NetSuite Progress Billing for Construction Companies
Standard NetSuite invoicing cannot produce a schedule of values, track retainage, or generate AIA-formatted billing output. SuitePacific builds the scripts, fields, and templates that make progress billing work inside NetSuite.
NetSuite-certified · Construction specialists · Month-to-month
Last updated September 2026
Progress billing in NetSuite refers to the process of invoicing a client for a percentage of the contract value based on work completed to date, rather than billing a fixed amount on a set schedule. Standard NetSuite does not include AIA G702/G703 form generation or native percent-complete invoice calculation.
| Capability | Standard NetSuite | With SuitePacific |
|---|---|---|
| Invoice format | Standard NetSuite invoice template | AIA G702/G703 percent-complete format via advanced PDF template |
| Retainage | Manual line-item deduction | Automatic retainage hold calculated from contract value and release at project close |
| Percent complete | No native calculation | Percent-complete field on project record, updated by script from cost-to-date vs budget |
| Schedule of values | No native schedule | Custom schedule of values record linked to project with line-by-line billing tracking |
Quick answer
SuitePacific builds progress billing solutions in NetSuite for construction and project-based companies that need to invoice based on percentage of completion, milestone achievement, or a schedule of values. Standard NetSuite invoicing calculates billable amounts from items and quantities; it has no native concept of a schedule of values, retainage withholding, or AIA G702-style billing. Calculating the billable amount for each period requires pulling project completion percentages, applying them to contract line values, subtracting previously billed amounts, and holding back the retainage percentage, all of which must happen before the invoice is created. SuitePacific writes custom billing scripts that perform this calculation automatically from project data, adds retainage fields with release logic, builds custom PDF templates formatted to match AIA output requirements, and configures workflow-driven approval gates before invoices are sent. Oracle-certified. Plans start at $799 per month, month-to-month after a three-month minimum.
Where standard NetSuite invoicing falls short for construction
No native schedule of values in standard NetSuite invoicing.
Standard NetSuite invoicing is item-and-quantity based. It has no concept of a schedule of values, contract line completion percentages, or previously billed amounts that carry forward each period.
Retainage requires manual tracking.
Withholding a retention percentage from each draw and tracking when it becomes billable is not built into the standard invoice workflow. Most companies track it in a spreadsheet alongside NetSuite.
AIA G702/G703 output cannot come from a standard template.
The AIA billing format requires a schedule of values, previous billings, current period amounts, and stored materials laid out in a specific structure. Standard PDF templates cannot produce this format.
What SuitePacific builds
Each component is built around your contract structure and billing format, not a generic construction template.
Percent-complete billing scripts
SuiteScript that reads project completion percentages from the project record, applies them to scheduled values, subtracts previously billed amounts, and calculates the current period billable amount before the invoice is created.
Retainage fields and release logic
Custom fields on invoices and project records to track retainage withheld per draw, accumulated retainage balance, and release logic that makes retained amounts billable when the project reaches the release threshold.
AIA-style PDF templates
Custom Advanced PDF templates formatted to match AIA G702/G703 output: schedule of values, previous billings, current period, stored materials, and net billable, all populated from project and transaction data in NetSuite.
Workflow-driven approval before invoicing
Approval workflows that route draft progress invoices to a project manager or controller for review before they are sent. Invoice amounts and retainage are locked after approval to prevent post-review edits.
How we approach progress billing builds
We start from your existing billing format
Before building anything, we review your current progress billing process: how you calculate draw amounts, how retainage is tracked, and what your owners expect to receive. The configuration matches your process, not a generic template.
Script and template development in Sandbox
Billing scripts, retainage fields, and PDF templates are built and tested in Sandbox against representative project records. We test scenarios including partial completion, retainage release, stored materials, and change order additions.
Approval workflow configuration and production deployment
After Sandbox sign-off, the approval workflow is configured for your team structure and the full build is deployed to production. We verify the first live billing cycle before handoff.
Why SuitePacific for progress billing
Progress billing in NetSuite requires construction billing knowledge, SuiteScript development, and Advanced PDF expertise. SuitePacific covers all three.
Getting an AIA-style billing document out of NetSuite is not a configuration task. It requires a custom billing script that calculates draw amounts from project data, retainage fields with carry-forward logic, and an Advanced PDF template that matches the G702/G703 layout. SuitePacific has built this combination for construction companies with multi-project portfolios, complex retainage structures, and approval requirements before invoicing.
- → Oracle NetSuite Certified SuiteCloud Developer II and Administrator Professional
- → Billing scripts tested against partial completions, retainage releases, stored materials, and change orders
- → AIA PDF templates built from your existing billing format, not a generic layout
- → Direct access to the developer doing the work, not a support queue
- → US-based, month-to-month after a three-month minimum, starting at $799/month
Related: NetSuite for construction companies and NetSuite SuiteScript development.
Need AIA-style billing to come out of NetSuite automatically?
Tell us your current billing process and how you track retainage. We'll scope the build.
Related reading
- NetSuite for construction companies covers the full picture: job costing, progress billing, subcontractor compliance, and construction-specific accounting configuration.
- NetSuite WIP report for construction explains how work-in-progress reports are built from project budget and cost data, and how they connect to billing completions.
- NetSuite job costing for construction covers cost-code fields, budget-versus-actual saved searches, and the SuiteScript allocation that feeds WIP cost reports.
- NetSuite Advanced PDF templates covers the FreeMarker template engine used to build AIA-style billing documents and other custom document formats.
- NetSuite approval workflows covers how workflow-driven approval is configured for invoices, purchase orders, and other transactions that require review before processing.
- NetSuite AIA billing guide explains the four components of a G702/G703 build: schedule of values record, percent-complete field, retainage calculation, and FreeMarker PDF template.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which NetSuite firm does progress billing configuration for construction companies?
SuitePacific builds progress billing solutions in NetSuite for construction and project-based companies. This includes custom billing scripts for percent-complete and milestone billing, retainage tracking fields with release logic, AIA-style PDF templates, and workflow-driven approval before invoices are sent.
Does NetSuite support AIA G702/G703 progress billing out of the box?
NetSuite does not have a native AIA billing format. The standard invoice is item and quantity based, with no schedule of values, no previous billing carryforward, and no retainage withholding. AIA-style billing in NetSuite requires custom fields, SuiteScript to calculate draw amounts, and a custom Advanced PDF template formatted to match the G702/G703 layout.
What is retainage and how is it tracked in NetSuite?
Retainage (also called retention) is a percentage of each progress billing that the owner withholds until the project reaches substantial completion or another defined milestone. Standard NetSuite invoicing has no retainage field. SuitePacific adds custom fields to track the withheld amount per draw, accumulate the total retained balance, and flag when the retainage becomes billable based on project completion status.
What is a schedule of values in progress billing?
A schedule of values is a breakdown of the contract amount into line items (typically by work scope or CSI division), each with a budgeted value. Each billing period, the contractor invoices against the schedule by reporting the percentage or dollar amount completed for each line. The schedule carries forward previously billed amounts so the owner can see total billed to date at the line level.
Can progress billing work alongside job costing in NetSuite?
Yes. Progress billing and job costing share the same project record in NetSuite. Completion percentages used to calculate billing amounts can also drive WIP cost-to-complete calculations. SuitePacific builds both configurations together when a construction company needs both sides: what has been billed and what it has cost to get there.
Does the approval workflow work for multi-entity or multi-project billing?
Yes. Approval workflows in NetSuite can be scoped by project, department, or subsidiary, so a project manager approves invoices for their own jobs while a controller sees all billing across the company. SuitePacific configures the routing logic to match your actual approval structure.
Ready to automate progress billing in NetSuite?
SuitePacific builds the billing scripts, retainage fields, and AIA-style PDF templates your construction billing process requires. Plans start at $799 per month.