Invoicing and Payment: the full procedure

Invoice promptly and consistently after sign-off so cash comes in on time and records stay clean.

• Applies to: Owner, office staff
• Frequency: Deposit at booking, balance at completion
• Scope: Covers issuing deposit and final invoices, collecting payment, and recording it against the job. Tax handling follows your accountant and jurisdiction.

What you need

• Invoicing software or templates
• Signed estimate and change orders
• Payment processor
• Accounting system
• Completion sign-off form

The procedure, step by step

1. Collect the deposit at booking — Invoice and collect the deposit per the signed agreement before scheduling the start. The deposit confirms commitment on both sides.
2. Track change orders during the job — Any added scope gets a written, signed change order before the work is done. Verbal add-ons are how jobs lose money.
3. Invoice the balance after sign-off — Issue the final invoice once the walkthrough sign-off is complete and punch items are closed. Sign-off then invoice — not before.
4. Itemize against the agreement — Show the contracted amount, deposit applied, approved change orders, and the balance due. The customer should reconcile it to what they signed.
5. State terms and methods clearly — Show due date, accepted payment methods, and any late terms on the invoice. Make it easy to pay you.
6. Send promptly and confirm receipt — Send the invoice the same day as sign-off and confirm the customer received it. Speed of invoicing drives speed of payment.
7. Record payment and reconcile — Record payment against the job in your accounting system and mark the invoice paid. Keep job costing accurate.
8. Follow up on overdue balances — Follow your written follow-up schedule on anything past due — a polite reminder, then escalation per your terms.

Quality check before you finish

• Deposit collected before start per agreement
• Change orders signed before extra work performed
• Final invoice issued only after sign-off
• Invoice itemized against contract, deposit, and change orders
• Due date, methods, and terms shown clearly
• Invoice sent same day and receipt confirmed
• Payment recorded and overdue balances followed up

This is a free, source-anchored standard operating procedure (SOP) you can print and hand to staff. It documents the work sequence for a Painting business — not safety or regulatory rulings, which defer to the cited authorities, the applicable code, and your own health-and-safety plan. Open the tool above to print it, toggle ink-saver, or (with a free ToolFluency Business account) edit it to match your own workflow.

Sources

• Jobber (getjobber.com)
• Painting Contractors Association (pcapainted.org)
• Houzz Pro (Painting Estimates and Invoicing) (houzz.com)