How do I generate an Invoice from a Work Order?

In Contractor Foreman, you have two ways to generate an invoice for a Work Order. Both are valid—it just depends on how you manage your projects and billing. Let’s break them down.

Option 1: Create an Invoice Directly from the Work Order

1. Open the Work Order.

2. Click on the three-dot icon (Action Items).

3. Select Create/Modify Invoice.

This creates an invoice tied directly to the Work Order. It’s quick and useful if the Work Order is a side job or extra task that isn’t formally part of the project’s budget or Schedule of Values (SOV).

Important: Invoices created this way will not be reflected in your Schedule of Values. That means you won’t see them in your project’s overall progress billing or partial invoicing reports.

Option 2: Invoice Through the Schedule of Values

If your Work Order was marked as a Cost Work Order and approved, it automatically adds value to your project’s Schedule of Values. In this case, the better practice is to generate invoices directly through the SOV.

This method ensures:

• Cleaner records of what has (and hasn’t) been invoiced.

• Easier tracking of partial invoicing and progress billing.

• Consistency when managing Change Orders, Work Orders, and your main project contract.

Which method should you use?

• Use the Work Order directly if the task is a “side deal” or extra work not tied to the project’s main contract.

• Use the Schedule of Values if the Work Order is part of the official project scope and you want all invoicing properly tracked within project financials.

Real-World Scenario

Imagine your project is almost complete, and the customer asks for a small addition—like painting an extra room. Since the project is basically finished and you don’t need this task added to the SOV, you can simply invoice directly from the Work Order as a separate item.

On the other hand, if the Work Order is created early in the project—for example, building a patio while the main house remodel is still ongoing—you’ll want to keep track of progress and partial billing. In that case, it makes more sense to invoice through the Schedule of Values so everything stays aligned with the project’s financials.

  Bottom Line

Contractor Foreman gives you the flexibility to choose. For cleaner accounting and better project tracking, we recommend invoicing through the Schedule of Values whenever possible. Direct invoicing from a Work Order is still available if you want a quick solution for smaller, standalone tasks.