Prepare, approve and issue a progress certificate

A progress certificate bills the client for the work done since the last one. You enter how much of each item is done to date; the certificate works out this period's work and takes off retention, the advance recovered and any penalties, then adds VAT.

Before you start

• The contract must be active. See Add a client contract and its bill of quantities.

• The accounts for contract revenue, retention and advances must be set in Project Accounts.

• A contract can have one measured certificate (interim or final) in progress at a time, plus one advance and one retention certificate.

Prepare the certificate

1. Open the contract and its Certificates tab, then select New certificate. Under Kind of certificate, keep Interim. Enter the Period to and select Start. The certificate opens with every item at what was certified so far.

2. For each item, enter the quantity done To date. Switch to Percent to enter the share of the item's quantity instead.

3. Watch the figures on the right update as you type: work to date, less previously certified, work this period, less retention and advance recovery, VAT and net due.

4. Enter any Penalties or Other deductions, with the reason.

5. Select Save, then submit the certificate for approval.

A line marked in red asks for more than the contract quantity, or less than was already certified. Correct it, or raise a variation to increase the item.

Approve and issue

• Someone with approval permission, other than the preparer, selects Approve, or Return to draft for changes.

• When your company turns on Issue certificates only after customer certification in Process settings, the customer or consultant certifies the approved certificate first: select Record certification, enter who Certified by, the certified amount and the date, and attach the signed copy.

• Someone with permission to issue selects Issue and confirms the Issue date.

The issued certificate shows its Due date (the issue date plus the contract's payment terms) and Overdue once it is late. See Collections and Billing plan.

Issuing posts the certificate: the client is charged the net due, retention and the advance recovered move to their accounts, and the revenue of this period is recorded against the project and each item's task. Where e-invoicing is on, the certificate is sent to the tax authority. An issued certificate cannot change.

Use the PDF buttons to export or print the certificate in the familiar layout: previous, this period and to-date quantities and amounts per item, the deductions, the net due in words, and signature boxes.

Choose the kind of certificate

New certificate asks for the Kind of certificate:

• Interim: bills the work measured since the last certificate. Enter the Period to.

• Final: the last measured certificate. It measures the remaining work, and once it is issued nothing more is measured on the contract. Enter the Period to.

• Advance: bills the advance the contract terms provide for. Enter the Amount, or leave it blank (All that is left) to bill the contract value times its advance % less what was already billed or received. VAT is added only where the contract taxes advances when received.

• Retention: bills retention released by the client. Enter the Amount, or leave it blank to bill all the retention held. No VAT is added: it was taxed with the work.

A kind that cannot be raised now is greyed out:

• Interim and Final, while an interim or final certificate is in progress, or once the final certificate is issued. Final also once the contract has one.

• Advance, when the contract has no advance %, or while an advance certificate is in progress.

• Retention, when no retention is held, or while a retention certificate is in progress.

With Final certificate only after the PAC on in Process settings, the final certificate is refused until the provisional acceptance (PAC) is signed. See Handover and acceptance.

An advance or retention certificate has no item lines. Its page shows Advance billed or Retention billed with the Amount, which you can change while it is a draft, but never above what is left to bill. The figures show the net before VAT, the VAT and the net due. It is submitted, approved by someone other than the preparer and issued like any other, and it never changes the quantities the next interim certificate starts from. See Advances and retention.

Each kind prints with its own title: Progress Certificate (interim), Final Certificate, Advance Payment Invoice and Retention Release Invoice.

The certificate register

Projects › Progress Certificates lists every certificate with its status, what it billed and what is still owed. Filter by status to see what waits for approval. A Final, Advance or Retention badge next to the number shows the kind; an interim certificate has no badge. The certificate page always shows its kind.

Common questions

Why does retention stop? The contract has a retention cap. Once the retention held reaches it, certificates take no more.

Can I cancel an issued certificate? No. Cancel a certificate before it is issued; nothing has been posted until then.

Why is New certificate missing? The contract is not active, you have no permission to create certificates, or no kind can be raised now. Issue or cancel the certificate in progress first.