Progress billingthat actually makes sense.
Bill selected services, plants, materials, and labor by percentage while Portara tracks what has already been invoiced and what remains.
Updated July 31, 2026 · 6 minute read
Landscape project job
Bennett Garden
The current services, materials, labor, invoices, and payments remain connected throughout the install.
One record keeps the details current as the work changes.
The short answer
Landscape progress invoicing is simplest when every bill comes from the project’s current job items and each item remembers its previously invoiced percentage.
Why this gets hard
A multi-day project rarely fits one deposit and one final bill.
Materials may be billed before installation, labor may span several days, and site changes may add products or hours after the estimate.
The next invoice starts from a copy of an old estimate.
It is hard to see which materials were already billed.
Added labor is recorded in notes but missed on the invoice.
The client’s total paid and remaining balance require manual math.
A better workflow
Use the project job as the progress-billing ledger.
Products and labor stay on the job. Each invoice selects the items and percentages being billed at that point in the project.
Build the estimate from project items.
Add design services, plants, materials, and planned labor, then collect the signed estimate and deposit.
Keep job items current.
Add materials or labor as the project changes instead of hiding changes in the next invoice.
Choose the next invoice percentages.
Invoice different percentages of selected job items. Portara shows what has already been invoiced.
Show the running project statement.
Keep deposits, invoices, payments, refunds, total paid, and balance due visible in one summary.
What to look for
A progress invoice should preserve this history.
Original and added job items
Previously invoiced percentage per item
Amount remaining to invoice
Deposits and payments received
Current client balance
See it all together
Portara is built for landscape designers.
Keep project scope, materials, labor, receipts, progress invoices, payments, hours, and job cost connected.
Questions, answered
Landscape progress invoicing, in plain English
Can Portara create percentage-based progress invoices?
Yes. Choose the percentage to invoice for each selected job item. Portara tracks the percentage already invoiced and the amount remaining.
Can I add materials or labor after the estimate?
Yes. Add the new product or labor item to the project job so it remains visible for future invoices and job reporting.
Does Portara create landscape plans or drawings?
No. Portara does not replace landscape CAD or design software. It manages estimates, project items, purchasing, schedules, invoices, payments, receipts, time, and reporting around the design work.
Can the client see all project payments and the balance?
Yes. A running statement can show deposits, invoice payments, refunds, total paid, and the remaining balance.