How do I keep draws from being double-billed?

Record each draw against the schedule and mark it billed when sent. With every milestone in one sequence, a draw that's already billed is obvious before you send the next one.

Can Cash Workspace collect the draw payments?

No. It does not process payments. You record each draw and mark it paid when the client's payment arrives so collection is tracked, but the money moves outside the product.

Where does the schedule of values go?

Attach the SOV document to the job so each draw maps to the agreed breakdown, keeping the schedule and the invoices in one place.

Cash Workspace

Use the Freelancer template

Contractor finance · Progress billing

Track progress-billing draws, stage by stage

On a staged job — say a 30/30/30/10 draw schedule — billing is a sequence: bill the deposit, bill at rough-in, bill at substantial completion, bill the retainage release. Lose track of which draw is billed and which is collected and you either double-bill a stage or finish the job still owed a draw. Cash Workspace gives you one place to record each progress invoice against the job with the schedule of values attached and a status on every draw.

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The problem

Why staged billing slips between draws

Progress billing spans weeks or months, so the schedule lives in someone's head and the invoices get sent ad hoc. Which milestone is billed, and which is actually paid, blurs.

A draw at rough-in gets skipped because no one tracked the schedule.
Two invoices cover the same milestone because the prior draw wasn't logged.
The schedule of values is in a contract PDF, separate from the invoices.
A draw is billed but the payment never came in, and no one notices for weeks.
Final retainage is left uninvoiced after the job closes.

The workflow

Record each draw against the schedule

Lay out the draw schedule, record each progress invoice against it, and mark both billed and paid so the sequence stays clean.

1
Set the draw schedule
Note the milestones and percentages — e.g. 30/30/30/10 — against the job and attach the schedule of values.
2
Record each progress invoice
When you bill a milestone, record that draw invoice with its number, amount, and date against the job.
3
Mark billed and paid
Mark each draw billed when sent and paid when collected, so both states are visible.
4
Fold in change orders
Add approved change-order amounts into the relevant draw so extra-scope work is billed too.
5
Confirm retainage at close
Before closing the job, confirm the final retainage draw is billed and collected.

Record structure

What to record for each draw

These fields keep every milestone's billing and collection visible across the job.

Job: The job the draw belongs to, kept with the job folder.
Milestone: The stage being billed — deposit, rough-in, completion, retainage.
Draw percentage: The share of contract value for this milestone, e.g. 30%.
Invoice number: The progress invoice number for this draw, in sequence.
Amount: The draw amount billed for this stage.
Billed status: Whether the draw has been invoiced to the client.
Paid status: Whether the draw has been collected, so unpaid draws stand out.
Schedule of values: The SOV document attached so each draw maps to the agreed breakdown.

Example setup

An example progress-billing setup

One way to keep a draw schedule organized inside your workspace.

Job — draw schedule

The milestones and percentages for the job, with the schedule of values attached.

Progress invoices

Each draw invoice in sequence with its amount, billed, and paid status.

Unpaid draws

Draws billed but not yet collected, held here so follow-up is easy.

Common mistakes

Mistakes to avoid

Running the draw schedule from memory so a milestone gets skipped.
Double-billing a stage because the prior draw was never recorded.
Keeping the schedule of values in a contract PDF, away from the invoices.
Marking a draw billed but never checking whether it was paid.
Closing the job before the final retainage draw is billed and collected.

How it helps

How Cash Workspace helps

Draws against one schedule

Record each progress invoice against the job's draw schedule so the whole sequence lives in one view.

Billed and paid on each draw

Mark each draw billed and paid so you see which milestones are invoiced and which are collected.

Schedule of values attached

Attach the SOV to the job so every draw maps back to the agreed breakdown.

Change-order records

Fold approved change orders into the right draw.

Deposit records tracker

Track the opening deposit draw cleanly.

Client invoice status records

Keep paid/unpaid status on every draw invoice.

Unpaid invoice tracker

Organize unpaid draws so follow-up is simple.

All finance workflows

Browse the full Cash Workspace workflow library.

FAQ

Progress billing records FAQ

How do I keep draws from being double-billed?: Record each draw against the schedule and mark it billed when sent. With every milestone in one sequence, a draw that's already billed is obvious before you send the next one.
Can Cash Workspace collect the draw payments?: No. It does not process payments. You record each draw and mark it paid when the client's payment arrives so collection is tracked, but the money moves outside the product.
Where does the schedule of values go?: Attach the SOV document to the job so each draw maps to the agreed breakdown, keeping the schedule and the invoices in one place.

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.

Keep every draw billed and collected

Start a free workspace and record each progress draw against its schedule with billed and paid status so no milestone slips and retainage isn't left behind.