The problem
On an extension, the money comes in stages: deposit, foundations, roof on, first fix, completion, then the retention after the defects period. Stage invoices get written late at night, and retentions get forgotten altogether. Writing 6 stage invoices a month at 30 minutes each is 3 hours, and one $1,995£1,500€1,785A$2,880C$2,820 retention a year never claimed is $166£125€149A$240C$235 a month lost.
What the AI does
Tradify's Pro plan includes progress invoicing, which the pricing page describes as covering deposits, progress payments and retentions. You set the job up from the accepted quote and raise each stage invoice from the job when the stage is done, instead of writing it from scratch. A diary reminder for the end of each defects period makes sure the retention is claimed.
A worked example
A two-person building firm in Cheltenham runs 3 or 4 extensions and refurbishments at a time, already on Tradify Pro for job costing. They raise every deposit, stage and final invoice from the job and set a reminder for each retention.
Before
6 stage invoices a month at 30 minutes each, and about one $1,995£1,500€1,785A$2,880C$2,820 retention a year forgotten
After
6 stage invoices at about 10 minutes each, and every retention claimed on time
What it's worth
About $273£205€244A$394C$385 a month, against $49£37€44A$71C$70 to $98£74€88A$142C$139 for Tradify Pro. That is $106£80€95A$154C$150 of time (2 hours a month less invoicing at an assumed $53£40€48A$77C$75 an hour) and $166£125€149A$240C$235 a month of retentions no longer forgotten ($1,995£1,500€1,785A$2,880C$2,820 a year), which is money for work already done.
How to set it up
- Agree the stages, amounts and any retention in writing with the client before work starts.
- Set the job up in Tradify Pro from the accepted quote, with the stages as you agreed them.
- Raise each stage invoice from the job as soon as the stage is signed off, and send it the same day.
- Record any retention and put the end of the defects period in your diary, with a reminder to claim it.
- Each Friday, check which stages are done but not yet invoiced, alongside your job costing.
What goes wrong
- The pricing page lists retentions under progress invoicing but doesn't show how they're tracked. Try it on a real job before relying on it.
- Tradify charges per user: two users on Pro is $98£74€88A$142C$139 a month, and the page doesn't say whether VAT is included.
- An invoice the client didn't expect is an invoice that gets disputed. Stage invoices only work if the stages were agreed first.