Cumulative invoice: definition, template and example | teamspace
Cumulative invoices are a special billing form for longer-running projects. Unlike one-off invoices they include all services to date plus the new ones — with remaining balance and outlook.
What are cumulative invoices?
Cumulative invoices are a billing format for longer-running projects. Each new invoice contains the positions already billed plus the new ones, so the total delivered and billed remains traceable.
Example: a construction firm bills €20,000 after the first month and €30,000 after the second. The cumulative invoice for month 2 contains the new amount plus all previously billed amounts and the customer’s payments to date.
Why use them?
Transparency. The customer sees current progress and total cost at any moment. Cumulative billing also ensures nothing is missed or billed twice. For the contractor, it produces clean documentation across long projects — and simplifies instalment workflows.
Where they’re common
- Construction — projects spanning months or years, billed by progress.
- Engineering and architecture — staged planning and consulting services.
- IT and software projects — complex projects with multiple milestones.
Structure
- Project / order data — number, period, contact
- Total cost overview — planned volume, cumulated delivered services, billed and paid amounts, new amount, remaining open balance
- Detailed services — items with quantity, unit and price, marking what’s new vs. previously billed
- Outlook — open amount and upcoming billing dates
Simplified example
Total volume €100,000, after the second billing period:
| Pos. | Description | Total | Billed before | New | Cumulated | Paid | Open |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Foundation | 30,000 | 15,000 | 15,000 | 30,000 | 15,000 | 15,000 |
| 2 | Shell | 50,000 | 0 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 5,000 | 5,000 |
| 3 | Planning & coordination | 20,000 | 5,000 | 5,000 | 10,000 | 0 | 10,000 |
| Total | 100,000 | 20,000 | 30,000 | 50,000 | 20,000 | 30,000 |
Summary
- Total project volume: €100,000
- Cumulated delivered services: €50,000
- Paid to date: €20,000
- Open (current invoice): €30,000
- Remaining after payment: €50,000
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