AIA billing looks simple on

AIA billing looks simple on paper.

In real life? It’s a math test, a paperwork fight, and a cash flow waiting game.

Example:

Contract value: $250,000

Work completed this month: $42,500

Retainage: 10% = $4,250 held back

Stored materials: $12,000, but only if the backup is perfect

One missing attachment, one mismatch in the schedule of values, one late submission = payment pushed 30 days

That’s the part people don’t talk about.

AIA billing is not just “sending an invoice.” It’s proving every dollar with clean backup, matching your G702 and G703, tracking retainage, and making sure your numbers don’t tell a different story than your job cost report.

The real pain?

You did the work, but the paperwork slows the money.

You’re carrying payroll while waiting on approvals.

You’re fixing billing errors that should’ve been caught before submission.

You know the job is profitable, but cash flow still feels tight because the money is stuck in the system.

Good AIA billing doesn’t just get you paid. It protects your margin, your schedule, and your sanity.