Progress Claim Template (Australia) for Builders
A progress claim template is a staged invoice a builder sends against an accepted quote or building contract — deposit, base, frame, lock-up, fixing, then completion — so you get paid as the job hits visible milestones. It is not a new quote. It is a claim for the slice of the agreed price that is now due, plus GST, minus any retention your contract allows. Use the structure below, or generate claims from the accepted quote in QR-rise so the numbers cannot drift.
Australian residential clients expect to see the same stages that were on the quote. If the claim does not tie back to that document, you wait longer to get paid and you invite an argument.
What a progress claim has to show
Every claim should be readable next to the original quote. Include:
- Your business name, ABN, licence number and the client's site address
- The quote or contract number this claim sits under
- The stage you are claiming (for example "Frame stage — 20%")
- The original contract price (ex-GST)
- Previously claimed amounts
- This claim amount, GST (10%), and the GST-inclusive total
- Variations approved since the last claim, listed separately — never buried in the stage percentage
- Retention withheld, if your contract uses it
- Supporting notes: photos, a short description of work complete, and the date
If you are GST-registered, show GST as its own line on every claim, the same way you showed it on the building quote template.
Typical residential stages (Australia)
Percentages vary by contract and state. This is the pattern most homeowners already saw on your quote:
- Deposit on acceptance — keep it within your state's cap for the contract value
- Base — slab, stumps or footings complete
- Frame — wall and roof frame standing
- Lock-up — external walls, roof, windows and external doors in
- Fixing — internal linings, doors, architraves and skirting
- Practical completion — remaining balance, minus any agreed retention
Write the stage name in plain English on the claim. "Claim 3 of 6 — lock-up" beats "invoice #14".
Progress claim vs a new quote
A quote is the price you offered. A progress claim is a request for money against that price once the work is done. Do not re-price the house on the claim. If the scope changed, issue a variation, get it accepted, then claim that variation as its own line.
That is also how quoting software for construction should work: the approved quote becomes the invoice schedule, so each claim reconcilies to the number the client already signed.
GST, retention and variations
- GST. Claim the stage on the ex-GST contract price, then add 10% GST. Do not "GST-inclusive" a percentage of a GST-inclusive total unless that is how the contract is written — pick one method and stay consistent with the quote.
- Retention. If the contract holds a percentage until defects liability ends, show it as a deduction on the completion claim, not as a surprise.
- Variations. Approved extras sit under their own heading. Unapproved extras do not belong on the claim.
Security of Payment laws in each state set how and when a payment claim can be made on many commercial (and some residential) jobs. This page is a practical template for the document you send, not legal advice. Use the contract and the Act that applies to the job.
A worked mini example
Accepted quote: $440,000 ex-GST ($484,000 incl. GST). Frame stage is 20%.
- Contract price ex-GST: $440,000
- This stage (20%): $88,000
- GST 10%: $8,800
- This claim including GST: $96,800
- Previously claimed: deposit + base (listed as dollar amounts, not a story)
If a $6,000 ex-GST variation for extra steel was accepted after base stage, add it as a separate line with its own GST, not as a bump to the 20%.
Template vs software: when to switch
A spreadsheet progress claim template is fine when you send a handful of claims a month and you copy totals by hand from the quote. It breaks when a variation lands, a stage percentage changes, or two people edit two copies of the file.
In QR-rise the client accepts the quote, you set the payment stages once, and each progress claim is generated from that accepted price. The paper trail is plan → takeoff → quote → claim. Start the 30-day Pro trial and run your next job through it.
Related guides
- Building quote template — the quote the claim sits under
- How to quote a house build — takeoff, rates, GST, then this claim
- Quoting software for construction — generate the quote, then the claim, from the same job
Frequently asked questions
What is a progress claim in construction?
It is a staged invoice against an accepted quote or contract, issued when a defined stage of work is complete. It is how Australian builders get paid during a house build instead of waiting until the end.
What should a progress claim template include in Australia?
Business and licence details, the quote or contract it refers to, the stage name, original price, amount previously claimed, this claim, GST, approved variations as separate lines, and retention if the contract uses it.
Can I generate progress claims from a quote?
Yes. In QR-rise an approved quote converts to invoices with staged payments, so deposit, frame, lock-up and completion claims all come from the same accepted total.
