Yes, you can invoice before a building job is finished, and for most trade work you should. Deposits and stage payments are invoices raised mid-job, valuations and applications for payment lead to interim invoices, and together they are how construction cash flow is supposed to work. What you cannot do is invoice for work you have not done as if it were complete.
- Deposits, stages and interim invoices after a valuation are all raised before completion.
- Each part-invoice must state what it covers: stage name, percentage or value.
- Never ask for the full contract sum before the work is done.
- Retention and the balance follow completion, per the contract.
- Chase part-invoices the same way as final ones: same terms, same interest.
Invoicing before completion: the four legitimate shapes
Invoicing mid-job is normal in UK construction. The question is which document you are issuing:
| Document | When it is raised | What it must show |
|---|---|---|
| Deposit | Before work starts, on quote acceptance | The amount, what it covers, balance terms |
| Stage payment / interim | When a named milestone completes | The stage completed, gross value, retention held, net due |
| Valuation | On larger jobs, at agreed measurement dates | Work done to date, materials on site, retention |
| Application for payment | Under construction contracts, per the contract’s dates | The sum applied for, the reference period |
Each of these is raised before the job finishes. A deposit or stage invoice is a real invoice with a unique number; a valuation or application sets the amount, and the invoice that follows it is the one that’s paid. The deposit invoice template, the stage payment template and the application for payment template show the layouts.
What separates a legitimate part-invoice from a problem is transparency: the document must make clear it is part of a larger sum, and what the remaining balance depends on. An invoice for “£20,000: extension” on a £40,000 job is ambiguous; “Stage 2 of 4, £20,000” is not.
What you must not do
Three things turn a normal part-invoice into a dispute:
- Ask for the full contract sum before completion. The customer owes for work delivered, not promised: a demand for the whole sum on a half-finished job will be queried, and rightly. A document that sets out the whole price with each stage’s amount and due date is a payment plan, which is different.
- Invent stages you never agreed. Stages carry weight because they were priced and agreed at quote stage. Splitting a job into new stages mid-build to pull cash forward is the move that ends relationships.
- Invoice materials as if delivered when they are not. On valuations, materials on site can be included where the contract allows; materials not yet on site cannot.
If the job is running ahead or behind, the invoice follows the work. Never the other way round.
How stage invoices are structured
A stage invoice that pays quickly contains five things:
- The stage name and number: “Stage 2 of 4: first fix complete”.
- Gross stage value: the agreed stage amount from the quote.
- Retention held, where the contract provides for it: shown separately, not buried.
- Net due: what the customer actually pays now.
- Due date and payment terms: stated on the document, so the interest clock runs from a date everyone can see.
On subcontract work, the same structure carries the CIS deduction on the labour line: see the worked CIS example.
Evidence before you invoice
A stage invoice is only as strong as the evidence that the stage happened:
- Photograph the completed stage before invoicing it.
- Keep the quote’s stage schedule as the reference: the invoice quotes stage 2, the quote defines stage 2.
- On valuations, measure and record what is included; the valuation template shows how the numbers carry to the application.
With that evidence, “I’m not paying until the job’s finished” collapses: the stage was agreed, delivered and photographed.
The balance and retention
The final invoice is issued at practical completion, and it should show the whole position: contract sum, all stages invoiced, variations invoiced, retention held, balance due. Retention is then released per the contract (at practical completion, or at the end of the defects period) and only if somebody invoices it, as an invoice of its own for the amount released.
How Sendinvo handles part-invoices
Sendinvo gives you three ways to bill before the end. A deposit goes on the invoice, as a percentage or a fixed amount with its own due date, and the invoice shows the balance due after it. A payment plan puts every stage on one invoice, each with its own amount and due date, and payment reminders, once switched on, follow the next unpaid stage; if it charges VAT, you can send it as a payment schedule marked “This is not a VAT invoice”, with a VAT invoice for each payment as it arrives. Or raise each stage as its own invoice from the job, which shows what has been invoiced, what has been paid and what is left to invoice. Photos taken on a visit stay with the job, grouped before, during and after, as the stage’s evidence. Valuations and applications for payment aren’t documents Sendinvo produces; the invoice that follows them is.
Do the same payment terms apply to part-invoices?
Yes. A stage invoice is an invoice: your stated terms apply, the due date runs from issue, and late payment rights accrue the same way: 8% above base rate plus fixed compensation on business debts, from the day after the due date. One practical rule worth adopting: if a stage goes unpaid past terms, the reminder sequence starts before the next stage begins: see the reminder wording.
FAQ
Can I send an invoice before a building job is finished?
Yes. Deposits and stage payments are invoices raised before completion, and valuations and applications for payment lead to interim invoices. That is how construction cash flow works. Each part-invoice must clearly state what stage or portion it covers.
Can I invoice the full amount before the job is done?
No. The customer owes for work delivered, not promised. Invoice the deposit and agreed stages as they complete, and the balance at practical completion. A demand for the full sum on a half-finished job will be disputed.
What should a stage invoice include?
The stage name and number, the gross stage value, any retention held, the net amount due, and your payment terms with a stated due date. Reference the quote so the stage matches what was agreed.
Can I invoice for materials before they’re on site?
Generally no. Under most contracts, materials can be included in valuations once they are on site and for the job. Materials not yet delivered are not invoiceable work.
Do late payment rights apply to stage invoices?
Yes. A stage invoice is an invoice. Your stated terms and the statutory late payment rights apply from its due date, exactly as on a completion invoice.
What if the client refuses to pay a stage because the job isn’t finished?
Point to the quote: the stage was agreed, completed and evidenced. Stage payments exist precisely so payment does not wait for the whole job. If they still refuse, follow the standard overdue sequence.
One last thing
The instinct to wait until the job is finished before invoicing feels polite and costs a fortune. The customer agreed stages at quote time; invoicing them as they complete is not asking for money early. It is billing the deal you both signed up to.