Invoice HopA worked example: a hall bath with a progress payment
Here is a small remodel billed from its estimate, with a payment taken partway through. Each payment you record creates a receipt showing the amount, method and remaining balance, and the invoice keeps the running balance. No spreadsheet is needed to know what the customer still owes.
Hall bath, invoice from estimate EST-0102
- Demo and haul-away: $850.00
- Tile floor labor: 60 sq ft × $9.00 = $540.00
- Tile and materials: 60 sq ft × $6.50 = $390.00
- Vanity and faucet install: $420.00
- Discount 5%: −$110.00 → Total $2,090.00
- Paid by check: $1,000.00 → Balance due $1,090.00
The receipt for each payment goes to the customer by email, text or WhatsApp. Both of you always see the same balance, which matters when a job runs for weeks and several people in the household are paying different parts.
Estimates customers can read
Long estimates lose customers when the scope is one paragraph and one number. Invoice Hop keeps each part of the job on its own line with a unit, so a customer can drop the shower niche without a new bid. Attach photos of the current state and add exclusions in the notes.
| Estimate | Invoice | |
|---|---|---|
| Number | EST-0102 | INV-0215 |
| Purpose | Price before work | Request for payment |
| Customer action | Review and agree | Pay |
| Conversion | One tap to invoice | Keeps the same lines |
On an iPad, you can edit the estimate on one side of the screen and see the finished document on the other. Many contractors build the estimate on the iPad at the kitchen table with the customer, then send it before they leave.
Change orders on the invoice
Scope changes are normal on remodels. Agree on each change and its price before doing the work, then add it to the invoice as its own line under the original estimate lines. The customer sees the agreed job and every change separately, which makes the final total easy to accept.
Added work on the hall bath
- Original estimate total: $2,090.00
- Change: add shower niche, 1 × $275.00
- New total: $2,365.00
- Paid so far: $1,000.00 → balance $1,365.00
You can also show your payment terms on the estimate, such as a deposit at signing and the balance on completion, so the invoice holds no surprises.
Payments that go straight to you
Contractors handle large amounts, which is why Invoice Hop never touches them. Card payments go into your own Stripe account, checks and bank transfers go to you, and nothing sits with a third party. You can show bank details on an invoice when you choose to; the app reminds you they will be visible.
- Card through your Stripe: marked paid automatically, receipt created.
- Check, Zelle or bank transfer: record it and send the receipt.
- Reminders: automatic emails before and after the due date (Pro), or manual reminders by text.
Invoice Hop shows when the customer opened and viewed each invoice. On larger jobs, that tells you whether the customer has seen the bill before you call about a progress payment.
Changes like these are easier to agree to when the customer sees them as lines with prices, rather than a new total.
Questions
Can I record partial payments?
Yes. Record each payment with its date and method. The invoice shows the balance and a receipt can go to the customer.
Can I convert an estimate to an invoice?
Yes, with one tap. The customer, lines and prices carry over.
Does Invoice Hop hold customer payments?
No. Payments go directly to you or to your own Stripe account.
Can I attach photos?
Yes. Up to 10 photos per invoice or estimate.
Does it work on iPad?
Yes. On iPad you see the list and the invoice side by side, with a live preview while you edit.