The problem
Long jobs get billed in pieces. A draw at rough-in, another at trim, the balance at completion. Three invoices off one job, each one pulling from the same pile of line items.
By the third invoice you're working off memory. Did the conduit go out on draw one or draw two? Was that supply run already billed? Guess high and the client catches it and now you're the contractor who overbills. Guess low and you just ate it. Either way you're reconciling invoices in a truck instead of working.
Why we built it
Nobody should have to cross-reference their own invoices to write the next one. DIRT already knows which line items went out the door, so the job screen shows it: billed lines are marked, unbilled lines are ready, and the remaining balance is a number instead of a guess.
The math stays honest whether you bill a job twice or six times.
How it works
- 1
Open any job. Every line item shows its billing status — billed, on a draft invoice, or still unbilled.
- 2
The job header shows what's invoiced to date and what's left to bill, so you know the remaining balance before you start.
- 3
Create the next invoice and DIRT pulls only the unbilled lines. Previously billed work can't slip back in.
What changes for your business
Before
Cross-check three old invoices before writing the fourth, and hope you didn't bill the conduit twice.
After
Open the job. Billed lines are marked, the remainder is one tap, and the totals reconcile themselves.
Common questions
What is progress billing for contractors?
Progress billing means invoicing a client in stages as the work gets done rather than all at once at the end. You might bill at rough-in, at trim, and at final completion. It's common on larger residential and commercial jobs to keep cash flowing before the job wraps up.
How do I know which line items I've already invoiced on a job?
In DIRT, every line item shows its billing status: billed, on a draft invoice, or unbilled. When you open a job, you can see at a glance exactly what's already gone out and what's still available to bill. You never have to cross-reference old invoices to write the next one.
How does DIRT prevent me from billing the same work twice?
When you create a new invoice on a job that's already been partly billed, DIRT only pulls in unbilled line items. Anything included on a previous invoice is already marked billed and can't slip back into the new draft. The math stays honest whether you bill a job twice or six times.
What is a draw schedule in construction billing?
A draw schedule is the agreed timetable for billing a client in installments, typically tied to project milestones like foundation, framing, rough-in, and completion. Each draw covers the work completed up to that point. DIRT's billing status system makes it straightforward to pull only the work from the current milestone.
How do I see the remaining balance on a job I've already partly billed?
Open the job in DIRT. The job header shows total invoiced to date and the amount still unbilled. That remaining balance is a real number — the sum of all unbilled line items on the job — not a guess you calculate by subtracting old invoice totals in your head.
What should a progress invoice include?
The specific work completed in this billing period with line items broken out, the amount invoiced in previous draws if you want to show it, and the remaining balance. An itemized billing statement gives the client a clear picture of what they're paying for at each stage and builds trust throughout the job.
How does progress billing affect cash flow for a solo contractor?
It keeps money coming in before the job ends, which matters on jobs that run weeks or months. Instead of waiting until final completion to collect, you collect at each milestone. That reduces the gap between buying materials and getting reimbursed for them.
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.