Reconcile one restoration project
Enter cumulative totals for the same project and cutoff date. Include existing deposits in cash received, then identify the part already applied to invoices.
No signup. The interactive tool runs in your browser tab. Change the inputs, save a comparison, download the results, or print a working copy. Your entered numbers are not sent to BlueFinch.
Illustrative example inputs
Starting values demonstrate the math. These are not industry averages, a customer result, or a quote.
| Input | Example value |
|---|---|
| Original approved scope | $40,000.00 |
| Authorized additions | $5,000.00 |
| Completed-work value at this review | $18,000.00 |
| Total invoiced to date | $15,000.00 |
| Total cash received to date | $12,000.00 |
| Received cash applied to invoices | $10,000.00 |
| Direct job costs paid to date | $9,000.00 |
Example results
| Measure | Result |
|---|---|
| Invoiced balance after applied payments | $5,000.00 |
| Completed work minus invoiced amount | $3,000.00 |
| Cash received but not applied | $2,000.00 |
| Cash received less paid direct costs | $3,000.00 |
Calculation detail
| Measure | Result |
|---|---|
| Original approved scope | $40,000.00 |
| Authorized additions | $5,000.00 |
| Current approved scope | $45,000.00 |
| Completed-work value entered | $18,000.00 |
| Invoiced to date | $15,000.00 |
| Cash received to date | $12,000.00 |
| Cash applied to invoices | $10,000.00 |
| Approved scope not yet invoiced | $30,000.00 |
| Direct job costs paid | $9,000.00 |
Model assumptions
- Defaults describe one fictional project. They are not recommended billing percentages or a customer case.
- Use one cutoff date and a consistent before-tax basis. This snapshot does not model refund transactions, credit notes or retainage separately.
- Completed-work value is an entered management assessment. Formal earned revenue depends on the agreement and accounting treatment.
- Negative differences remain visible for review. The tool does not invent authorizations, auto-apply deposits or issue invoices.
Read alongside these results
- Completed-work value is your entered milestone assessment, not a calculated accounting revenue-recognition figure.
- Cash applied is part of cash received. Do not add applied payments to total receipts again.
- A positive completed-minus-billed amount identifies work to review for billing under the agreement. A negative amount identifies billing ahead of entered completed work.
- Cash received less paid direct costs is a cash snapshot. It excludes unpaid costs, overhead and tax and is not profit.
Download this worked example (CSV). The interactive version also exports your own inputs and results.
Download infographic (PNG) · Download vector (SVG) · Link to the source and methodology
The short version
- Keep the approved scope, completed-work value, invoices and receipts as separate totals.
- Cash applied to an invoice is already part of cash received.
- An unbilled work amount is a billing-review item, not automatic permission to charge.
A restoration project grows through approved stages. The car might have completed body preparation while the invoice covers only the earlier teardown. At the same time, the customer might have paid an advance that has not been applied to either invoice.
This worksheet keeps those records apart. It shows invoiced balances, completed work awaiting billing review, unapplied cash and cash remaining after the direct costs paid. The sample is fictional. It does not assign an accounting revenue-recognition method to your business.
Use with this guide
Job cash flow planner
Put payment availability and job outlays on a chronological cash ledger.
Keep billing linked to the approved scope
Intuit's progress-invoicing workflow connects multiple partial invoices to one estimate and keeps the estimate and related invoices available for review. That supports a practical habit: use one current scope record and trace every progress invoice back to it.
In this model, approved scope is the original amount plus approved additions. Completed-work value comes from your milestone record. Invoiced value comes from issued invoices. Cash received comes from collections. None of those totals is used as a shortcut for another. Keep a dated review snapshot so later scope changes do not rewrite what the office knew at the time.
Sources for this section: Intuit: set up and send progress invoices
Worked example: a deposit is not another receipt
The fictional project began at $40,000 and has $5,000 of authorized additions. Completed work is valued at $18,000. The shop has issued $15,000 in invoices and received $12,000. Of that cash, $10,000 has been applied to invoices and $2,000 remains unapplied.
The issued invoices have a $5,000 balance. Completed work exceeds invoices by $3,000, which is an item to review against the billing agreement. Cash received less $9,000 of paid direct costs is $3,000. That cash figure includes the unapplied advance, so it is not a measure of profit or completed work.
| Separate reconciliation | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Outstanding invoice balance | $15,000 - $10,000 | $5,000 |
| Completed work minus billed amount | $18,000 - $15,000 | $3,000 |
| Cash not yet applied | $12,000 - $10,000 | $2,000 |
| Cash less paid direct costs | $12,000 - $9,000 | $3,000 |
| Approved scope not yet invoiced | $45,000 - $15,000 | $30,000 |
Resolve the difference before the next invoice
If invoiced value is ahead of completed-work value, review the agreed stage or advance billing arrangement. The signed difference identifies the direction of the gap. It does not establish whether the invoice is wrong. If cash applied is higher than cash received, reconcile the payment record before using the balances.
If approved scope is lower than billed or completed value, inspect the latest authorization and scope version. California BAR's Write It Right guide requires recorded authorization for additional repair work. That is California guidance. Use the requirements applicable to your shop when documenting actual changes.
Sources for this section: California Bureau of Automotive Repair: Write It Right
Make the customer account statement readable
A useful project statement shows the approved scope, each issued invoice, each payment received, each application of those payments and any cash still unapplied. Give the customer a traceable route from the earlier deposit to the present invoice balance. Do not add the deposit again when it moves from unapplied cash to an invoice.
When the question is whether the shop has enough cash for the next parts order, use a dated cash plan as well. This calculator has one cutoff date. It does not forecast supplier due dates, payroll, collection delays or the cost of completing the remaining scope.
Questions business owners ask
Does completed-work value mean accounting revenue earned?
Here it means the value you assign to documented completed milestones for this review. The tool does not select an accounting method or determine recognized revenue.
Why is the invoice balance higher than the total project cash gap?
The invoice balance subtracts cash applied to invoices. An unapplied advance sits in total receipts until you apply it in your records. The calculator shows both amounts separately.
Does unbilled completed work authorize another charge?
No. Review the completed scope and the agreed billing milestone before issuing a progress invoice.
Primary sources
BlueFinch reviewed these sources on September 7, 2026. Payment rules and state requirements change.
This page provides general business information, not legal, tax, or accounting advice.