Deposits, progress claims and final claims

Most jobs aren't invoiced in one go. You take a deposit up front, bill a chunk part-way through, and invoice the balance when the job's done. Sammy handles all three from the same place — and keeps track of what you've already invoiced so you never have to work out the remainder on a calculator.

Where to find it#

You can raise these invoices from two places, and they work the same way in both:

• From an estimate — open the estimate, tap Actions (on a computer it's in the bottom-right corner), then Create invoice. If the estimate isn't accepted yet, choose More Actions, then Convert to Invoice
• From Invoices — tap New invoice, then From an estimate, and pick the estimate

Under Partial Invoice you'll see three options: Deposit, Progress claim and Final claim.

Invoiced to date#

Once an estimate has any invoices against it, a summary appears at the top of the screen:

Invoiced to date: $1,588.86 of $2,745.60 Paid $447.77 · 1 invoice raised

That's your running position on the job — how much has been invoiced (including GST), how much of it your client has paid, and how many invoices you've raised. Cancelled invoices don't count.

Taking a deposit#

1. Choose Deposit
2. Set the percentage — type it, drag the slider, or tap a preset (10, 25, 50, 75)
3. The preview shows the invoice line: "30% Deposit - {job title}" with the amount
4. Create the invoice

If the estimate already has an invoice against it, Sammy shows a warning before you create another deposit — that's your nudge that you probably want a progress claim or final claim instead. It's only a warning; if you really do want a second deposit, you can still create it.

Check the deposit limit#

The presets go up to 75%, so check what you're allowed to ask for before you take a deposit on a home job.

In Australia, most states cap the deposit on home (domestic) building work. The caps don't reach work like commercial jobs:

In SA, Tasmania, the ACT and the NT, check with your building regulator. These are the limits as at September 2026, and your regulator has the current rules. When Sammy writes a payment schedule for you, he keeps the deposit under the limit for the job's state, or at 5% if he can't tell the state (see Payment schedules and progress claims).

In New Zealand, there's no statutory cap on the deposit for building work, so the deposit is whatever your contract with the client says, and Sammy doesn't limit it for a New Zealand business. Sammy's New Zealand invoice terms also treat a progress claim as a payment claim under the Construction Contracts Act 2002. What that means for your job depends on your contract and your client, so check with your lawyer.

Raising a progress claim#

Part-way through the job, bill the next chunk:

1. Choose Progress claim
2. Set the percentage of the job you're claiming — for example, 40% for "another 40% of the job"
3. Sammy shows the claim amount and how much of the job is still left to invoice
4. Create the invoice

The invoice line reads "Progress claim 40% - {job title}", so your client can see exactly what stage they're paying for.

If your claims would add up to more than the estimate total, Sammy warns you before you create the invoice. It's handy for catching a typo, but it won't stop you. If the extra is a change your client has agreed to, don't bill it as a bigger progress claim. Raise it as a variation on the job instead: your client accepts it in writing, and you invoice it on its own with Claim variation. See Raising a variation when the job changes.

Invoicing the final balance#

When the job's done, you don't need to work out what's left — Sammy does it:

1. Choose Final claim
2. Sammy shows the exact amount remaining: the estimate total minus everything you've already invoiced
3. Create the invoice

The line reads "Final claim - {job title}", and the maths reconciles to the cent. A 31% deposit plus a final claim always adds up to exactly the estimate total — GST included.

If the estimate is already fully invoiced, Sammy tells you there's nothing left to claim and won't create a $0 invoice.

Setting the due date#

Both places show a Due Date field before you create the invoice. It's pre-filled from your payment terms (Settings → Business → payment terms), and you can change it for any individual invoice — a deposit due tomorrow, a final claim due in 14 days, whatever suits the job.

Good to know#

• Every claim is its own invoice. It gets its own number, can be sent, chased with payment reminders, marked paid and receipted like any other invoice
• Draft invoices count towards "invoiced to date". If you've drafted a deposit but not sent it, Sammy still treats that money as claimed — cancel the draft if you want it out of the running total
• Amounts are worked out before GST, then GST is added to the invoice as normal. On GST-exempt estimates there's no GST at any step
• Percentages are of the estimate total, not of what's left. To bill "half of what's remaining", check the remaining figure shown under the slider and pick your percentage from that — or just use Final claim when you're ready to close the job out

Related articles#

• Payment schedules and progress claims
• Raising a variation when the job changes