How do I make sure no reimbursable gets missed?

Record each cost the moment it happens against its project, flag it billable, and attach the receipt. When you bill, every reimbursable is already in the project folder waiting to be compiled.

Can I track a markup on reimbursables?

You can keep a markup note on each record if your agreement allows one. The workspace stores the note for your reference; it does not calculate the marked-up total for you.

Does the workspace total my reimbursables automatically?

No. It keeps each reimbursable record with its amount and receipt side by side for review; it does not compute totals, markups, or profit.

Cash Workspace

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A/E consulting · Reimbursables

Organize reimbursable project costs for client billing

Architecture and engineering consultants front a lot of costs that the client is meant to repay — large-format prints, permit fees, site-visit travel, and sub-consultant fees. If those aren't tracked per project with the receipt attached, reimbursable dollars slip through and billing turns into a scavenger hunt. Cash Workspace lets you record each reimbursable cost under its project, flag it as billable, and attach the receipt so a clean reimbursement summary is one step away.

Start a free workspace See the client expense report workflow

The problem

Why reimbursable costs go uncollected

Reimbursables happen in the field and in the moment, far from any billing system, so they're easy to forget or under-document.

A permit fee is paid at the counter and the receipt never makes it back to the project.
Site-visit mileage and parking are 'small enough to skip' until they add up to real money.
A sub-consultant's invoice isn't flagged billable, so it's absorbed instead of passed through.
Large-format printing for a submittal isn't tied to the project it was for.
At billing, there's no single list of what's reimbursable, so the summary is rebuilt from scratch.

The workflow

Record reimbursables per project as they happen

Capture each reimbursable cost against its project, flag it billable, and attach the receipt so compiling the summary is fast.

1
Set up a project folder
Create a folder per project so all its reimbursable costs collect in one place.
2
Record each cost
Log printing, permits, travel, and sub-consultant fees with the vendor, date, amount, and category.
3
Flag billable
Tag each cost billable or not, so reimbursables are separated from your own overhead.
4
Attach the receipt
Attach the receipt or sub-consultant invoice to its record so every reimbursable is backed by proof.
5
Compile a summary
When billing, gather the project's billable records into a reimbursement summary to send with your invoice.

Record structure

What to record for each reimbursable cost

These fields make a reimbursable cost defensible and easy to compile into a client summary.

Project: Which engagement the cost belongs to, so reimbursables stay per project.
Cost type: Printing, permit, travel, mileage, or sub-consultant fee.
Vendor: Who was paid, e.g. the print shop, the permitting authority, or the sub-consultant.
Date: When the cost was incurred, so it lands in the right billing period.
Amount: The total and currency to be reimbursed.
Billable flag: Whether this cost is passed through to the client or absorbed as overhead.
Markup note: If your agreement allows a markup, a note on the agreed percentage for reference.
Receipt or invoice: The receipt or sub-consultant invoice attached as proof for the client.

Example setup

An example reimbursable setup for one project

One way to organize reimbursables for a single architecture engagement.

Project Riverside — printing

Large-format plots and submittal sets with receipts, each flagged billable.

Project Riverside — permits and fees

Permit and filing-fee receipts paid on the client's behalf, ready to pass through.

Project Riverside — travel

Site-visit mileage, parking, and lodging receipts tied to the project.

Project Riverside — sub-consultants

Structural and MEP sub-consultant invoices flagged billable with their markup note.

Common mistakes

Mistakes that cost reimbursable dollars

Skipping small travel and mileage costs that add up across a long project.
Failing to flag a cost billable, so it gets absorbed instead of passed through.
Recording an amount with no attached receipt, leaving the charge hard to defend.
Filing reimbursables under the firm generally instead of the specific project.
Rebuilding the reimbursement summary from email at billing time instead of from records.

How it helps

How Cash Workspace helps

Per-project records

Record every reimbursable cost under its project so nothing is orphaned from the engagement it belongs to.

Billable flagging

Tag each cost billable or overhead so passed-through reimbursables are clearly separated.

Attached proof

Attach receipts and sub-consultant invoices so each reimbursable is backed by documentation.

Ready to compile

Gather a project's billable records into a reimbursement summary to send alongside your invoice.

Client expense report

Compile billable costs into a client-ready report.

Architecture project expenses

Organize all project costs, billable and not.

Consultant travel records

Keep site-visit travel and mileage organized per trip.

Pass-through cost records

Track costs paid on a client's behalf for billing.

All finance workflows

Browse the full Cash Workspace workflow library.

FAQ

Reimbursable records FAQ

How do I make sure no reimbursable gets missed?: Record each cost the moment it happens against its project, flag it billable, and attach the receipt. When you bill, every reimbursable is already in the project folder waiting to be compiled.
Can I track a markup on reimbursables?: You can keep a markup note on each record if your agreement allows one. The workspace stores the note for your reference; it does not calculate the marked-up total for you.
Does the workspace total my reimbursables automatically?: No. It keeps each reimbursable record with its amount and receipt side by side for review; it does not compute totals, markups, or profit.

Organizing help — not tax, accounting, or legal guidance

Cash Workspace is a free workspace for organizing invoices, expenses, receipts, clients, and documents. This page is organizing guidance only — not tax, accounting, legal, or bookkeeping guidance. Cash Workspace does not connect to your bank, does not scan or read your receipts for you, and does not move or collect payments. Whether an expense is deductible depends on your situation, so confirm it with a qualified accountant or tax professional.

Capture every reimbursable before it slips

Start a free workspace and record each printing, permit, travel, and sub-consultant cost per project with a billable flag and receipt, so your reimbursement summary is one step away.