Progress billing · Quebec
How specialty contractors measure construction progress for a payment application
Turn what is actually installed in the field into a verifiable quantity or percentage, then calculate what the contractor can request from the customer for the period.
Key takeaways
On a construction project, saying “the work is 60% complete” is not enough to request payment. You must show what work was completed, where, when, and how the percentage was calculated.
Measuring construction progress means turning a field observation into a quantity or percentage that another person can check. That result helps prepare a payment application, the package in which the contractor requests the amounts allowed for a defined period. It does not, by itself, prove that the customer accepts the amount.
In this guide, a line is a defined portion of work with an assigned contract value. The cumulative result is the total reported for that line from the start of the project to a stated date.
A useful field record connects five things:
- the measured scope and location;
- the project’s measurement method;
- the cumulative result in the previous submitted payment application;
- the observation at the measurement date;
- the supporting documents and reviewer.
The result is still proposed progress. It is not automatically an accepted amount, an invoice, or accounting revenue.
What does measuring construction progress mean?
Consider a line for 100 metres of pipe. Last month, the contractor reported 40 installed metres. At the new measurement date, the field total is 55 metres. Cumulative progress is now 55%, but progress added in the new period is 15 metres, or 15% of the line. The new payment application should start from that difference, not claim the full 55% again.
In this guide:
- a line is a portion of work with an assigned contract value, such as piping on one floor;
- a schedule of values, often shortened to
SOV, is the table that divides the contract price among those lines; - a payment application is the package in which the contractor requests, for a defined period, amounts allowed by the contract and applicable rules;
- cumulative progress is the total reported from the start of the project to a stated date;
- current progress is the amount added since the previous application.
This guide covers physical progress used to prepare a payment application. It does not cover schedule progress or accounting revenue recognition. Those three measures can produce different percentages.
How do you choose a construction progress measurement method?
Start with the contract, subcontract, billing instructions, and approved schedule of values. These documents should define what is measured, the measurement date, the unit, and the required supporting documents. If the rule is missing, get it confirmed before that date.
No single method fits every line. Conduit can be measured by installed length. Commissioning may depend on a completed milestone. A multi-stage assembly may need weighted steps. A controlled estimate can be suitable when direct measurement is impractical, but the question, basis, and review must be explicit.
Swipe horizontally to view all columns.
| Method | Good fit | Minimum basis | Main control |
|---|---|---|---|
| Installed quantity | Repeatable, measurable work such as conduit, devices, supports, or pipe | Confirmed total quantity, unit, area, and counting rule | Previous cumulative quantity plus the current increment reproduces the new cumulative quantity |
| Completed milestone | A clear event such as accepted delivery, completed testing, or commissioning | Objective completion condition and evidence of the result | Do not claim a partial milestone unless the project defines one |
| Weighted steps | A multi-stage assembly with fabrication, installation, connection, and testing | Steps and weights confirmed before measurement | Weights total 100%, and every completed step has evidence |
| Controlled estimate | Work that is not practical to measure directly | Defined question, named estimator, assumption, and supporting document | A second person reviews the percentage and its rationale |
The measurement basis is the total used in the calculation, such as 1,200 planned metres or four defined steps. Keep the same basis through the cycle. If it changes, preserve the earlier version, explain why, and have the new basis confirmed by the authorized person. Never change the total silently to produce an expected percentage.
What workflow connects field progress to a payment application?
The field record does not decide the current amount on its own. It provides an observation that a second person reviews. The billing administrator then combines the observations without counting the same work twice. They enter one proposed cumulative result for each line and period. The payment application must still be approved before submission.
1. Establish the starting point
Start with the project’s first payment period when possible. Previous cumulative progress is then zero. If the team adopts the workbook mid-project, first copy the cumulative result from the last submitted payment application and check it against that application. You can then calculate only the work added during the current period.
2. Measure the planned area on the planned date
The foreperson or another person assigned to the field record notes the date, area, system, unit, and observed quantity. They keep installed work separate from work in progress and out-of-scope items.
3. Link evidence to the observation
Reference the photo, marked-up drawing, quantity sheet, work ticket, test report, or project-required document. A photo with no date, area, or SOV line rarely explains a value by itself.
4. Review scope and method
For independent control, have another person, such as the project manager, confirm that the observation belongs to the correct line. They also verify the unit, total basis, and excluded work. The same work should not appear in two lines or two areas.
5. Reconcile field records, then enter one cumulative result
After review, the payment-application preparer reconciles records from non-overlapping areas under the line’s selected method. They then select one cumulative result for the line and period. The workbook finds the previous cumulative result and calculates what was added during the period. This order reduces double counting when work began earlier.
In the downloadable workbook, enter this result in 04 Progress. Choose the period end and item, then enter the observed cumulative result. The row also keeps the area, the person who entered the record, the person who verified it, the verification date, the comment, and the supporting-document link. The workbook finds the previous cumulative result and calculates the period change.
Current progress for the line = new proposed cumulative progress − previous cumulative progress.
6. Review and approve the application
An authorized person reviews the calculated application, its controls, and its evidence before submission. The workbook does not silently replace an application that was already submitted. If the contract or applicable rules allow it to be modified, record the required agreement, preserve the original application and its date, and create a linked correction revision. That revision states the reason and affected periods. An authorized person reviews it before any new approval or submission.
An approved change order is a written and accepted modification to the contract. It may change the work, price, or time. The project process determines when that modification enters the calculation basis.
Swipe horizontally to view all columns.
| Workbook control | What it detects | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| Duplicate | The same item and period appear more than once | Keep one reconciled cumulative row |
| Decrease | The new cumulative result is below the previous result | Explain the correction or fix the entry |
| Overrun | Progress exceeds the applicable contract quantity, 100%, or contract value | Check the basis and approved change orders |
| Missing verification | The preparer, reviewer, verification date, or evidence is incomplete | Complete the review before submission |
What belongs in a field progress measurement workbook?
A reliable workbook answers four simple questions: which line are we measuring, what did we observe, who checked it, and what value does it produce? It also preserves the period and cumulative result used in the payment application.
The Aplon template brings this work into one English Excel file.
Go to the form to receive the workbookStart with the schedule of values
In 02 Schedule of Values, add one SOV line per row. Enter its approved value and choose the tracking method: quantity, cumulative percentage, or cumulative amount. The method stays visible beside the line so the calculation bases do not get mixed.
Record one cumulative result per period
In 04 Progress, choose the line and period end. Enter the observed cumulative result, the person who entered it, and the person who verified it. The workbook finds the previous cumulative value, calculates the current-period change, and flags a duplicate or unexplained decrease.
Connect documents and change orders
In 05 Supporting Docs, keep each document’s type, date, description, and link, along with the people who added and verified it. In 03 Change Orders, add one row for each SOV line affected by a contract modification. Approved change orders modify the line’s value or quantity at the point required by the project process. Preserve earlier periods and add a new progress row when a correction is required.
Review the complete application
The 06 Payment Application tab keeps cumulative work, holdback, which is the portion temporarily withheld as security, and taxes separate. Configure each basis and sequence under the contract and applicable tax rules. The 07 Dashboard tab shows errors, items to verify, cumulative progress, and the remaining balance.
Four rules keep the workbook usable
- Name the basis: write “1,200 approved metres” or “four weighted steps,” not only “60%.”
- Locate the work: identify the floor, area, system, or drawing that lets a reviewer find it.
- Keep one record level per tab: do not copy the full line value into every area record.
- Keep the audit trail visible: identify the preparer, reviewer, verification date, comment, and supporting-document link on the cumulative row.
The workbook does not replace the schedule of values. It shows how reviewed observations produce one proposed progress value for each line and measurement date.
How do you calculate construction percent complete?
Consider a fictional cable-tray SOV line with an approved value of 180,000 Canadian dollars (CAD). For this example only, the project permits linear measurement by installed length. The confirmed total basis is 1,200 m.
The previous submitted payment application showed 576 m, or 48%. At the new measurement date, the reviewed field records aggregate to 720 m, or 60%.
Swipe horizontally to view all columns.
| Control | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Cumulative percent complete | 720 m ÷ 1,200 m | 60% |
| Previous cumulative percent | 576 m ÷ 1,200 m | 48% |
| Current progress | 60% − 48% | 12% |
| Proposed cumulative value | CAD 180,000 × 60% | CAD 108,000 |
| Previous cumulative value | CAD 180,000 × 48% | CAD 86,400 |
| Proposed current amount | CAD 108,000 − CAD 86,400 | CAD 21,600 |
The quantity check reaches the same answer: the cumulative quantity increased by 144 m, and 144 m ÷ 1,200 m = 12%.
This example is not a contractual rule. It assumes that installed length is the approved basis, 1,200 m is the correct total, and the line value remains CAD 180,000. Holdback, taxes, pending changes, stored materials, and the accepted amount are excluded. Use the construction progress-billing guide for the complete payment-application calculation.
When the total basis changes
Do not replace 1,200 m without an explanation. Record the source of the new total, the date, who confirmed it, and the effect on previous cumulative progress. Preserve the earlier basis in the supporting records and reconcile the affected periods before using the revised total.
When cumulative progress decreases
Cumulative progress can fall after a quantity correction, scope reclassification, or rework. Show the previous result, correction, and new result. A percentage that moves backwards with no reason is a review signal.
Which supporting documents make progress traceable?
Useful evidence answers three questions: what work, where, and on what date. It should also help the reviewer reproduce the measurement.
Swipe horizontally to view all columns.
| Record | What it can support | Limit to address |
|---|---|---|
| Quantity sheet | Unit, area, calculation, and cumulative quantity | Name the total-basis source and person who measured |
| Marked-up drawing | Location and extent of measured work | Preserve the correct drawing revision |
| Dated photo | Visible condition of an area at a point in time | Add the area and line; a photo rarely measures quantity by itself |
| Work ticket or daily report | Work, crew, location, and event for the day | Separate effort spent from installed result |
| Test or inspection report | Completed technical milestone or verified outcome | Confirm that the milestone matches the billed line |
| Delivery ticket | Material received at a place and time | Delivery does not automatically prove installation or eligibility |
Avoid adding hundreds of unindexed photos. More photos do not make evidence stronger when nobody can find the document that supports a line. A small, well-indexed evidence set is more useful than an archive with no context.
Common failures and corrective actions
Do not add percentages. Convert each area to a common quantity or weighted contribution before calculating the line’s cumulative progress.
- Using labour hours to measure physical progress: hours show effort, not always installed work. Measure the installed quantity or define the project convention clearly.
- Adding percentages from different areas: return to quantities or weighted-step contributions before calculating cumulative progress.
- Counting work in two lines: assign each observation to one SOV line and handle exceptions separately.
- Comparing an old photo with a new estimate: use the same method and basis for both periods.
- Rounding every area too early: add quantities first, then round the presented percentage.
- Overwriting the explanation for a correction: keep the earlier evidence, then add the reason and source for the corrected cumulative result.
What do official Quebec and Canadian examples show?
The Office québécois de la langue française entry for a progress report distinguishes progress measured through physical parameters, value, or another convention fixed by contract. This terminology helps separate the methods. It does not select the method for your project.
Public Services and Procurement Canada’s form 1792 for construction progress payments provides one concrete model. Its cost breakdown connects current-period and cumulative quantities with a unit price, or a decimal percentage with a lump-sum line. The form applies when the federal contract calls for it.
Quebec’s Ministère des Transports et de la Mobilité durable payment-request guide gives another narrow example. It calls for quantity calculations and supporting records, followed by review of quantities, amounts, calculations, and whether the request matches the work performed during the period. The French guide covers construction and technical-service contracts processed through the ministry’s BDP system, short for Bordereaux et demandes de paiement.
For covered Quebec public construction contracts and linked public subcontracts, sections 5 and 6 of the prompt-payment regulation address the claimed items, associated periods, itemized amounts, and supporting documents essential to assessing the request when the contract or a written agreement requires them. That framework does not cover every project. Section 5 lets a subcontractor include work or expenses it plans to perform or incur before month-end. The contractor that receives that payment request may then include those items in its own payment request. This guide does not determine what your project can claim.
Based on these examples, Aplon recommends preserving the basis, period, current result, cumulative result, reviewer, and supporting evidence. This is an operational model, not a requirement created by every cited source. The contract and applicable rules determine the actual treatment.
Checklist before progress enters the payment application
Project basis
- ☐ The line, value, and method match the current schedule-of-values revision.
- ☐ The total quantity, milestones, or weights have a confirmed source.
- ☐ The measurement date and period are explicit.
Field record
- ☐ The area or system, together with the unit, lets a reviewer reproduce the measurement.
- ☐ Work in progress stays separate from completed work under the method.
- ☐ Every supporting document links to the correct line and date.
- ☐ No work appears in two SOV lines.
Review
- ☐ A mid-project setup includes a reconciled row for the cumulative result in the last submitted payment application.
- ☐ The new cumulative result is compared with the previous cumulative result for the same SOV line.
- ☐ Current progress plus previous cumulative progress reproduces the line’s new cumulative result.
- ☐ Every decrease, overrun, or basis change has a reason.
- ☐ A second person reviewed quantities, assumptions, and evidence.
Payment-application inclusion
- ☐ The progress value is labelled
proposed; it is not an accepted amount. - ☐ One reconciled cumulative row exists for each SOV line and period.
- ☐ The row identifies the preparer, reviewer, verification date, comment, and supporting-document link.
- ☐ Duplicate, decrease, overrun, and missing-verification controls have been resolved or explained.
- ☐ A future correction will preserve its reason and supporting evidence.
- ☐ An authorized person will approve the payment application before submission.
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate construction percent complete?
For installed quantity, divide the verified cumulative quantity by the confirmed total quantity. For milestones or weighted steps, use the project’s defined completion conditions and weights. Do not apply a universal formula when the contract uses another basis.
What is the difference between current and cumulative progress?
Cumulative progress is the line total at the measurement date. Current progress is the difference between the new proposed cumulative result and the previous cumulative result for the same SOV line. Calculate it from line-level cumulative values to reduce double counting.
Are photos enough as supporting documents?
Rarely on their own. A photo shows a visible condition. Add the date, area, SOV line, and connection to the quantity or milestone. Use the documents required by the project.
Can one payment application use several methods?
Yes, when every line has a clear and stable basis. A project can measure conduit by quantity, commissioning by milestone, and an assembly by weighted steps. Do not mix methods within one line without a revised method approved by the person authorized under the contract or project rules.
Do incurred costs prove physical progress?
Not necessarily. Cost, labour hours, or delivery can support the record without proving installed quantity. Keep physical measurement, billing value, and accounting treatment in separate fields.
What happens after submission?
Preserve the requested amount, then record the accepted amount in another field when the decision arrives. The construction payment application tracker shows how to handle variances, next actions, invoicing, and payment.
Official sources and scope
- Office québécois de la langue française: progress-report terminology
- Public Services and Procurement Canada: Request for Progress Payment, Construction Contracts, form 1792
- Quebec Ministère des Transports et de la Mobilité durable: construction payment-request guide
- LégisQuébec: prompt payments and prompt dispute settlement regulation
This content is for information only. It is not legal, tax, accounting, or contractual advice. Verify the contract, current instructions, applicable rules, and project-specific advice.
Sources verified on August 25, 2026. To report a correction, contact Aplon.
A workbook for your next payment application
Track progress, holdback, GST, and QST in one Excel file.
Keep the workbook. Automate the cycle when you are ready.
Use the workbook now. When the manual handoffs become the bottleneck, Aplon connects field progress, review, approval, submission proof, and collection follow-up.
A person still approves every external commitment.See how Aplon controls the cycleMathis is building Aplon with trade contractors to make every payment application clearer, verifiable, and easier to track.