Progress Billing: Done Today, Invoiced Today
Confirmed quotations become tasks. When a vendor finishes a line item, the accountant is automatically tasked to invoice it — so finished work turns into cash, not a forgotten claim.
Interior design firms are usually paid in stages: a design-fee deposit, the balance on design approval, then progress claims as the build moves forward. Every one of those invoices depends on someone in the office knowing that a stage is finished. When that news travels by word of mouth, invoices go out late, cashflow tightens, and you end up paying vendors before the client has paid you.
Sound Familiar?
- A section was finished two weeks ago, but the progress claim still hasn't gone out.
- The accountant builds each invoice by asking designers what was done this month.
- You pay vendors on time but collect from clients late — the firm funds the gap.
- Line items are missed or billed twice because nobody can see what was already invoiced.
Automated Deliverables: From Task to Invoice
- 1. Quote is confirmed. The client confirms the build quotation, section by section, item by item.
- 2. Quote becomes tasks. Each confirmed line becomes a task on the project, already carrying its billable value.
- 3. Vendor marks it done. The contractor or designer marks the task complete from site — see site-to-office progress tracking.
- 4. Accountant is tasked. A completed task automatically creates a to-do for the accountant: this item is ready to bill.
- 5. Progress claim goes out. The accountant groups completed items into a progress invoice and issues it — validated as an e-Invoice in the same place.
What Changes
Shorter Billing Lag
The gap between “work done” and “invoice sent” shrinks from weeks to days, because nobody has to remember to tell the accountant.
Nothing Missed, Nothing Doubled
Every confirmed line is either not done, done and waiting to be billed, or billed. The billables list shows exactly what is outstanding.
Healthier Cashflow
Billing in step with progress means client payments arrive closer to when vendor bills are due.
See project profit and loss →Routine Reviews That Take Minutes
The weekly project meeting stops being a status hunt. Open the project, see what is done, what is billed and what is still waiting — then spend the time on what actually needs a decision. For the bigger picture, see how to monitor current and future cashflow.
Progress Billing — FAQ
What is progress billing in interior design?
Progress billing means invoicing the client in stages as the work is completed — by section or by line item — instead of one big invoice at the end. It keeps cashflow healthy on long renovations, but only if completed work reaches the accountant quickly.
Does the accountant still decide when to invoice?
Yes. When a task is marked done, the accountant is tasked to invoice it — they review, group completed items into a progress claim, and issue the invoice. The system removes the chasing, not the control.
How are design-fee deposits handled?
The design stage is billed the same way: the design-fee quotation is confirmed, the down payment is invoiced, and the remainder is invoiced once the client confirms the design.
One System, Every Other Headache Too
Interior design firms rarely have just one problem. The same project system that fixes this one also handles the rest of the job — from the first design-fee quote to the final progress claim.
See the full project management system for interior designers
Turn finished work into invoices
Tell us how you bill progress today and how long it takes. We'll show you how completed tasks flow straight to the accountant.