How to Bill on Procore

Understanding Procore's Invoicing System

Procore streamlines construction invoice management by centralizing all billing activities in one accessible platform. This powerful system eliminates the need for paper invoices and outdated spreadsheets that often lead to errors and delays. The platform connects all stakeholders seamlessly, from subcontractors to project managers, creating a collaborative environment where information flows efficiently.

The invoicing module within Procore offers real-time visibility into invoice statuses, allowing teams to track progress without endless email chains or phone calls. This transparency helps prevent payment delays and improves cash flow management across projects. With automated notifications and reminders, the system ensures that nothing falls through the cracks during busy construction periods.

Procore's invoicing capabilities extend beyond basic billing to include detailed tracking of change orders, materials, and labor costs. This comprehensive approach ensures that all billable items are properly documented and accounted for in the final invoice. The result is a more accurate financial picture of each project, which benefits everyone involved in the construction process.

The platform's user-friendly interface makes it accessible even to team members who aren't tech-savvy. This accessibility encourages adoption across organizations and reduces the learning curve typically associated with new software implementations.

User Roles and Permission Basics

Understanding the different user roles in Procore is essential for effective invoicing. Each role comes with specific responsibilities and access levels that determine what actions users can take within the system.

The Invoice Administrator creates billing periods, sends "Invite to Bill" notifications, and can enter invoices on behalf of others when necessary. This role typically belongs to project managers or financial controllers who oversee the entire invoicing process. Invoice Administrators have the authority to approve or reject submitted invoices based on predefined criteria and project requirements.

Invoice Contacts are usually subcontractors or vendors who receive invitations to submit their invoices for work completed. They can create and submit invoices for open billing periods, even without receiving a formal invitation. However, following the standard "Invite to Bill" workflow is recommended for better tracking and organization.

Progress Claim Contacts handle specialized billing scenarios where progress payments are involved. These users submit claims for specific billing periods based on completed work percentages or milestones. Their role is crucial for larger projects where payments are tied to verifiable progress rather than fixed deliverables.

Proper permission settings ensure that users can access only what they need to complete their tasks. This security feature protects sensitive financial information while still allowing for efficient collaboration. Administrators should regularly review and update permissions as project teams evolve and responsibilities shift.

Step-by-Step Invoice Submission Guide

The invoice submission process in Procore follows a logical sequence designed to capture all necessary information. Understanding each step helps ensure accurate and timely billing throughout your project lifecycle.

When you receive an "Invite to Bill" notification, it signals that a billing period is open and ready for your input. This email contains a direct link to the invoice creation page, streamlining the process and reducing the risk of navigation errors. Even without this invitation, you can still create invoices for open billing periods if you have the appropriate permissions in the system.

After accessing the invoice page, you'll need to enter a unique invoice number that helps track the document through your internal systems and Procore. While this field is optional, using consistent numbering conventions makes it easier to reference specific invoices during discussions or reconciliations. No two invoices on the same commitment can share the same number, so develop a system that prevents duplicates.

The billing period dates define the timeframe for the work being invoiced. These dates are typically set by the Invoice Administrator and include the billing date, period start date, and period end date. Verify these dates before proceeding to ensure your invoice aligns with the established billing cycle and payment schedule.

Updating Your Schedule of Values

The Schedule of Values (SOV) forms the backbone of your invoice by breaking down the work into billable components. This detailed breakdown ensures transparency and helps justify the amounts being billed to clients or contractors.

Procore supports two primary accounting methods for SOV updates, each with its own data entry requirements. The amount-based method allows you to enter either percentages or dollar amounts to indicate completed work. When you input a percentage, Procore automatically calculates the corresponding dollar value based on the total contract amount. This method works well for projects with clearly defined deliverables and straightforward pricing structures.

The unit/quantity-based method is ideal for projects where billing depends on measurable quantities like cubic yards of concrete or square feet of flooring. You can enter either the actual quantity completed or a percentage of the total, and Procore will calculate the appropriate billing amount. This approach provides greater flexibility for projects with variable quantities or unit-based pricing models.

Materials presently stored represent items purchased but not yet installed or used in the project. Procore allows you to bill for these materials separately, ensuring you're compensated for upfront purchases even before installation. This value carries forward across invoices until the materials are incorporated into the project, at which point they shift to the completed work category.

Managing Change Orders Effectively

Change orders can significantly impact your invoice totals and require careful handling within Procore. Only approved change orders appear in the invoicing section, ensuring that all billed items have proper authorization.

For each approved change order, you'll need to enter either the percentage completed or the dollar amount to be billed in the current period. This information helps track progress against the modified scope and ensures accurate billing for additional work. Procore automatically updates the invoice totals to reflect these change orders, maintaining consistency between your billing and the approved project modifications.

Change orders often require supporting documentation to justify the additional costs. The attachments section allows you to upload relevant files such as approval emails, detailed cost breakdowns, or photographic evidence of the extra work. These attachments strengthen your invoice and reduce the likelihood of payment delays due to insufficient documentation.

The system maintains a clear distinction between original contract items and change orders, making it easy to track how project modifications affect the overall budget. This separation helps both parties understand the financial impact of scope changes and facilitates more transparent conversations about project costs.

Document Attachments and Submission

Supporting documentation plays a crucial role in the invoicing process by providing evidence and context for the billed amounts. Procore makes it easy to attach these important files directly to your invoice.

The attachment section allows you to upload various file types, including PDFs, images, spreadsheets, and more. These attachments might include signed lien waivers, detailed backup reports, progress photos, or material delivery receipts. Including comprehensive documentation with your invoice reduces the likelihood of questions or disputes that could delay payment.

Many organizations require a signed PDF copy of the invoice for their records. Procore allows you to export your invoice as a PDF, sign it electronically or physically, and then reattach it to the submission. This creates a complete audit trail and satisfies formal documentation requirements for accounting departments and financial audits.

After completing all required fields and attaching necessary documents, you must decide whether to save your invoice as a draft or submit it for review. The save option sets the status to "Draft," allowing you to return later and make additional changes. This is useful when you're waiting for final information or need approval from others in your organization before submission.

The submit option changes the status to "Under Review," signaling to the Invoice Administrator that your invoice is complete and ready for processing. Once submitted, you cannot make further changes unless the administrator returns the invoice with a "Revise & Resubmit" status. This workflow ensures that all parties are working with the same version of the invoice throughout the approval process.

Advanced Invoicing Techniques

Beyond basic invoicing, Procore offers sophisticated features for handling complex billing scenarios that arise in construction projects. These advanced capabilities help address the unique challenges of construction finance.

Retainage management allows for the withholding of a percentage of each payment until project completion or specific milestones. In Procore, you can set retainage percentages at the contract level and track retained amounts across invoices. When it's time to release retainage, you can specify the amount to be released in the current billing period. This systematic approach ensures accurate tracking of retained funds and simplifies the final payment process.

Progress claims provide a structured way to bill for partially completed work based on verified progress rather than deliverables. The system allows you to document the percentage of completion for each line item and automatically calculates the appropriate billing amount. Supporting documentation such as progress photos or inspection reports can be attached to substantiate the claimed percentages and expedite approval.

For projects spanning multiple billing periods, Procore's stored materials tracking becomes invaluable. This feature allows you to bill for materials purchased and stored on-site but not yet incorporated into the work. The system maintains a running inventory of these materials, automatically adjusting the values as items move from storage to installation. This prevents double-billing and provides clear visibility into the status of all project materials.

Integration with accounting systems represents one of Procore's most powerful advanced features. When properly configured, Procore can synchronize invoice data with popular accounting software like QuickBooks, Sage, or Xero. This integration eliminates duplicate data entry, reduces errors, and provides real-time financial insights across platforms.

Handling Special Billing Situations

Construction projects often involve unique billing scenarios that require special handling within the invoicing system. Procore's flexibility accommodates these situations while maintaining financial accuracy.

Joint ventures and partnerships present complex billing arrangements where multiple parties share responsibility for work and compensation. Procore allows you to set up specialized billing structures that properly allocate costs and revenues according to partnership agreements. The system can generate separate invoices for each partner or consolidate billing under the primary entity, depending on project requirements.

The following billing scenarios require special attention in Procore:

• Multi-phase projects - Track and bill work across distinct project phases with separate schedules and budgets
• Cost-plus contracts - Document actual costs plus markup percentages with appropriate supporting evidence
• Time and materials billing - Record labor hours, equipment usage, and material quantities with detailed breakdowns
• Milestone-based payments - Link invoices to completed project milestones with verification documentation

For projects with multiple funding sources, Procore enables you to allocate costs appropriately across different budgets or accounts. This capability is particularly valuable for public projects with complex funding structures or private developments with multiple investors. The system maintains clear records of which funding source covers each portion of the work, simplifying financial reporting and compliance.

Seasonal considerations often affect construction billing, especially for exterior work in regions with harsh winters or rainy seasons. Procore's flexible billing periods accommodate these seasonal variations, allowing for accelerated billing during productive months and reduced activity during off-seasons. This approach helps maintain cash flow throughout the year despite weather-related productivity fluctuations.

Troubleshooting Common Invoicing Issues

Even with a well-designed system like Procore, users occasionally encounter challenges during the invoicing process. Understanding common issues and their solutions helps minimize disruptions and keeps your billing on track.

Invoice submission errors typically stem from missing information or incorrect data entry. When Procore prevents you from submitting an invoice, check for required fields that might be empty or contain invalid values. The system usually highlights these fields with red indicators or warning messages. Pay special attention to date fields, numerical values, and required attachments that might be missing or improperly formatted.

Permission-related problems can block access to necessary invoicing functions. If you cannot perform expected actions, verify your user role and permissions with your Procore administrator. Remember that permissions can be set at multiple levels, including company, project, and tool-specific settings. Sometimes a permission might be granted at one level but restricted at another, creating confusing access limitations.

The following steps can resolve most common invoicing issues:

1. Clear your browser cache and cookies, then restart your browser to eliminate potential technical glitches.
2. Verify that all required fields contain valid information, paying special attention to date formats and numerical values.
3. Check for duplicate invoice numbers that might conflict with existing records in the system.
4. Confirm that the billing period is still open and available for submissions.
5. Ensure that all file attachments meet Procore's size and format requirements.

Data synchronization issues sometimes occur when Procore integrates with external accounting systems. If invoice information isn't appearing correctly in your accounting software, check the integration settings and synchronization schedule. Most integration problems stem from mapping mismatches between Procore's data fields and their counterparts in the accounting system. Working with your IT team or Procore support can help identify and resolve these mapping discrepancies.

System performance occasionally slows during peak usage periods or when handling exceptionally large invoices with numerous attachments. If you experience sluggish performance, try working during off-peak hours or breaking very large invoices into smaller, more manageable submissions. Optimizing attachment file sizes by compressing images or using efficient file formats can also improve system responsiveness.

Best Practices for Procore Invoicing

Adopting proven best practices can significantly enhance your Procore invoicing experience and lead to more efficient financial management. These strategies help streamline workflows and reduce common billing headaches.

Consistent data entry protocols establish uniformity across all invoices, making them easier to process and track. Develop standard formats for invoice numbers, description fields, and attachment naming conventions. This consistency simplifies searching and reporting while reducing confusion among team members. Consider creating a simple style guide that documents these standards for everyone involved in the invoicing process.

Regular communication with project stakeholders keeps everyone informed about billing expectations and deadlines. Schedule brief weekly check-ins to discuss upcoming invoices, potential issues, and any special considerations for the current billing period. These proactive conversations prevent surprises and build stronger working relationships between financial and operational teams.

The most successful Procore users implement these proven strategies:

• Standardized templates - Create reusable templates for common invoice types to ensure consistency
• Detailed descriptions - Include specific information in line item descriptions to prevent confusion
• Proactive documentation - Gather supporting documents throughout the month rather than scrambling at billing time
• Regular reconciliation - Compare Procore data with accounting records frequently to catch discrepancies early

Continuous learning helps teams stay current with Procore's evolving capabilities. The platform regularly releases updates and new features that can improve your invoicing process. Designate team members to participate in Procore's webinars, user groups, and training sessions, then share key insights with the broader team. This investment in ongoing education maximizes your return on the Procore platform.

Data validation before submission prevents many common invoicing problems. Before clicking the submit button, take a few minutes to review all invoice details for accuracy and completeness. Pay special attention to numerical values, dates, and required attachments. This final check significantly reduces the likelihood of rejection or revision requests that could delay payment.

Streamline Your Construction Billing Today

Mastering Procore's invoicing system transforms what was once a tedious administrative burden into a streamlined, efficient process that supports your entire construction operation. The platform's comprehensive approach to billing creates transparency, improves accuracy, and accelerates payment cycles—all critical factors in maintaining healthy cash flow for construction businesses.

The techniques and best practices outlined in this guide provide a solid foundation for optimizing your Procore invoicing workflow. Remember that effective billing isn't just about getting paid; it's about creating clear financial communication between all project stakeholders. When everyone understands what's being billed and why, projects run more smoothly with fewer disputes and delays.

Consider implementing these strategies incrementally rather than attempting a complete overhaul of your billing processes overnight. Start with standardizing your data entry and documentation practices, then gradually incorporate more advanced features as your team gains confidence with the system. This measured approach prevents overwhelming your team while still moving toward more efficient financial management.

Procore's robust support resources stand ready to help when questions arise. From detailed documentation and video tutorials to responsive customer support, you have multiple avenues for assistance as you refine your invoicing processes. Don't hesitate to leverage these resources whenever you encounter challenges or want to explore new capabilities within the platform.

Your journey to mastering Procore invoicing is an investment that pays dividends throughout the project lifecycle. By implementing the strategies discussed in this guide, you'll not only streamline your billing processes but also strengthen relationships with clients, subcontractors, and internal stakeholders. The result is a more profitable, less stressful construction operation where financial management supports rather than hinders your core business activities.