Remodeling invoicing software has to do something a plumber's invoicing app never does: bill one homeowner in stages across a three to six week project while tracking selections, change orders, and lien waivers on the way. A bathroom remodel averages around $16,500 and commonly runs $10,000 to $30,000 per Angi's 2026 cost data, so the money almost always arrives as a deposit plus two or three draws. The tools that handle that well are project-based platforms like Buildertrend, Houzz Pro, and Contractor Foreman, or QuickBooks Online paired with a lighter field app.
Key takeaways
- Bathroom remodels are staged jobs, not one-invoice jobs: a deposit, a rough-in draw, a draw at tile or fixture set, and a final balance is the normal structure.
- Deposit limits are set by state law, not by you. California caps home improvement deposits at 10% of the contract or $1,000, whichever is less (Business and Professions Code 7159), while Maryland allows up to one third of the contract price.
- Change orders are where bath remodels leak margin. If your software cannot turn an approved change order into an invoice line automatically, you will eventually eat the cost.
- Lien waivers come in four types: conditional or unconditional, on progress payment or final payment, per AIA Contract Documents. Sign the unconditional version only after the money has actually cleared.
- Buildertrend and Houzz Pro both moved to volume-based custom quotes in 2026, so published price tags are now reported ranges rather than list prices.
Why bathroom remodel invoicing is different
Bathroom remodel invoicing spans weeks, not a single visit. Demo happens on day one, rough plumbing and electrical follow, an inspection may sit in the middle, then waterproofing, tile, fixtures, glass, and punch list. You are paying for materials and subs the whole way through, and the homeowner has no reason to pay early unless the contract and the invoices say so.
Three things make bath invoicing messier than most trades. Selections change after signing, when the homeowner upgrades the tile or picks a different vanity. Hidden conditions show up behind the wall, so rot or an out-of-code drain becomes a mid-project change order. And subs and suppliers create lien exposure on a family's primary residence, which makes waivers part of your paperwork rather than an optional extra. Our remodeling software stack guide covers how invoicing sits alongside estimating, scheduling, and accounting.
Must-have invoicing features for bathroom remodelers
Bathroom remodelers need a shorter feature list than a commercial GC, but the items on it are non-negotiable. Generic invoicing apps usually cover the bottom half of this table and none of the top half.
| Feature | Why a bath remodeler specifically needs it |
|---|---|
| Progress invoicing against a contract or estimate | Bill 10% down, a rough-in draw, a tile draw, and a final balance from one job total |
| Change orders that convert to invoice lines | An upgraded shower pan or discovered rot must reach the invoice, not just the text thread |
| Selections and allowance tracking | Overages on tile and fixtures get billed back instead of quietly absorbed |
| Signed approval with a timestamp | Your proof the homeowner authorized the extra before you invoiced it |
| Document storage for lien waivers and permits | Waivers from subs and suppliers belong on the job record, matched to each draw |
| Card and ACH payments | ACH keeps a $9,000 draw from costing you $270 in processing |
| QuickBooks sync and job costing | Deposits and draws land in your books, and you can see mid-project whether draws keep pace with spend |
For the cross-trade view of tools with these features, see our roundup of the best invoicing and payment collection software for contractors.
Deposits: what your state actually lets you collect
Deposits on a bathroom remodel are capped by state home improvement law in several states, and the caps are lower than most contractors assume. California limits a home improvement deposit to 10% of the contract price or $1,000, whichever is less, under Business and Professions Code 7159, and asking for more is a licensing violation. Maryland's home improvement statute (Business Regulation 8-617) caps the deposit at one third of the contract price. Many states set no numeric cap at all, which is why 10% to 33% is common practice nationally.
The practical move is to stop treating the deposit as working capital. If your state caps you at $1,000 on a $22,000 bath, your first real money has to come from an early draw tied to a milestone you can hit fast, usually material delivery or completed demo. Homeowners who push back on staged payments are often better served by financing; our guide to financing for bathroom remodelers and the numbers in how bath remodelers use financing to raise average ticket cover that path.
Building a draw schedule that fits a bathroom project
A draw schedule for a bathroom remodel should tie each payment to a milestone the homeowner can see, not to a calendar date. A structure that works on a typical three to five week bath:
- Deposit at signing: whatever your state allows, used to lock the schedule.
- Materials and demo draw: due when tile, vanity, and fixtures are delivered or demo is complete. This is where your real cash position gets fixed.
- Rough-in draw: due at passed plumbing and electrical inspection, or at completed rough where no inspection applies.
- Tile and fixture set draw: due when the shower is tiled and fixtures are hung, before glass and punch.
- Final balance: due at substantial completion with the punch list attached, not thirty days later.
One rule keeps this honest: never let the amount collected fall behind the value installed plus materials paid for, because that gap is you financing the homeowner. Ten to fifteen percent held to the end is where most remodelers land, enough that the homeowner still wants you back for punch without risking real money on a glass delay. QuickBooks Online supports progress invoicing directly against an estimate, which is enough for a solo remodeler running two baths at a time; our contractor accounting software comparison covers which tier you actually need.
Lien waiver basics for remodelers
Lien waivers are the documents that release lien rights in exchange for payment, and on residential remodels they run in both directions: you sign them for the homeowner, and you collect them from your subs and suppliers. AIA Contract Documents describes four types, defined by two variables: conditional or unconditional, and progress payment or final payment.
| Waiver type | What it does | When a bath remodeler uses it |
|---|---|---|
| Conditional, progress payment | Waives lien rights through a date, but only once that payment clears | The safe default to sign when you invoice a draw |
| Unconditional, progress payment | Waives lien rights through a date immediately, paid or not | Only after the draw has actually cleared your bank |
| Conditional, final payment | Releases all remaining rights once final payment clears | Sent with the final invoice at substantial completion |
| Unconditional, final payment | Releases everything, immediately and permanently | Signed after the final check has cleared, never before |
Two things trip up remodelers. Roughly a dozen states, California, Texas, and Florida among them, require specific statutory waiver wording, and a homemade form there can be void or can waive more than you intended, per Levelset's lien waiver guides. And a received check is not a cleared check: signing an unconditional waiver against a check that later bounces leaves you with no lien rights and no money. Collecting waivers from your plumber, tile setter, and supply house at each draw is often what a homeowner's lender or attorney asks for, and storing them on the job record is why document and contract management software matters more to remodelers than to service trades.
What remodeling invoicing software costs in 2026
Remodeling invoicing software splits into three price tiers: accounting-plus-field-app setups, mid-market project platforms, and quote-based construction management suites. Figures below are as of mid-2026, and two major vendors now quote by project volume rather than publishing a price.
| Platform | Published or reported pricing (mid-2026) | Best fit |
|---|---|---|
| QuickBooks Online | $38 to $275 per month per Intuit's 2026 pricing; Plus at $115 | Solo and two-crew remodelers, progress invoicing on estimates |
| Jobber | From about $39 per month solo, team plans higher, per Jobber's published pricing | Remodelers who also run service and small repair work |
| Contractor Foreman | Entry tiers in the low hundreds per month; listed on Capterra | Budget-conscious remodelers wanting job costing and change orders |
| Houzz Pro | Volume-based tiers in 2026 (Pro up to $500K annual project volume, then Custom and Enterprise); no published flat price | Design-forward bath and kitchen remodelers |
| Buildertrend | Custom quotes by construction volume in 2026; third-party guides report roughly $339 to $1,099 per month across tiers, plus onboarding fees commonly cited at $400 to $1,500 | Multi-crew remodelers running many concurrent projects |
Processing fees deserve as much attention as the subscription. Card processing across major field platforms runs roughly 2.9% to 3.2% plus about $0.30 per transaction, so a $9,000 draw costs $260 to $290 on a card versus a capped flat fee on ACH. Take cards for the deposit, push draws to ACH or check, and confirm your state's surcharging rules before adding a fee line. Our Jobber review for small contractors breaks down how those fees add up in practice.
How to evaluate remodeling invoicing software
- Count your concurrent projects. One or two baths at a time rarely justifies a project platform; four or more with selections and change orders usually does.
- Run one real completed bath through the trial. Contract, deposit, two change orders, three draws, final. If the trial cannot model it cleanly, neither can the software.
- Test the change order path end to end. Approved change order should reach the invoice with a signature attached, in under a minute, with no retyping.
- Price the payments, not just the plan. Multiply last year's collected revenue by the card rate. That number frequently exceeds the subscription.
- Check document handling. Permits, waivers, selections, and signed approvals belong on the job record, searchable a year later when someone disputes a charge.
- Ask for the total first-year cost. With volume-quoted platforms, onboarding fees can add several hundred to over a thousand dollars on top of the subscription, and the QuickBooks sync should be verified in both directions before you sign.
Common invoicing mistakes bathroom remodelers make
- Verbal change orders. An upgraded shower system approved by text and never invoiced is a gift. Get it signed and on the invoice the same day.
- Front-loading nothing. Waiting for the final invoice on a $20,000 bath means you funded tile, fixtures, and two subs out of pocket for a month.
- Signing unconditional waivers early. Sign conditional on progress, and only go unconditional after funds clear.
- Ignoring allowance overages. If the homeowner picks $14 per square foot tile against a $6 allowance, the difference has to appear on a draw invoice.
- Absorbing card fees on every draw. Three percent on a $25,000 project is most of a day's labor. Make ACH the default above a few thousand dollars.
- Invoicing the final balance late. Send it at substantial completion with the punch list attached, while the homeowner is still happy about the bath.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best invoicing software for bathroom remodelers?
For most bathroom remodelers, QuickBooks Online with progress invoicing covers one to three concurrent projects, and a platform like Buildertrend, Houzz Pro, or Contractor Foreman makes sense once selections, change orders, and multiple crews are in play. The dividing line is admin time, not company size.
How much deposit can I take on a bathroom remodel?
It depends entirely on your state: California caps home improvement deposits at 10% of the contract or $1,000, whichever is less, while Maryland allows up to one third and many states set no cap. Check your state contractor licensing board before you standardize a deposit percentage in your contracts.
What is a typical draw schedule for a bathroom remodel?
A common structure is a deposit at signing, a draw at material delivery or completed demo, a draw at passed rough-in, a draw at tile and fixture set, and a 10% to 15% final balance at substantial completion. Tie each draw to a visible milestone rather than a date so the homeowner can confirm what they are paying for.
Do I need lien waivers on a residential bathroom remodel?
Yes in practice, both directions: you sign waivers for the homeowner as you collect draws, and you collect them from subs and suppliers so no one can lien the home after you are paid. Several states, including California, Texas, and Florida, require specific statutory waiver wording, so use your state's form rather than a generic template.
Can QuickBooks handle progress invoicing for remodeling?
Yes, QuickBooks Online supports progress invoicing against an estimate, which covers a straightforward deposit-plus-draws bathroom project. What it does not do is selections, allowance tracking, or signed change orders, so remodelers usually pair it with a project tool once those become daily work.
Should I charge homeowners a credit card fee on remodeling draws?
Sometimes, but surcharging is regulated state by state and card networks require clear disclosure, so confirm the rules before adding a fee line. The lower-friction option is to accept cards for the deposit and make ACH or check the standard for larger draws, which is where the fee difference actually shows up.
Next step: write out the real draw schedule and change orders from the last bathroom you finished, run that exact job through two trials, and compare total first-year cost including onboarding and processing fees. Pick the one that handles change orders with the least typing. Our estimating software roundup for remodelers covers the tool that should feed those invoices.