Overview
Getting paid on time, in full, and without confusion is one of the most important outcomes of a well-run construction business. That starts with a clean invoicing process, one where your client receives a professional invoice that clearly shows what they owe, and you have a reliable way to track what's been paid and what's still outstanding.
Structur's Invoicing feature handles two types of client billing: simple invoices for straightforward billing and pay applications for progress billing on larger projects. Both pull directly from your approved proposals and change orders, so you're never manually re-entering numbers you've already built into your estimate. Payments can be recorded in stages without needing to create new invoices, and you can view all invoices across every project from a single company-wide view.
Understanding Invoices
What It Does
Structur's Invoices feature allows you to:
Create simple invoices for straightforward client billing
Create pay applications for AIA-style progress billing, with full Schedule of Values tracking
Automatically pull in approved proposal amounts and change orders so your invoice reflects the current contracted scope
Enter billing amounts by percentage of completion or specific dollar amount per line item
Apply quick input tools to rapidly calculate amounts due across all line items at once
Set retainage percentages and track accumulated retention through to final release
Track previously billed amounts and remaining balances per line item across multiple pay applications
Record multiple payments against a single invoice, no need to create new invoices for partial payments
Attach supporting files, photos, receipts, directly to invoices
Send invoices electronically to clients and track delivery and payment status
View all invoices for a specific project or all invoices across every project in a single company-wide view
Sync invoices and payments with QuickBooks Online for accurate accounts receivable tracking
When to Use It
Invoices are most valuable when you need to:
Bill a client at a project milestone or completion
Issue monthly progress billing tied to percentage of work completed
Track partial payments and payment plans against a single invoice
Review all outstanding invoices across your portfolio in one place
Ensure every approved change order is automatically included in billing without manual recalculation
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Navigate to Invoices
For a specific project:
Open the project in Structur
Click Financial Management dropdown
Select Invoices
You'll see all invoices created for that project, with their status, amounts, and payment history.
To view all invoices across every project:
Open any project and go to Financial Management → Invoices
Look at the top-left corner for the Lead/Project selector, it shows the current project name
Click the Lead/Project selector dropdown
Select "Show All Leads / Projects"
This gives you a complete company-wide invoice view, sortable and filterable by project, status, date, and amount. This is the best view for accounts receivable and cash flow tracking across your entire portfolio.
2. Create a New Invoice
Click Create a New Invoice
Give the invoice a clear, descriptive title (e.g., "Project Name - Invoice #1")
Choose the invoice type:
Simple Invoice - for straightforward billing not tied to progress
Pay Application - for AIA-style progress billing with a Schedule of Values
3. Creating a Simple Invoice
For a standard invoice:
Structur automatically populates the invoice with the Schedule of Values from your approved proposal and any approved change orders
Enter the amount due for each cost code item, either as a percentage of the total or as a specific dollar amount
Set a due date for payment
Use visibility options to control which information the client sees on the invoice
Click Preview to review how the invoice will appear to the client
Click Send Invoice to deliver it electronically
4. Creating a Pay Application (Progress Billing)
Pay applications are for projects where you bill based on percentage of completion over time, functioning like AIA G702/G703 pay apps, though Structur does not automatically generate official AIA form documents.
Step 1: Start the Pay Application
Click New Invoice → Pay Application
Add a title and set the application period
Use Quick Input to apply a single percentage across the entire invoice at once, automatically calculating amounts due for all line items
Use Reset Invoice if you need to start the amounts over
Attach any supporting files (receipts, photos, daily logs) as needed
Structur automatically:
Pulls in the Schedule of Values from approved proposals
Includes all approved change orders and their line items
Shows the original contract amount per cost code
Tracks previously billed amounts from prior pay applications
Calculates the remaining balance still available to bill
Step 2: Enter Progress Billing
For each line item, choose your billing method:
Option A - Percentage of Completion
Enter the percentage complete (e.g., 75%)
Structur calculates the dollar amount automatically based on the contract amount for that line
Option B - Specific Dollar Amount
Enter the exact dollar amount to bill
Structur calculates the percentage automatically
Step 3: Set Retainage
Enter the retainage percentage (typically 5–10%)
Structur calculates the retention deduction and net amount due automatically
Accumulated retainage is tracked across all pay applications and released at project completion
Step 4: Add Supporting Information
Attach photos of completed work, material receipts, or any other documentation
Add notes describing the progress made in this billing period
Set the due date
Step 5: Review and Send
Click Preview to verify all amounts, billed-to-date totals, retainage, and the net amount due
Click Send to deliver the pay application to the client electronically
What Structur tracks per pay application (equivalent to AIA G702/G703 data):
Schedule of Values - all contract line items
Contract amount per line - original approved amount
Work completed this period - current billing amount
Previously billed - total billed-to-date before this application
Total completed to date - cumulative billed amount
Balance to finish - remaining contract amount
Retainage - retention held (percentage and dollar amount)
Net due - amount due this period after retainage
If your client requires official AIA G702/G703 forms: Structur does not currently generate these forms automatically. You can use Structur to track all billing data, then manually transfer the amounts to AIA forms for submission. Official AIA form generation is on Structur's development roadmap.
5. Record Payments Against an Invoice
You do not need to create a new invoice each time a partial payment is received. Structur supports multiple payments on a single invoice.
To record a payment:
Open the invoice
Click New Payment
Enter the payment amount (partial or full)
Add the payment date
Save
Repeat this process for each payment received. The invoice automatically tracks:
Total Invoice Amount - the original amount billed
Amount Paid - the running total of all payments received
Balance Due - what remains outstanding
When total payments equal the invoice amount, the invoice status automatically updates to Paid.
Common payment scenarios:
Deposit + Final: Invoice of $10,000 → $3,000 deposit recorded, then $7,000 final payment recorded on the same invoice.
Payment Plan: Invoice of $15,000 → three payments of $5,000 each, all recorded on the same invoice.
Progress Payments: $50,000 invoice → $10,000 at start, $15,000 at 50% completion, $15,000 at 90% completion, $10,000 at final - all tracked on one record.
6. Find and Manage Invoices
Can't find an invoice?
Check that the invoice was created in the correct project
Verify you have permission to view invoices under Settings → Permissions
Check Settings → Company → Restore Mode to see if the invoice was deleted and needs to be restored
Use search within the invoice view to find by client name, invoice number, or amount
Filter by status - Draft, Pending, or Paid, to narrow down what you're looking for
Best Practices
Bill only for work actually completed - In progress billing, the percentage you enter should match physical progress on site. Over-billing damages client trust and can create legal complications.
Use the Schedule of Values from your approved proposal - Structur pulls this in automatically, ensuring your invoice always reflects the contracted scope including change orders.
Attach supporting documentation - Photos of completed work, daily logs, and receipts attached to invoices justify your billing amounts and reduce client questions.
Bill on a consistent schedule - Monthly billing on the same cadence makes cash flow predictable for both you and your client.
Record payments promptly - Log payments as soon as they're received so your balance due and cash flow reporting stays accurate.
Use the company-wide invoice view for AR management - Switch to "Show All Leads / Projects" to see every outstanding invoice across your portfolio at once and prioritize collection.
Set retainage from the start - Configure the retainage percentage on your first pay application and track it consistently across every billing period.
Preview before sending - Always review the invoice from the client's perspective before sending to confirm the amounts, cover page, and visibility settings are correct.
Common Questions
Q: What's the difference between a Simple Invoice and a Pay Application?
A: A Simple Invoice is for straightforward billing, you enter amounts due and send. A Pay Application is for progress billing on larger projects, where you track percentage of completion per line item, carry billed-to-date history across multiple applications, and apply retainage. Use Pay Applications when your contract involves billing in stages as work progresses.
Q: Does Structur generate official AIA G702/G703 forms?
A: Not currently. Structur supports AIA-style progress invoicing with all the same data, Schedule of Values, billed-to-date, retainage, net due, but uses Structur's own invoice format rather than the official AIA form layout. If your client requires G702/G703 forms, you can use Structur to track all the billing data and manually transfer amounts to official AIA forms for submission.
Q: Do I need to create a new invoice every time a client makes a partial payment?
A: No. A single invoice supports multiple payment entries. Record each payment as it comes in using the New Payment button. The invoice tracks the running total of payments received, the balance still due, and the full payment history, all on one record.
Q: How are change orders reflected in invoices?
A: Approved change orders are automatically included in the Schedule of Values when you create or update an invoice. The contract total adjusts to reflect all approved changes, and the change order line items appear in the billing breakdown. No manual recalculation is needed.
Q: Can I see all invoices across all my projects in one place?
A: Yes. From any project's Invoices page, click the Lead/Project selector dropdown in the top-left corner and select "Show All Leads / Projects." This gives you a complete company-wide view of all invoices, sortable and filterable by project, status, date, and amount.
Q: How does retainage work in Structur pay applications?
A: When creating a pay application, you set a retainage percentage. Structur automatically deducts the retention amount and shows the net amount due to the client. Retainage accumulates across billing periods and is typically released at project completion.
Q: Do invoices and payments sync with QuickBooks Online?
A: Yes. Invoices sync to QuickBooks, and each payment entry syncs as a separate payment record. Invoice status updates in both systems, maintaining accurate accounts receivable in QuickBooks.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Don't | ✅ Do |
Create a new invoice every time a partial payment is received | Record each payment using New Payment on the same invoice, one invoice tracks all payments |
Bill a higher percentage than work actually completed | Enter percentages that accurately reflect physical progress to maintain client trust |
Send an invoice without previewing it first | Always click Preview to confirm amounts, cover page, and visibility settings before sending |
Manually recalculate change order amounts in invoices | Let Structur pull in approved change orders automatically, they're already in the Schedule of Values |
Forget to set retainage before sending the first pay application | Configure retainage on the first pay application and apply it consistently every period |
Only check invoices per project when tracking AR | Use "Show All Leads / Projects" for a complete view of all outstanding invoices company-wide |