The problem
You've got one client who's always on time and one who makes you wait 45 days every single job. The slow-pay client isn't bad — they always pay — but the cash flow hit is real. You just don't know which is which until you've already done the work.
Why we built it
Average days-to-pay is one of the most useful numbers you can have on a client. It tells you who to trust, who to charge a deposit, and who to factor into your cash flow planning.
How it works
- 1
DIRT calculates days-to-pay automatically from invoice sent date to payment received date.
- 2
Open a client card and see their average — and the history behind it.
- 3
Use it when deciding whether to require a deposit or offer net-30 terms.
What changes for your business
Before
Know vaguely which clients pay slow. No way to quantify it.
After
Average days-to-pay on every client card. Backed by actual data.
Common questions
How do I track which clients pay slowly?
DIRT calculates average days-to-pay for each client automatically — the number of days between when you send an invoice and when you receive payment. It appears on the client card. You can see at a glance which clients are reliable and which ones stretch every invoice.
What is average days-to-pay for a contractor?
It is the average number of days between invoice sent and payment received for a client. A client with a 5-day average is essentially paying on receipt. A client with a 45-day average is on soft net-45 whether they agreed to it or not. Knowing this before you quote their next job is useful.
How does knowing days-to-pay help my cash flow?
If you know a client takes 40 days to pay, you can factor that into your cash flow planning — do not commit your own money on materials for their next job if you are already waiting on their last invoice. You can also decide to require a deposit from slow-pay clients before starting work.
Should I require a deposit from slow-paying clients?
That is a business decision — but having the data makes it an informed one. A client with a 55-day average days-to-pay is a cash flow risk on large jobs. Requiring a deposit does not have to be a confrontation; many clients accept it as normal when you frame it as your standard practice.
How do I use days-to-pay data to choose better clients?
When you decide whether to take on a repeat client's next job, check their days-to-pay alongside their job EHR. A client who pays slow and generates low EHR is your worst client. One who pays fast and generates high EHR is your best. Those two numbers together tell you more than any gut feeling.
Can I see how long each client takes to pay in DIRT?
Yes. Open any client card in DIRT and the average days-to-pay appears on the card based on their invoice history. The more invoices you have run through DIRT for that client, the more accurate the average becomes.
Start free
Try it free.
Every DIRT plan includes this feature — Solo included. No credit card, no trial that expires. Set up in minutes and use it on your next job from the truck.