ℹ️ Note: In Buildern, this billing method is labeled Schedule of Values for US-based companies and Completion Percentage for non-US companies. Both labels refer to the exact same billing method in the platform; only the name shown changes, based on your company's region.
Step 1. Set Schedule of Values/Completion Percentage as Your Project Invoicing Type
From the project’s Overview, click on the three dots Action menu on the right (next to the client’s portal) and click Edit.
Scroll to the “Invoice Type” section, select Schedule of Values (US-based companies) or Completion Percentage (non-US companies), and save the changes.
Step 2. Create an Invoice with the Schedule of Values/Completion Percentage Type
Navigate to the Client Invoice section of the project.
Click on the “Create” button to start the invoice from scratch.
ℹ️ Note: Unlike Progress Payments invoices, Schedule of Values/Completion Percentage invoices can only be created from scratch. Since billing here is based on lines, cost codes, or cost categories rather than a payment schedule, there is no option to generate the invoice from the proposal or a Payment Schedule Template.
Step 3. Add the Initial Details to the Invoice
Invoice Name is a required field, used to label and easily find the desired invoice.
Invoice ID is automatically generated as the sequential number for the current invoice. The system allows you to manually change the invoice ID.
Invoice Date is by default set as the current date, and it can be manually modified.
Due Date is automatically set in accordance with the Invoice default payment term, which you can define in Buildern Company Settings > Field Settings. You can also set a custom due date or choose from pre-defined payment terms for automatic calculation.
Period to Date is used to define the billing period covered by the invoice.
Introduction Text – an optional message to the client.
Amounts Are – defines whether the entered amounts include or exclude the sales tax amount.
Step 4. Add Schedule of Values/Completion Percentage Items
Now that the invoice has been created, add the items for your Schedule of Values/Completion Percentage billing.
Buildern offers the following options:
Claim against the Contract Price – Click on the “Add Contract Price” button next to the Contract Price section to add the estimate.
With this invoicing method, you can choose how the contract price is broken down by selecting one of three display options:
Show by Lines – displays the parent-level items from the estimate. If estimate items are added under a group, only the group appears on the invoice, with its total summing up the prices of all items inside it. The same applies to assemblies: an item added to an assembly or a group will not appear individually on the invoice. Line items are only shown on their own when they are not part of an assembly or a group.
Show by Cost Code – breaks the contract price down into a line for each cost code used on the estimate.
Show by Cost Category – breaks the contract price down into a line for each cost category used on the estimate.
Whichever view you choose, each row shows the Total amount for that line, cost code, or cost category, along with the Remaining amount, which is the Total minus previous claims.
Use the Work Completed column to enter, as a percentage or a flat dollar amount, the portion of that line, cost code, or cost category you want to claim on this invoice. Use the Materials Stored column to bill for materials that have been purchased but not yet installed, also entered as either a percentage or a flat dollar amount.
ℹ️ Note: If you bill for Materials Stored on one invoice, that amount is consumed as Work Completed the next time you create an invoice for the same line, cost code, or cost category.
Set the Sales Tax on the line and check the Amount Exclusive/Inclusive tax and line item tax amount figures.
Invoice for Change Orders/Variations – Click on the “Select Change Order” button to bring up the list of transactions.
ℹ️ Note: Only Approved change orders/variations can be added to the invoice.
In the modal window that opens, you will find information about the change orders/variations linked to the project and can filter based on Invoiced and Approval statuses. Because Buildern keeps track of invoiced change orders/variations, it will allow you to invoice the client only for the remaining amounts.
Change orders/variations are added as a single lump sum line. You will see the transaction total and remaining amounts in tax-inclusive figures.
Use the Claim % or flat amount fields to claim for the transaction total. Depending on the Amounts Are setting of the invoice, the claim will be either tax inclusive or exclusive.
Set the Sales Tax for the line and save.
Invoice for Allowance Difference – Click on the “Select Allowances” button to access the list of all allowance difference amounts that exist in the project.
In the modal window you can search using the allowance item name and filter the list based on the Invoiced status.
After adding the allowance difference amount, use the Claim % or $ amount fields to add it to the invoice.
Add New Custom Lines – add custom lines to invoice for anything outside the scope of work that does not need to go through the Change Order/Variation approval process. Set the custom line name and description, add the cost code, and set the quantity and unit cost to calculate the extra charge or discount for the client.
💡 Tip: You can add any combination of the above blocks to your invoice — all four, a selection, or just one, depending on what applies to the current billing period.
Step 5. Add the Final Details to the Invoice
Closing Text – any information you would like to share with the client after the charges. You can manually enter text in this field, and it will be shown on the client-facing document.
Attachments – add any relevant files that should be shared with the client. They can access these when viewing the invoice.
Terms and Conditions – select an existing Terms and Conditions template or create a new one. These templates are saved in Buildern Company Settings > Terms and Conditions, and will also be shown on the client-facing document.
Payment History – if a payment has already been submitted by the customer, you can add it upfront during invoice creation.
Step 6. Preview the Invoice and Customize the Layout
Once you have added all the necessary details to your invoice, you can preview it before sending it to your client.
By clicking on the “Preview” button, you will be able to see what the invoice will look like to the client.
On the right side of the screen, you’ll find the Layout Settings section. This includes a dropdown where you can change the invoice’s layout template, including the pre-made Schedule of Values template covered in Step 7.
The layout customization also allows builders to limit or expand the things they want to show on the invoice. Buildern offers Quick Setup options to enable or disable certain section toggles to hide or show to the client. For example, if you only want to display the introduction text but would prefer to hide the closing text, you have the option to do so in the layout customization settings.
You can also customize the columns by hiding and showing items you want your clients to see on the invoice. For instance, you can leave the cost codes, quantity, and unit price visible while opting to hide the tax columns.
💡 Tip: Buildern also allows you to build custom invoice templates using available placeholders, giving you full control over how your invoices look to clients.
Step 7. Use the Pre-Made “Schedule of Values” Invoice Template
Buildern includes a pre-made client invoice template called Schedule of Values, built to follow the G702 and G703 standards. This template can be found in Buildern Company Settings > Layout Templates.
You can select this template from the Layout Settings dropdown described in Step 6. When used, the client receives the invoice formatted as a standard AIA-style document, rather than Buildern’s default invoice layout.
If you want this template applied automatically going forward, you can set it as the default for Schedule of Values/Completion Percentage invoices:
Navigate to Buildern Company Settings > Layout Templates.
Locate the Schedule of Values template.
Click on the three dots Action menu next to it.
Click “Set as default for Schedule of Values.”
Once set, every new Schedule of Values/Completion Percentage invoice will use this template by default, though you can still switch templates per invoice from the Layout Settings dropdown if needed.
Step 8. Send the Invoice
Once you have finalized the invoice, you can send it to your client with just a few clicks.
In the “Send” tab, you can select project clients and customize the subject line and the message using pre-made placeholders. You can also select from a pre-defined email template, which you can create in Buildern Company Settings > Email Templates.
Buildern allows you to attach a PDF version of your invoice to the email and also send a copy to yourself to ensure everything is correct.
Once you send the invoice, it will appear among your other invoices with the Pending status.
In upcoming articles, we’ll explore more features and tools to help you get even more out of Buildern.
Happy Building!