A paid invoice does not prove that every part of a job was invoiced. If the scope changed after the original quote, you may have completed approved work that never made it onto an invoice.
Tools2Done keeps the original quote, additional quotes, project costs, invoices and payments connected to the project. That gives you a clearer view of the job’s quoted value, what has been invoiced, what has been paid and what may still need billing.
Find unbilled value before the job is closed
Small changes are easy to lose during a busy project:
- an electrician adds another socket;
- a plumber returns after the customer changes a fitting;
- a landscaper adds drainage to the agreed design;
- a carpenter alters finished work after another contractor changes the opening;
- a builder provides an extra visit, collection or disposal run.
Each request can involve labour, materials, travel and disruption to the schedule. When the commercial record remains in a message or conversation, the final invoice can default to the original quote even though the delivered job was larger.
Understand the four figures that tell different stories
| Figure | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Quoted or agreed value | The customer value attached to the original scope and relevant agreed changes |
| Amount invoiced | How much has actually been billed |
| Payments received | How much customer cash has been recorded |
| Project spend | The direct costs recorded against the job |
These figures should not be treated as interchangeable. The difference between agreed value and invoices raised can reveal work left to bill. The difference between invoices and payments shows what the customer still owes. Project spend helps show whether the work was worthwhile.
A £650 gap that payment chasing will not fix
A landscaper has an original accepted quote of £12,000. The customer later approves £650 of additional drainage and removes £200 of planting. The final agreed value is therefore £12,450.
The business has raised valid invoices totalling £11,800:
£12,450 agreed value − £11,800 invoiced = £650 still to invoice
The customer may also owe £2,800 on the invoices already sent. Chasing that £2,800 will not recover the additional £650 because it has not yet been billed. The missing action is a variation invoice, not an invoice reminder.
Keep the original agreement intact when the job changes
Overwriting the original quote can make it difficult to see what was first agreed and what changed later. With Tools2Done, you can create an additional quote for changed scope and keep it connected to the same project.
The additional quote can set out the new work, price, notes, VAT treatment and relevant terms. It can be sent with an online link through which the customer can accept or decline. The original quote remains part of the project’s commercial history.
Invoice variations without disturbing the payment schedule
A job may already have deposit, pre-start and completion stages. Extra work does not always fit neatly into those percentages.
Tools2Done supports off-schedule invoices for variations, extra work and one-off charges. This means an approved addition can be invoiced separately while the original payment stages remain connected to their quote.
You decide when the variation should be billed according to the agreement and circumstances of the job. The software provides the record and invoice workflow; it does not decide whether a request is chargeable on your behalf.
Keep the cost of the change with the same job
Recovering the customer price is only one side of the issue. An extra £500 of invoiced work is not £500 of profit if it required materials, another site visit or subcontractor time.
Expenses can be allocated to the relevant Tools2Done project with supplier, category, VAT and receipt information. Keeping those costs against the same job helps the project financial view and profitability reporting reflect what the changed scope actually cost.
A connected workflow from request to reconciliation
- Record the project baseline. Keep the accepted quote and agreed scope attached to the customer and project.
- Document the change. Describe what is being added, removed or altered.
- Create an additional quote. Price the revised scope without replacing the original agreement.
- Capture the customer decision. Keep accepted, declined and outstanding quotes distinguishable.
- Record related spending. Allocate materials and other direct costs to the same project.
- Raise the appropriate invoice. Use a separate variation invoice where the extra does not belong in the original schedule.
- Check the project figures. Review quoted value, invoices, payments, spending and the remaining amount to invoice.
Common questions about work left to invoice
Is the remaining amount to invoice the same as the customer’s outstanding balance?
No. The remaining amount to invoice concerns agreed value that has not yet been billed. The outstanding balance concerns invoices that have been raised but not fully paid.
Do I have to replace the original quote when the scope changes?
No. An additional project-linked quote can preserve the original baseline while documenting the changed scope separately.
Can a variation have its own invoice?
Yes. Tools2Done can create manual or off-schedule invoices linked to the project for variations, extra work or one-off charges.
Can I include a reduction as well as an addition?
Your commercial reconciliation should include agreed omissions and credits as well as approved extras. The final agreed value needs to reflect both directions of change.
Does Tools2Done decide how much I should charge?
No. You remain responsible for checking the scope, costs, selling price, VAT and customer agreement. Tools2Done helps keep the resulting quote, invoice, cost and payment records connected.
What if the extra has already been completed?
Record what was requested, what evidence of agreement exists and how the price was established. If there is disagreement over contractual entitlement or a substantial disputed amount, seek suitable professional advice rather than assuming software records settle the issue.
Close the job with the commercial picture visible
A project should not disappear from the diary and be considered finished while part of its agreed value remains unbilled. Before close-out, check the quote history, accepted changes, invoices, payments and direct costs together.
Use Tools2Done to keep each change connected to the project and see what still needs invoicing before it is forgotten.
Put the process into practice.
Tools2Done helps you keep the job, quote, costs, payment stages, invoices and business records connected from the start.
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