Measurements and Running Bills for Electrical Contractors

Measured work is entered by area and read against the approved quantities. It becomes a running account bill, with advances, deductions and retention carried on the client’s account from one bill to the next.

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Recording measured work

Electrical work is billed as it is completed, floor by floor, and the figures come from measurement on site. Each measurement is entered against the area and the item it belongs to.

Points, cable and panels

Points wired, metres of cable laid, DBs fixed and fittings installed are entered by area, so the bill can show the quantity done against the quantity planned in the quotation.

Who measures

The supervisor enters the measurement from the site, and the client’s representative or consultant can sign it off later in the week. Both entries are kept with the date.

Variations and extra work

Work outside the original scope is measured as its own line. It is billed once the client has accepted the variation in writing.

Raising the running bill

At the end of a billing period the office picks the measurements not yet billed. The running bill is built from them at the rates of the approved quotation.

Quantity to date

The bill shows work done up to this bill, work billed in earlier bills and the balance. A later bill never repeats a quantity already paid for.

Advances and deductions

An advance received is adjusted against the bill, and agreed deductions are shown as their own lines. The way each is applied follows the work order.

Retention

Where the client holds a part of each bill, the held amount is carried on the account. Its release is recorded when the client pays it.

Passing the bill through

A bill is checked by the office, sent to the client and marked approved once they certify it. The certified amount may differ from the amount billed, and both figures stay visible. The final bill closes the job.

What the client and the accountant decide

Measurement formats differ between builders, and some insist on their own sheets. The format is matched to the client during set-up. How GST and retention are treated on a running bill is a matter for the firm’s accountant.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Can the bill follow a builder’s own format?

Yes, where the format can be reproduced from the records. The layouts a client insists on are reviewed during set-up.

What if the client certifies less than we billed?

The certified amount is entered beside the billed amount. The difference stays on the account until it is cleared or disputed.

Are measurements tied to a floor?

Yes. Each entry belongs to an area and a stage, so a floor can be billed on its own.

Does it replace the consultant’s certificate?

No. The certificate stays with the client’s consultant. The system records the amount certified.

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