Setting Up Project Billing and Milestones in SyteLine

Milestone Billing Configuration

Milestone billing in SyteLine is configured through the Project Billing form where each billing event is tied to a project task or deliverable. The billing milestone defines the invoice amount (fixed amount or percentage of contract value), the triggering condition (task completion, customer acceptance, or manual release), and the GL accounts for deferred and recognized revenue. When a milestone is achieved and approved, the Generate Project Invoices utility creates the customer invoice pulling data from the billing milestone record and posting revenue from deferred to recognized accounts.

• Define billing milestones in the Project Billing form with milestone name, amount, trigger condition, and expected date
• Configure milestone amounts as fixed dollar values or percentages of total contract value from the Project header
• Set milestone status workflow: Pending > Achieved > Approved > Invoiced to enforce approval before billing
• Link milestones to specific project tasks so completion status on the task automatically triggers milestone achievement
• Configure deferred revenue GL accounts in the Project Billing setup to hold invoice amounts until revenue recognition criteria are met

Progress Billing and T&M Invoice Setup

Progress billing invoices are generated periodically based on the percentage of work completed during the billing period. SyteLine calculates the billable amount as the change in percent complete multiplied by the total contract value, minus previously billed amounts. For time-and-materials projects, the billing pulls actual hours and costs from SLJobTrans and SLProjectTrans, applies the markup rates defined in the Project Rate Tables form, and generates line-item detail on the invoice.

Both methods use the Generate Project Invoices utility (Projects > Billing > Generate Invoices) with the appropriate billing method selected.

• Configure progress billing frequency (weekly, monthly) in the Project Billing Parameters form
• Set the percent complete calculation source: manual entry, cost-to-cost ratio, or milestone-weighted formula
• Define T&M rate tables in the Project Rate Tables form with labor category rates, material markups, and expense multipliers
• Configure the billing cap to prevent over-billing beyond the contract value or funded amount on cost-plus projects
• Enable the invoice detail level setting: summary (one line per cost element) or detailed (individual transaction lines)

Retention Handling and Final Billing

Many project contracts include retention clauses that hold back a percentage of each invoice (typically 5-10%) until project completion and customer acceptance. SyteLine's retention configuration withholds the specified percentage during regular billing and tracks the accumulated retention balance on the project. The retention is released as a final billing event when the project meets completion criteria.

The retention GL accounts are separate from standard AR to provide clear visibility into retained amounts on the balance sheet.

• Set the retention percentage in the Project Billing setup form per project or use a default from Project Parameters
• Configure retention GL accounts: Retention Receivable (asset) and Retention Payable (liability) for accurate balance sheet reporting
• Track cumulative retention balance per project through the Project Billing Summary inquiry form
• Release retention by creating a final billing milestone with retention release flag set after project acceptance
• Generate the Retention Aging report to monitor outstanding retention balances by project and customer for cash flow forecasting