NetSuite Standard Billing vs. AIA G702/G703: What Needs Custom Development?
Understanding what NetSuite produces natively and what requires customization for AIA progress billing in construction.
Does your construction account need AIA G702/G703 format billing? Tell us about your billing requirements.
NetSuite-Certified · Post-go-live specialist · Sandbox-first development · Month-to-month
Quick answer
AIA G702/G703 billing refers to the Application and Certificate for Payment format developed by the American Institute of Architects, required by most commercial owners, construction managers, and general contractors for progress billing on construction contracts. Standard NetSuite billing produces invoices with line items and a standard PDF template. It can withhold a retainage percentage and apply percentage-complete billing rules, but it does not produce a schedule of values, store period-by-period billing values, calculate the G702 application header fields, or generate a G703 continuation sheet. AIA billing is not a configuration problem in NetSuite; it requires custom data structures to store schedule of values and period-by-period amounts, a custom FreeMarker PDF template for the G702 and G703 documents, and SuiteScript to calculate all required fields from project and transaction data. No setting or module in standard NetSuite produces an AIA-compliant billing document.
What does standard NetSuite billing produce?
- Invoice with line items: Standard invoice record with description, quantity, rate, and amount columns. PDF template uses FreeMarker but defaults to a standard invoice layout.
- Percentage-complete billing rules: Advanced Billing module supports billing a percentage of a fixed-price contract. The percentage is set manually; there is no automatic calculation from project cost data.
- Retainage withholding: A retainage percentage field on billing rules withholds a portion from invoice line totals. Limited to a single uniform rate; no accumulation across billing periods.
- Milestone billing: Billing can trigger on project milestones or task completion. Useful for fixed-fee deliverable billing but not for AIA-format progress billing.
What gaps does standard NetSuite have for AIA billing?
These are the specific capabilities standard NetSuite lacks that AIA G702/G703 billing requires.
No schedule of values structure
Standard NetSuite billing does not include a schedule of values. There is no native concept of line items with scheduled values that carry forward across multiple billing periods.
No G702 application header
The G702 header requires original contract amount, approved change orders to date, adjusted contract sum, total completed and stored to date, retainage amount, balance to finish, and amount due this application. None of these exist as calculated fields on a standard invoice.
No period-by-period stored values
The G703 continuation sheet requires prior period billing, current period billing, and accumulated percent complete per line. Standard NetSuite invoices do not store prior-period values in a format that accumulates correctly across billing applications.
No retainage ledger by period
Standard billing can withhold a retainage percentage but does not accumulate retainage held by billing period per project. A proper AIA billing requires retainage tracked cumulatively per line across all applications.
Standard billing vs. AIA format: side by side
| Feature | Standard NetSuite | AIA G702/G703 |
|---|---|---|
| Invoice format | Standard line item invoice | G702 application header + G703 continuation sheet |
| Schedule of values | Not supported | Required: line items with scheduled values |
| Period-by-period tracking | Not stored | Prior period and current period stored per line |
| Contract sum display | Not included | Original contract, change orders, adjusted sum |
| Retainage tracking | Percentage withheld only | Retainage per line, accumulated by period |
| Percent complete by line | Not calculated | Calculated and stored per cost code line |
| Balance to finish | Not shown | Shown per line and in G702 summary |
| PDF template | Standard FreeMarker invoice | Custom FreeMarker G702/G703 template |
| Configuration or code? | Configuration only | Custom data structures plus SuiteScript |
What does building AIA billing in NetSuite involve?
AIA billing in NetSuite requires four components working together. Each must be built and validated against the account's project and transaction structure before going live.
Schedule of values records
Custom records on the NetSuite project store each line item in the schedule of values: description of work, scheduled value, and cost code. These are the foundation that AIA billing calculations reference for each billing period.
Period-by-period billing records
Custom records store the amounts billed in each period per line item: work completed this period, work completed previously, materials stored, and percent complete. These values persist across billing periods and accumulate correctly.
Custom G702/G703 PDF template
A FreeMarker PDF template formatted to produce a G702 application header and G703 continuation sheet that matches the AIA standard. This is the document your GC or owner receives with each billing application.
SuiteScript calculation layer
Scripts calculate all required values from project and transaction data: earned value, percent complete, over/under billing, retainage withheld to date, and balance to finish. These run automatically when a billing application is generated.
Related reading
- NetSuite retainage: native feature vs. custom scripts covers what NetSuite does natively for retainage and what needs to be built.
- NetSuite Advanced PDF templates covers the FreeMarker template work required for custom billing documents.
- NetSuite support for construction companies covers the full construction practice including billing, WIP, and job costing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does NetSuite have an AIA G702/G703 billing feature?
No. NetSuite does not include a native AIA G702/G703 billing format. The standard billing module produces invoices with line items and a standard PDF template. It cannot produce a schedule of values, store period-by-period billing values, calculate the G702 application header fields, or generate a G703 continuation sheet. AIA billing requires custom data structures and a custom FreeMarker PDF template built on top of standard NetSuite.
What is the difference between G702 and G703 in AIA billing?
G702 is the Application and Certificate for Payment: the summary page showing the original contract amount, approved change orders to date, adjusted contract sum, total completed and stored to date, retainage withheld, balance to finish, previous billings, and amount due this application. G703 is the Continuation Sheet: the line-by-line schedule of values showing description of work, scheduled value, work completed to date (broken into previous and this period), materials stored, percent complete, balance to finish, and retainage per line.
How much custom development does AIA billing in NetSuite require?
AIA billing requires custom records for the schedule of values and period-by-period billing amounts, SuiteScript to calculate G702 and G703 fields from project and transaction data, and a custom FreeMarker PDF template that produces the G702 and G703 document. It is not a configuration exercise. The scope depends on how the account tracks costs and whether change orders are already structured in the system.
Can I use a third-party app for AIA billing in NetSuite?
Third-party SuiteApp solutions exist that address AIA billing workflows. These can reduce the custom development required but introduce ongoing licensing costs and dependency on the vendor for updates. SuitePacific typically builds custom solutions directly inside the client account so the construction company owns the code and is not dependent on a third-party subscription for core billing functionality.
How is retainage tracked in AIA billing in NetSuite?
In a custom AIA billing build, retainage is tracked as a cumulative amount per line item across all billing periods. Each billing record stores the retainage withheld for that period. The G702 header then shows total retainage withheld to date as the sum across all prior periods plus the current period. This requires custom records; the standard NetSuite retainage field only withholds a percentage from the current invoice without accumulating prior-period retainage.
Who requires AIA G702/G703 billing format?
Most commercial property owners, construction managers, and general contractors require AIA G702/G703 format when billing up the chain to an owner or lender. The American Institute of Architects developed the format as a standard for progress billing on construction contracts. If your contracts specify AIA billing or your GC requires an application and certificate for payment, you need AIA format output from your billing system.
Need AIA billing built in NetSuite?
Tell us how your account currently handles billing and what format your GC or owner requires. We will assess the build required and give a realistic timeline.