Running RA bills in Zaptiz Construction: measurement, certification, deductions and invoice

This guide explains how to run a running account (RA) bill in Zaptiz Construction, from measuring work done to raising the GST invoice and recording payment. It is written for QS teams, project managers and accounts.

If you want the background on how RA billing, retention and advances work in general, read RA bills, retention and advances: getting construction billing right first.

Before your first RA bill

Check that the project has been set up properly at award:

• The contract BOQ is approved. RA bills measure against it.
• Retention, advance and LD terms are recorded on the contract.
• The client’s GSTIN and the site are correct, because the site is the place of supply on the invoice.
• Any extra work has an approved change order, so it is part of the contract before you bill it.

If any of these are missing, see Setting up your first project.

The flow

Step	What happens	Who
1	Create the RA bill for the period	QS
2	Enter cumulative quantities against the BOQ	QS
3	Resolve over-billing warnings	QS / Project Manager
4	Submit to the client	Project Manager
5	Record the certified quantities	QS
6	Apply deductions and retention	QS / Accountant
7	Raise the GST invoice from the certified bill	Accountant
8	Send, then record payment	Accountant

Step 1: create the RA bill

Open the project and create a new RA bill. Each bill builds on the previous ones, so you do not need to work out what has already been billed.

Let the agent draft it

The RA Bill Drafting agent can prepare the next bill’s quantities with the over-billing check already applied. Treat the result as a draft: review each quantity against your measurement records and correct it before you go further.

Step 2: enter cumulative measurement

For each BOQ item worked on, enter the total quantity executed to date, not just this period’s quantity. Zaptiz subtracts what has been billed before and works out this bill’s quantity at the contract rate.

Working cumulatively means a correction in one bill is carried forward automatically in the next.

Base your quantities on your measurement records and the daily progress reports from site. Area and quantity takeoff from drawings is coming soon; for now, measurement comes from your own records.

Step 3: resolve over-billing warnings

The over-billing guard warns you when a cumulative quantity would exceed what the contract BOQ allows. When you see a warning:

1. Check the measurement. A typing error is the most common cause.
2. If the work genuinely exceeds the BOQ, it needs a change order. Price it, submit it to the client and, once approved, the contract is updated and the extra quantity can be billed.
3. Do not submit a bill with unresolved over-billing. It is the quickest way to have the whole bill held back.

Step 4: submit to the client

Once the bill is checked, submit it for the client’s certification. You can send RA bills to the client by email or WhatsApp. Documents in Zaptiz Construction are sent as email or WhatsApp messages rather than PDF attachments, so if the client requires a signed hard copy, prepare that through your usual process.

Step 5: record certification

The client’s engineer or consultant may certify less than you claimed. Record the certified quantities in Zaptiz. The certified figures, not the claimed ones, drive the invoice, retention and revenue.

Revenue on the project is recognised at certification, so project financials update to show certified revenue against cost and forecast margin.

Step 6: apply deductions and retention

Deductions are applied from the terms recorded at award:

• Advance recovery: recovery of the mobilisation or other advance against this bill, until it is fully recovered.
• Liquidated damages, where applicable.
• Retention: held as per the contract and recorded in the project’s retention register.

Check the net amount against what you expect to receive. Any difference now is easier to explain than after the payment arrives.

Retention release

The retention register shows what is held for each project. When retention falls due, for example at completion or at the end of the defect liability period, record a partial or full release.

Step 7: raise the GST invoice

Create the tax invoice from the certified bill.

• Place of supply is the site, which determines CGST and SGST or IGST.
• TDS fields are included, so income-tax TDS and, where the client is a government body, GST TDS can be recorded against the invoice.

Agree with your tax advisor how GST applies to retention and advances on your contracts, and apply it consistently.

Step 8: send the invoice and record payment

Send the invoice by email or WhatsApp. If you have connected your own Razorpay or Stripe account, the invoice can carry a pay link so the client can pay online, with the money going straight to your account.

When payment arrives, record it in the company-wide payments register and allocate it against the invoice. Outstanding amounts by client stay accurate, and the Collections Agent can then list overdue invoices with reminder text drafted for you to send.

Good habits

• Bill every period, even small amounts. Gaps make the next certification harder.
• Keep change orders moving; unapproved variations cannot be billed.
• Review the retention register monthly and diary release dates.
• Check the subcontract side too: a back-to-back certification warning on subcontract bills helps keep what you certify to subcontractors in step with what your client certifies to you.

Next steps

• Detailed screens and fields are on Docs.
• Learn how drafts and approvals work for agents in Using AI agents safely in Zaptiz.
• Contact sales for a quote or a walkthrough with your own BOQ.