Renovation Stage Payment Tracker

Who this is for

Pay the builder by stage and always know the balance. Record each agreed stage, the milestone that triggers it, when it was reached and what you paid, and the sheet keeps a running total and balance against the contract sum.

Homeowners paying a builder or contractor in stages for an extension, loft conversion, kitchen or other renovation, and anyone managing the money for a relative's project.

What this helps you track

• The deposit and each stage payment agreed in the contract
• The milestone each stage depends on and the date it was reached
• Which invoices have arrived and what has been paid, when
• The amount paid to date and the balance left on the contract sum
• Extras agreed on top of the contract and whether they have been paid

How to use it

1. Write the project, the contractor, the contract sum and any retention you agreed in the header.
2. List each stage from your contract with what it covers, the agreed amount and the milestone it is due on.
3. When a milestone is reached, write the date and tick the invoice once it arrives; pay only against work you have seen.
4. Enter each payment and its date; paid to date and the balance are worked out in the browser and the workbook.
5. Write every agreed extra in the extras table with its amount and what you have paid towards it.
6. Check the summary before each payment so the total paid never runs ahead of the work done.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser
• Excel / Google Sheets workbook

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The workbook uses plain formulas only — SUM, IF, COUNTIF and the like — so it opens in Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets without anything breaking, and every calculated cell is grey so you can see which figures it worked out.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

What is retention?

An amount held back from the final payment until an agreed point after completion, often to cover defects appearing. Whether you have one, and how much, is whatever your contract says; the sheet just keeps it in view.

Why is the balance worked out from the contract sum only?

So the stage schedule stays tied to the contract you signed. Extras go in their own table, and the summary adds them to the contract sum to give what remains to pay overall.

How do I record the payment method?

Write it in the stage description or the notes, for example bank transfer with a reference. Keep the receipts or bank records with the sheet so each payment can be matched later.

Can I use one sheet for several contractors?

Use one sheet per contractor, because each has its own contract sum and stages. The online version saves in your own browser, so you can keep a copy for each.