Days sales outstanding
The core measure of how quickly invoices turn into cash.
Plumbing companies · Invoicing and collections follow-up
Get paid on every plumbing invoice without awkward chasing
Most residential plumbing jobs are paid on site. The receivables problem lives elsewhere: property managers on net 30, builders and general contractors with draws and lien waivers, home warranty companies, and the occasional homeowner who asked to be billed. Those balances age quietly while the office handles today's calls.
How it often works today
- Techs forget to collect at completion, leaving open invoices that the office discovers days later when reconciling.
- Property management invoices are rejected because they lack the work order number, unit or approval name the manager requires.
- Builder invoices for rough-in and trim-out stall waiting on lien waivers or a draw schedule that nobody tracked.
- Reminders depend on the bookkeeper's free time, so some accounts get three calls and others none until they are 90 days old.
Invoice follow-up puts consistent, polite reminders on a schedule, matched to the type of customer. Your bookkeeper or office manager sees a clear aging view, approves anything unusual, and spends time on the accounts that actually need a phone call. Write-offs, payment plans and disputes remain the owner's decision.
The improved workflow
Segment receivables by customer type
We separate homeowners, property managers, builders and warranty companies, since each needs different invoice details, terms and reminder timing. Warranty company claims follow their portals.
Fix invoices at the source
Required fields like PO, work order number and unit are captured at booking, so property manager invoices are accepted the first time.
Schedule reminders
Polite reminders with a payment link go out before and after the due date. Language and tone change by account type and age.
Escalate to a person
Accounts past a set age or amount are flagged to the office manager or owner for a call, with the invoice history attached.
Sync with accounting
Payments recorded in your field software flow into QuickBooks Online automatically, so aging reports match and nobody double-enters payments. Reconciliation takes minutes instead of hours.
How we deliver this: AI automation for small business or fractional CTO leadership, scoped in writing and run over 90 days. See pricing or the sample scope.
What we would measure
Invoices over 60 days
Shows whether old balances are shrinking, by count and dollar value.
Rejected invoice rate
Tracks property manager and builder invoices returned for missing details.
Collected at completion
The share of residential jobs paid before the tech leaves.
Where people stay in control
- Write-offs, payment plans, late fees and disputes are always decided by the owner or office manager, not the automation.
- Collection messages stay factual and courteous. Anything resembling third-party collection is handled by a person, with your counsel's guidance.
- Payment links go through your processor. Card and bank details are never stored in notes, emails or AI tools.
Example
Cleaning up property manager accounts
For example, a shop serving several Denver property management firms finds that many unpaid invoices are missing a work order number. Booking now requires that number for those accounts. Invoices go out with it attached, reminders follow on day 25 and day 35, and anything past 45 days lands on the office manager's list with the history. Over a quarter, the oldest balances get resolved by phone. This is an illustrative scenario, not a client outcome.
Tools typically involved
What the first 30 days look like
We would begin with an aging report from QuickBooks Online and your field software, then group open balances by customer type and reason they are unpaid. In the first 30 days we would agree on terms, reminder schedules and escalation rules for one customer segment as a pilot.
Common questions
Will reminders annoy our property manager clients?
Not if they are accurate and timed to their terms. Most property managers deal with many vendors and prefer invoices that include their reference numbers and arrive in the format they need. The bigger risk is sending a reminder on an invoice they never received, which is why we fix invoice details first.
Can this handle builder lien waivers and draws?
It can track them. We would set reminders for when a waiver must accompany an invoice, and flag draws that are due based on job milestones like rough-in or final inspection. Preparing and signing the waiver itself stays with your office and, where needed, your attorney.
Our bookkeeper is part-time. Is this worth it?
Often especially so. A part-time bookkeeper has limited hours, and consistent automated reminders mean those hours go to the accounts that need a conversation. We would measure how much time collections takes today and size the work to match.
The business case
Does it pay for itself?
Illustrative defaults for a plumbing company. Replace them with your numbers.
What this workflow costs today
a month in staff time, before any lost sales
Monthly fee + assumed tools +
Break-even: new clients a month (at first-year value)
Or: staff hours recovered and redeployed
Break-even additional revenue
Value of +1 point of win rate
First 90 days, service fee
Worth a closer lookTest the assumptions
Illustration only, not a forecast or guarantee. Recovered staff time becomes a cash saving only if spending actually declines or the time goes into paid work. Tool costs are an assumption; we replace every number here with yours before recommending a scope.
Invoicing and collections follow-up in other industries
Accounting and CPA firmsArchitecture firmsAuto repair shopsCommercial cleaning companiesConsulting and professional services firmsDental practicesElectrical contractorsEvent and catering companies
Invoicing and collections follow-up: full guide
Related guides
How to automate invoicing in QuickBooks OnlineDocument processing automation for service businessesHow to measure the ROI of AI and automationAI automation for small business: costs, limits and what pays back
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