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General Contractor Invoicing Software
General Contractor invoicing software for progress billing and project costs.
General contracting billing is different from other trades. You bill across weeks or months with material purchases, sub costs, change orders, and retainage holdbacks all generating separate line items. One missed item on a $200,000 renovation is thousands in lost profit. Bella FSM tracks every dollar across every phase.
Progress billing & retainage
Subcontractor cost tracking
Change order documentation
Retainage tracked
5–10% per project
Sub costs
60–70% of project total
Built for construction billing
Why generic invoicing tools fail general contractors.
The reality
GC billing has many pieces
- 10–20% deposit before work begins
- Progress payments at completion milestones
- Material purchases at cost-plus markup
- Subcontractor invoices passed through to client
- Change orders mid-project
- Retainage holdbacks of 5–10%
- Final completion invoice after punch list
What goes wrong
Generic tools can't handle it
- One invoice per project doesn't work
- Change orders forgotten or never billed
- Subcontractor pass-through costs untracked
- Retainage holdbacks slip through the cracks
- Workarounds in spreadsheets = double entry & errors
- Margin unknown until project is over
With Bella FSM
Built for construction billing
- Progress billing tied to project milestones
- Subcontractor cost tracking with markup
- Change order docs with client e-signature
- Retainage tracked across every project
- Real-time margin visibility per project
- Every dollar accounted for, no spreadsheets
Built for construction billing
Invoicing that handles every dollar across every phase.
Construction billing is more complex than service invoicing. Bella FSM is built around progress milestones, subcontractor pass-through, change order discipline, and retainage — not just simple invoice generation.
Progress Milestone Billing
Define billing milestones when creating the project (deposit, framing complete, rough-in, finish, final). Generate milestone invoices directly from the project record. Monitor payment status for each milestone across all active projects.
Subcontractor Cost Tracking
Subcontractor labor and materials represent 60–70% of total project cost. Record sub invoices against specific projects, track cost-plus markup percentages, and compare actual costs against original estimates to protect margins.
Change Order Documentation
Create change orders tied to the original project. Document scope changes with descriptions, photos, and cost impact. Capture client approval with digital signatures before work begins. Auto-adjust the total contract value.
Retainage & Holdback Management
On commercial projects, property owners typically hold 5–10% as retainage. Record retainage per project, calculate holdback amounts on each progress invoice, and generate the final release invoice when the project closes.
Real-Time Job Costing
Compare estimated vs actual costs as the project progresses. Track materials, sub invoices, and labor per project. Identify budget overruns early enough to course-correct. Know your margin while the job is still profitable.
Connected to Scheduling & CRM
Completed milestones automatically flag for invoicing. Client info pre-populates from CRM. Payment history feeds back into the client profile. No reconciliation headaches — bookkeeper, PM, and field super all see the same numbers.
Progress Billing
Progress billing and milestone invoicing
Progress billing is the backbone of general contractor cash flow. You cannot wait until a three-month project is complete to send an invoice. You need to bill as milestones are reached to keep cash flowing and fund ongoing work.
- Define billing milestones when creating the project
- Generate milestone invoices directly from the project record
- Track completed vs remaining billing against total contract value
- Send invoices digitally with supporting documentation attached
- Monitor payment status for each milestone across all active projects
Subcontractor Pass-Through
Subcontractor cost tracking
On most general contracting projects, subcontractor labor and materials represent 60–70% of total project cost. If you are not tracking these costs in real time, you cannot know your actual margin until the project is over. By then it is too late to adjust.
- Record subcontractor invoices against specific projects
- Track cost-plus markup percentages for materials and labor
- Compare actual subcontractor costs against original estimates
- Generate client invoices with itemized sub costs and markup
- Monitor total subcontractor spend vs budget across all projects
Change Order Discipline
Change order billing and documentation
Change orders are where general contractors either protect their profit or silently absorb costs. When a homeowner upgrades countertops mid-project or a commercial client adds a second bathroom, the scope changes. If that change is not documented and billed, the contractor eats the cost.
- Create change orders tied to the original project and contract
- Document scope changes with descriptions, photos, and cost impact
- Capture client approval with digital signatures before work begins
- Automatically adjust the total contract value and remaining billing
- Include change order line items on the next progress invoice
Retainage Management
Retainage and holdback management
On commercial projects, property owners typically hold back 5–10% of each progress payment as retainage, released only after final inspection. For a $500,000 project, that is $25,000–$50,000 sitting in holdback. Multiply across 10 active projects and the cash impact is significant.
- Record retainage percentages per project at contract setup
- Calculate and display holdback amounts on each progress invoice
- Track total retainage receivable across all active projects
- Generate the final retainage release invoice when the project closes
- Stop letting money owed to you slip out of sight
Connected Workflow
Invoicing connected to scheduling and CRM
When billing data is disconnected from your project schedule and client records, you end up with errors, delays, and frustrated clients. Bella FSM integrates invoicing across your entire operation so the bookkeeper, project manager, and field superintendent are working from the same numbers.
- Completed project milestones automatically flag for invoicing
- Client contact information pre-populates from CRM records
- Payment history feeds back into the client profile
- Subcontractor billing connects with scheduling for cost allocation
- Job costing reports compare estimated vs actual revenue and costs
1click invoice
Cash Flow Tip · Get Paid Faster
Set up project milestones before day one on site.
When each phase is complete, the invoice is one click away — instead of an end-of-month scramble to reconstruct what was done. Bella FSM milestones turn billing from a chore into a workflow that funds the next phase.
Frequently Asked
Common questions about general contractor invoicing software.
What is general contractor invoicing software?
General Contractor invoicing software is a billing platform built for the complexity of construction projects. It handles progress billing, subcontractor cost tracking, change orders, retainage, and milestone-based payments that generic invoicing tools cannot support.
Can general contractor billing software handle progress payments?
Yes. Bella FSM supports staged billing tied to project milestones. You can define payment phases when creating the project, then generate invoices as each milestone is completed.
Does general contractor invoicing software track subcontractor costs?
Yes. Bella FSM allows you to record subcontractor invoices against specific projects, track markup percentages, and compare actual costs against original estimates to protect your margins.
How does general contractor invoicing software handle change orders?
Bella FSM lets you create change orders tied to the original project, document scope changes with client approval, and automatically adjust the contract value and billing schedule.
Does general contractor invoicing software integrate with scheduling?
Yes. Bella FSM connects scheduling with invoicing so completed milestones can trigger invoice generation. Client and project details flow through the system without duplicate data entry.
Bill with confidence
Stop chasing payments. Start billing with confidence.
Bella FSM's contractor invoicing tracks every dollar across every project phase — and connects directly to scheduling and CRM as part of the complete general contractor platform. Free 14-day trial, no credit card required.
What you get on day one
- Progress milestone billing
- Subcontractor cost tracking with markup
- Change order documentation with e-signature
- Retainage and holdback management
- Real-time job costing per project
- Connected scheduling and CRM — no double entry