How do I track progress claims so I know what's claimed, approved and paid on every job?
Keep one claims register for every job, with a line for each claim showing what you claimed, what the client or certifier approved, and what actually hit the bank. AI can fill and update that register from your invoices, emails and accounting software, and flag anything late or short. You still check and send each claim yourself.
Start with one register per job
Most claim headaches come from information sitting in five places. The claim is in your accounting software, the approval is in an email, and the payment is somewhere in the bank feed.
Pull it into one simple table for each job. Every claim gets a line with these columns:
Claim number and date submitted. Amount claimed. Amount approved or certified. Date the payment schedule or response came back. Amount paid and date paid. Balance still outstanding.
If you can read one line and know where a claim sits, you're set. A spreadsheet works fine. What matters is that there's only one version of the truth.
Track the gap between claimed and approved
The number that costs builders money is the difference between what you claimed and what was approved. A client knocks back part of a claim, you mean to follow it up, and then you're on the next job.
Put a column for the difference and a short reason. Was it a variation not yet signed? Work not yet complete? A dispute over scope?
That reason is what you chase. Without it you're just sending a vague 'any update on that claim?' email, and it gets ignored.
Let AI keep the register current
This is the dull admin that falls behind when you're on site. AI handles it inside the tools you already use, so you don't change how you work.
It reads the claim invoices in Xero, MYOB or QuickBooks and adds them to the register. It picks up approvals and payment schedules from your inbox. It matches incoming bank payments to the right claim, even when the client pays a slightly different amount.
Then it flags what needs attention: a claim with no response, a payment that's short, a claim approaching its due date. You get a short list, not a pile of paperwork.
It can also draft the next claim from your contract's payment stages and the work completed. You review it and approve it before it goes out. Nothing is sent to a client without a person signing off.
Know your deadlines under security of payment law
Progress claims in Australia are usually covered by security of payment legislation, and each state and territory has its own Act. Those Acts set timeframes for claims, payment schedules and responses, and missing them can cost you rights.
Check the Act that applies in your state, and your contract, so you know the rules for your jobs. For anything specific, talk to a construction lawyer or your industry body.
Once you know your dates, the register can track them. AI can flag when a response is due or overdue, so you aren't relying on memory.
See it across every job
Once each job has a register, you can step back and see the whole business. How much is claimed but not yet approved? What's approved but unpaid? Which clients pay late?
This ties in with how you score each project. A job with overdue claims or a growing gap between claimed and approved is telling you something about cost and contracts. Rating each project red, amber or green across safety, quality, time, cost and contracts puts those warning signs in front of you early.
A job turning amber on contracts today is far easier to fix than one that's red three months from now.
Common questions
What should a progress claim register include?
At minimum: claim number, date submitted, amount claimed, amount approved, the date of the client's response, amount paid, date paid and the balance outstanding. Add a reason column for any gap between claimed and approved.
Can I do this in Xero, MYOB or QuickBooks?
Yes, for the invoicing and payment side. Many builders keep the claim invoices there and use a register alongside it for approvals and deadlines. AI can read from your accounting software and keep both in step.
Does AI send my progress claims automatically?
No. AI can draft a claim from your contract stages and completed work, but you review and approve it before it goes to the client. A person stays in charge of anything that affects what you get paid.
What law covers progress claim timeframes?
Security of payment legislation, which differs by state and territory. Check the Act for where you're working and your contract terms, and get legal advice for specific situations.