In this guide 6 sections
Set up the measurement sheet first, then let every running bill read from it. Agree items, units and rates with each builder, measure on the day a stage closes, and track retention bill by bill. GullySystem’s Plumbing Contractor Management Software keeps the measurement sheet behind each RA bill, so the office never rebuilds it.
Agree the bill of quantities before first fix
A running bill can only be as clear as the items it is measured against. Before work starts, list what the builder will pay for, line by line. Write the unit and the agreed rate beside each line.
Use the builder’s own item names where the work order gives them. A bill written in the builder’s words is checked faster. Keep one list per site, because two builders rarely price a nahani trap the same way.
- Points per bathroom, kitchen and utility
- Running metres by pipe type and size: CPVC, UPVC and SWR
- Fixtures counted by type
- Chambers, shafts and drainage lines
- Unit and agreed rate on every line
Measure on the day a stage closes
The usual failure is a sheet written from memory a week after the work closed. Replace it with a plain rule. The supervisor fills the measurement sheet on the day a floor or a bathroom is finished.
Record the location finely: tower, floor and flat. The builder’s engineer can then walk to the work and check it. A photograph of open lines helps, since plaster covers them within a fortnight.
Dated sheets end most arguments early.
Tie each billing stage to a test or a handover
Split the work order into the stages the builder pays on, such as first fix, testing and second fix. Each stage then becomes a group of lines on the sheet. Nothing is billed twice.
Builders often hold a stage bill until they see the pressure test. Store the test pressure, its duration, the gauge photo and the site engineer’s sign-off against each bathroom. Then the bill and its proof travel together.
Second fix needs one more record. Note the condition of client-supplied taps and sanitaryware when they arrive. A chipped fitting is then nobody’s guess at handover.
Build the running bill from the sheet
A running account bill should show progress to date, not only this month. The office reads quantities straight from the measurement sheet instead of retyping them. That removes the gap between what was measured and what was billed.
Retention held by the client is money owed to you. Note it on every bill and keep a running total for each builder. When the final bill goes out, the retention list shows what is still to come.
- Quantity to date for each item
- Quantity already billed in earlier bills
- Quantity and amount in this bill
- Retention held on this bill
- Retention held to date for the builder
Keep the dues in view after the bill goes out
A passed bill is not a paid bill. List each client’s balance with the oldest bill first, and review it every week. Builders with several running sites need one balance per site.
Before you change anything, check the format the builder’s engineer certifies today. Match it. A firm with one or two sites may manage with a photo folder and a clear bill format, and that is a fair choice.
Plumbing measurement sheet template
Lay out columns for item, unit, rate, location, quantity this stage, quantity to date and the date measured. Add a box for the pressure test reference and the engineer’s initials. Print one per bathroom block, or copy it into a spreadsheet.
Open a blank worksheet to printQuestions owners ask
Who should fill the measurement sheet?
The site supervisor, on the day a stage closes. The office checks it against the bill of quantities before the running bill is raised, and queries go back to the supervisor that week.
Can billing terms differ from one builder to another?
Yes. Stages such as first fix, second fix and testing, and the running-bill terms each builder uses, are set per contract in the software. Retention follows what each contract says.
Do RA bills go straight into Tally?
Not built in. Bills, receipts and client balances are held in the software and can be exported for your accountant. A Tally export is a quoted extra.
Does a small plumbing firm need software for this?
Not always. One or two sites can run on a photo folder, a printed sheet and a clear bill format. Several sites and a godown make the case stronger.