight signed on 18 September, is $2,860. The invoice total is $85,260 including $7,750.91 of GST, which the invoice shows as Includes GST because it is set to tax inclusive, as residential contracts are usually priced. The notes list the claims to date, deposit 10%, base 15% and frame 20%, so the owners can see that 45% of the contract price has now been claimed. The invoice is due in seven days, matching the contract, and standard reminders run if it is not paid.
How to adapt this invoice
Use the stage names and percentages from your own contract, and quote the contract number, date and price on every claim. Attach or refer to the evidence that the stage is complete, such as a certifier's inspection. Bill variations on separate lines, and only once they are signed by both parties. Put your licence number on the invoice. Keep a running total of claims in the notes, because owners and their lenders both check it. If a lender pays the claims, ask what they need on the invoice before you send the first one.
What makes this invoice work
The claim follows the contract
The frame stage line is 20% of the contract price, the share the contract's progress schedule gives that stage, and the notes name the contract number, date and price. The owners can check the claim against the document they signed, not against the builder's word.
Completion is evidenced
The notes say the frame stage was reached on 9 October and inspected by the principal certifier the same day, with the report attached. Owners are told to pay only for stages that are actually complete, and this invoice gives them the proof.
Variations are separate and signed
Variation 3, a skylight at $2,860, is its own line with the date both parties signed it. Mixing variations into a stage claim is a common source of disputes; keeping them apart shows exactly what was agreed and when.
Questions people ask
What is a progress invoice?
An invoice for a stage of a larger job, billed when that stage is complete, usually as a share of the total price set out in a payment schedule. This example claims the frame stage of a new home, 20% of the contract price, plus a signed variation.
What should a builder's progress claim include?
The contract number and price, the stage and its share of the price, evidence the stage is complete, any signed variations on their own lines, claims to date, GST, the builder's ABN and licence number, the due date and how to pay. This invoice includes each of them.
Should I pay a progress claim before the stage is finished?
Owners are generally advised to pay only for work that has been completed, as the contract's schedule sets out. This invoice notes that the frame stage was reached and inspected by the principal certifier on 9 October, with the report attached, before the claim was issued.
How are variations shown on a progress invoice?
As separate lines, each referring to a signed variation. This invoice bills Variation 3, an additional skylight, at $2,860 with the date both parties signed it. Adding unsigned extras to a stage claim is a common cause of building disputes.
Do progress claims include GST?
If the builder is registered for GST, yes. Residential contracts are usually priced including GST, so this invoice is set to tax inclusive and shows the GST contained in the $85,260 total. A business client would usually see prices before GST with GST added.
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