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Draws and retainage

Audience: General contractors · 5 min

Structure​

Break the contract into draws tied to verifiable milestones (foundation, rough-in, drywall, finishes). Each draw invoices when its milestone completes, never upfront for unstarted work.

Retainage​

A fixed percentage held from each draw until final acceptance. Track it per job so release is a single entry, not a reconstruction.

Steps​

  1. Define milestones and draw amounts in the signed proposal.
  2. Invoice each draw with milestone evidence (photos, inspections).
  3. Track retainage held and released per job.
  4. Sync invoices to QuickBooks. The dashboard is the record; QuickBooks is the books.