Why stage your invoices
- Cash flow. You are paid as work is delivered, not months later.
- Lower risk. If a project stalls at council, you have already been paid for the work done.
- Clearer scope. Each stage has its own deliverables, so “is that included?” has an answer.
- Client comfort. Smaller, predictable payments are easier for homeowners to approve than one large bill.
A typical stage structure
| Stage | Deliverable | Payment trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Booking / measure-up | Site measure, existing conditions drawings | On acceptance of the proposal |
| Concept | Sketch plans, one or two options | Client selects an option |
| Planning drawings | Drawings and reports for the planning application | Drawings issued for lodgement |
| Working drawings | Construction documentation for building approval | Drawings issued to the certifier |
| Post-approval | Responses, minor amendments, builder queries | Monthly, as used |
Choosing good triggers
A good trigger is something you control and can prove. “Drawings issued for lodgement” is a good trigger; “planning permit granted” is not, because it depends on the council and can take months.
Avoid triggers that depend on the client’s approval with no deadline. If you need the client’s sign-off, say what happens if they don’t respond, for example that the stage is treated as accepted after a set number of business days.
Revision allowances
Most drafting disputes are really revision disputes. State how many rounds of changes each stage includes, and what a “round” is: a single consolidated list of changes from the client, returned once.
When a round is used up, raise a variation: a short description, a price or hourly rate, and the client’s approval before you start. In a staged schedule a variation simply becomes an extra line on the stage it affects.
A worked example
- Booking and measure-up: on acceptance
- A$1,100
- Concept, 2 revision rounds: on option selected
- A$1,650
- Planning drawings: on issue for lodgement
- A$2,200
- Variation: third round of planning changes
- A$330
- Working drawings: on issue to certifier
- A$2,750
Illustrative only, GST-inclusive. Total A$8,030 across five invoices instead of one.
Stages with consultants
When engineers, surveyors or energy assessors are part of the job, attach their fees to the stage their work is delivered in, so the stage invoice reflects what was delivered. That is the basis of a split payment. For each consultant, decide whether they supply the client directly or supply you; it changes who invoices and who charges GST (GST guide).
Records that help later
Keep the accepted proposal, each stage invoice, the date the trigger was met and each variation approval together. If a payment is ever disputed, those records are what you rely on, and in some states statutory payment schemes may apply (security of payment basics).
DrafterShare is being built around exactly this structure: stages, triggers, revision allowances and variations on one schedule. It is pre-launch; see it in the live demo or read the drafter’s view.
Questions
Should I take a deposit on a drafting job?
Many practices invoice a booking or measure-up stage on acceptance, which works like a deposit tied to real work. Whatever you choose, put it in the proposal.
How many revision rounds should a stage include?
There is no standard number. One or two consolidated rounds per design stage is common; what matters is that the number is written down and the client knows what happens after it.
Can a stage be paid in instalments?
Yes, a large stage can be split into, for example, 50% on start and 50% on issue. Each part then needs its own trigger.