Payment & Draw Schedule Builder
Most contractors bill too little up front and too much at the end — then float the job on their own cash and credit. This tool structures a deposit and progress draws tied to milestones, so the money shows up alongside the work. Build the schedule, see exactly what you collect at each stage, and prepare a draw-request draft to review and share.
XLSX workbook · one-time purchase · review against your contract terms
10% retainage withheld per draw, released at completion. Every figure reconciles to the contract.
When your payments are stacked at the end of a job, you're financing your client's remodel out of your own pocket until the last check clears. A draw schedule tied to real milestones keeps cash and costs in step: the deposit covers mobilization, each draw lands as its stage completes, and only a small retainage waits for the finish. Same total, radically better cash flow.
What's inside
A one-page guide and the color legend, so you know exactly which cells are yours to fill.
Enter the contract and list each draw as a percentage of it. The tool checks your draws total 100%.
Every draw's amount, retainage held, net cash released, and running balance — all reconciled to the contract.
Pick a draw number and it fills a client-ready request: amount, retainage, total to date, balance, signature lines.
Typical draw structures, retainage norms, deposit-cap cautions, and AIA G702/G703 — sourced.
How it fits together
Winning the bid is half the job. Getting paid on time is the other half.
Use the Bid Calculator to price the job on margin, this tool to structure how that price gets paid, and the Job-Costing Tracker to make sure the margin holds while the work runs. Each stands alone; together they cover the money from quote to final check.
Get the tool
Structure the deposit, the draws, and the retainage; see what you collect at every stage; and prepare a draw-request draft to review and share. One-time purchase, yours for every job.
Questions
No. It builds the payment schedule you put into your contract — the deposit, the progress draws, and the retainage terms. Your contract is still your contract.
Retainage is a small percentage withheld from each draw and released when the job is finished. It's optional — set it to 0% if you don't use it — but it's common practice and it protects both sides.
Yes. It supports up to eight draws, which covers everything from a small bath to a whole-house remodel. Enter each draw as a percentage of the contract.
Each download purchase arrives as a ZIP containing the listed XLSX workbook(s) and PDF buyer guide. Open in Excel or import a copy into Google Sheets; verify formulas, dropdowns and layout. Native application compatibility has not been fully certified.
It flags that deposits are often capped and points you to the rules — many states limit home-improvement deposits (California, for example, to 10% or $1,000, whichever is less). The Reference tab has guidance, but check your own state and contract.