First fix done, invoice not sent
The rewire quote said: deposit, then a payment at first fix, then the balance on completion and certificate. First fix finished a week ago. The plasterer's been in. Nobody told the office. The first stage invoice goes out when the electrician mentions it on Friday, so you've been carrying the cost of materials and labour for longer than the agreement intended.
On a new build development it's worse: dozens of plots, each at a different stage, and the main contractor's payment cycle waiting for your application.
Why stages don't reach the office
The stage structure is in the quote, but the job software treats the job as one lump. Progress is in the electrician's head and in photos on his phone. The office has to ask, and the electrician answers when he remembers, which on a busy week is later rather than sooner.
| Stage | How the office finds out |
|---|---|
| Deposit | Quote accepted, usually fine |
| First fix complete | When someone mentions it |
| Second fix complete | When the certificate is started |
| Certificate issued | When the customer asks for it |
| Retention or balance | Often forgotten |
The stage trigger is often a site event the office can't see: the plasterer arriving, building control or the main contractor's clerk of works inspecting first fix, the developer releasing a plot. The electrician sees these on site, and nobody has asked him to report them in a way that reaches the accounts.
What late stage invoices cost
You fund materials and wages for longer than you agreed to. On bigger jobs, that can squeeze cash at exactly the moment you need to buy the next board or pay a supplier. Customers are also less keen to pay a stage invoice that arrives weeks after the stage, because it no longer feels connected to visible progress.
On developments, the problem is sharper, because applications have fixed dates. A plot finished the day after the valuation date waits a whole cycle to be claimed, which matters when you are carrying materials for dozens of plots at once.
How we tie invoices to stages
- Stages from the quote: when a quote is accepted, its payment stages are created on the job with the amount for each.
- Stage sign-off: the electrician marks a stage complete on their phone, with photos of the work, for example the first fix before plasterboard goes up.
- Invoice draft: the stage invoice is drafted in Xero or QuickBooks, with the photos attached for the customer if you want to include them.
- Office check: the office reviews and sends, or holds with a reason if something is disputed.
- Plot view: on developments, a grid shows every plot and stage, and your application to the main contractor is built from it.
- Chasing: unpaid stage invoices are chased in your wording, and work on the next stage can be flagged if a payment is overdue.
Cash in when the work is done
Each stage is invoiced when it's reached, not when someone remembers. Customers see photos of the progress they're paying for. On developments, your payment applications are complete and on time. And the owner can see at a glance which jobs are ahead of their payments.
Customers also tend to prefer it. A stage invoice that arrives the day first fix is done, with photos showing cables in the walls, feels like fair payment for visible progress. One that arrives three weeks later, after the walls are painted, feels like a demand for money for something they can no longer see.
Does this sound familiar?
- Stage invoices go out days or weeks after the stage.
- The office has to ask electricians how far each job has got.
- Balance invoices wait for certificates to be issued.
- You carry material costs longer than your quote terms intended.
- Payment applications on developments are rushed at month end.