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Construction site with progress billing documents and calculator
BILLING SUPPORT

Progress Billing Made Easier with Assistant Guidance

Step-by-step support for retainage setup, AIA formatting, and review workflows inside Sage.

Progress billing inside Sage isn't just a task — it's a checkpoint for revenue, trust, and audit-readiness. Billing teams must navigate retainage, change orders, lien waivers, and submission timing — all while staying compliant with G702/G703 formatting and payment terms.

That's where Sage Assistant comes in. It lives inside your billing workflows and helps staff avoid rework, missed compliance items, and costly submission delays. Whether you're preparing a new draw, adjusting retainage, or confirming documentation before sending, the assistant provides real-time, in-product help.

Why it matters: Mistakes in Sage billing don't just delay cash — they damage GC trust. A single missed waiver or retainage miscalculation can stall payments for weeks.

Unclear Retainage Setup Across Draws

Billing teams often miss or misapply retainage when preparing a new draw in Sage. Between owner-specific rules, material-only exclusions, and mid-project rate changes, it's easy to withhold too much or too little — or forget it entirely. These errors can delay approval and stall payments.

Assistant Flags Retainage Gaps in Real Time

As users enter each billing line, the assistant checks expected retainage behavior based on prior submissions. If a line is missing holdback or the percentage deviates, it alerts the user directly in the billing screen — before final submission.
This prevents retainage mismatches from slipping into draws. It reduces review cycles and builds trust with clients by keeping every draw compliant.
AI Assistant UI Example

Retainage Calculation

Current Draw Amount:$200,000
Configured Retainage %:10%
Retainage This Cycle:$20,000
Net Payable (After Holdback):$180,000
Total Retainage on Record:$170,000

Retainage is tracked across draws. Sage adds this period's $20,000 to a prior holdback of $150,000.

Manually Formatting G702/G703 Each Cycle

Some billing coordinators export Sage data to Excel and reformat it manually to match AIA templates. That introduces inconsistencies, redundant effort, and version control risks — especially when change orders, stored materials, or overrides come into play.

Auto-Formatted AIA Preview with System Values

The assistant shows a live preview of what the G702/G703 will look like — using real data from Sage billing. Every line item, percent complete, retainage, and stored materials are pulled from the current billing run and rendered in the correct AIA layout.
No rework, no guessing. The exported PDF always matches what was seen. This saves hours of formatting and prevents final-stage surprises.
AI Assistant UI Example
PhaseBudgetPreviously BilledThis PeriodTotal to Date% Complete
Foundation$500,000$500,000$0$500,000100%
Framing$800,000$600,000$150,000$750,00094%
Electrical$400,000$200,000$50,000$250,00063%
Plumbing$300,000$200,000$0$200,00067%
TOTALS$2,000,000$1,500,000$200,000$1,700,00085%

Missed Docs in the Final Submission Checklist

Even experienced Sage users occasionally forget to attach required lien waivers, insurance certs, or signed change orders. Without a system-level reminder, incomplete packets slip through — only to be rejected later by the GC.

Checklist Assistant for Required Docs

When building a draw, the assistant surfaces a checklist based on historical billing patterns and contract settings. It confirms whether all COs are approved, waivers uploaded, and compliance docs current — right in the billing screen.
That guidance helps coordinators catch missing items early and submit complete draws on the first try — not after back-and-forth.
AI Assistant UI Example

Compliance Checklist

✓

Work completed aligns with billing draw

Confirmed by site inspection on 8/30

✓

All approved change orders reflected

CO #003 and #004 included in billing

⏳

Lien waivers uploaded to Sage portal

2 of 4 received; awaiting sub uploads

✓

Insurance coverage verified

General liability certificate valid through Dec 2025

✓

Certified payroll reviewed for compliance

Prevailing wage confirmed by accounting

Lack of Clarity Around Draw Timing

Coordinators often don't know which step of the billing cycle they're in — or what's holding things up. Was the field signoff uploaded? Did accounting approve? Has the GC received the draw yet?

Assistant Tracks Where You Are in the Cycle

The assistant builds a visual timeline directly in Sage — showing which steps have been completed and which ones are still outstanding. Users can ask, "Did accounting sign off?" or "Has lien waiver collection started?" and get a clear answer.
Everyone stays aligned, and nothing slips through the cracks. It's like a live billing roadmap.
AI Assistant UI Example

Billing Timeline

Work period ends

Aug 30

Site verification and inspector signoff

Sep 2

Draw generated in Sage

Sep 5

Submission to GC

Sep 10

Payment expected

Sep 25

Conclusion

The Progress Billing Assistant inside Sage is more than a time-saver — it's a safety net for billing coordinators. By embedding guidance into your retainage setup, line item formatting, and document checklist, it ensures that each draw cycle moves forward cleanly and confidently.

For firms juggling multiple projects and approval workflows, that clarity can be the difference between paid on time or chasing corrections for weeks. With the assistant, every billing task becomes a guided process — not a guessing game.

Sources & Further Reading

This content is based on feedback from Sage billing users, common implementation patterns, and industry reporting standards for G702/G703 compliance. Assistant responses shown above are conceptual UI examples built around real Sage use cases.