Job Progress & Billing Tracker for Alberta Contractors: Progress Draws, Holdback, Change Orders and Daily Log (Excel)

Cash problems on small jobs usually start quietly: work done but not billed, an invoice nobody chased, holdback nobody tracked. This tracker follows one Alberta job from setup to closeout in a single workbook: schedule, % complete, progress draws with 10% holdback and GST, proper invoices, prompt-payment due dates, change orders, a daily site log, and a dashboard that shows whether you're over- or under-billed.

Holdback works the way it does on real jobs: it's a contract item, usually released after substantial completion once the closeout paperwork is done. So the tracker shows holdback held to date and an editable closeout checklist. You pick a 60- or 90-day holdback period (90 for concrete and oil and gas well work) and enter the holdback expiry date, which the tracker requires; the expected release follows it. The Prompt Payment and Construction Lien Act timing is cited by section number.

What's in the zip

- EXAMPLE tracker (.xlsx), filled in for a made-up Alberta 40 x 60 post-frame shop part-way through the job

- BLANK tracker (.xlsx)

- Print preview PDF showing sample printed pages

- README quick start

- 15 tabs: Instructions · Job Setup · Schedule · Progress · Progress Draw · Invoice · Payments · Holdback · Change Orders · Daily Log · Dashboard · Client Summary · Print - Invoice · Print - Daily Log · Reference

Key features

- Schedule with workday math that skips weekends and an editable Alberta holiday list (general holidays plus optional Heritage Day and Boxing Day, through Jan 1, 2028), plus a simple Gantt drawn with conditional formatting (no macros). Starter activity sets for post-frame, stick-frame, site work/gravel and fab shop jobs.

- % complete and earned value weighted by dollar value, and over/under-billed (earned vs billed to date). In the example: $185,000 revised contract, about 52% complete, $85,000 billed, under-billed by $11,850.

- Progress draws (schedule of values): this period, to date, holdback on each draw, GST and net payable. Two GST modes: Payable now (statutory/contract holdback), the default, for holdbacks required by the Act or a written construction contract (GST on the holdback is flagged as due on the earlier of payout and the holdback expiry date); and GST on full draw for informal holdbacks. Confirm with your accountant.

- Proper-invoice checklist (the items Alberta lists for a proper invoice, paraphrased) and a clean printable invoice page.

- Payment timeline: owner due date 28 days after the invoice is received, the 14-day notice-of-dispute window, and pay-subs-by 7 days after you're paid, or no later than 35 days after you invoiced even if the owner hasn't paid (Act ss.32.2–32.3), with overdue flags.

- Holdback closeout checklist you can edit: O&Ms and as-builts, deficiencies, WCB clearance, statutory declaration, warranties, lien search, and anything else your contract asks for.

- Change order log: only approved change orders change the contract and the draws.

- Daily site log: weather, crew and hours, subs, equipment, work done, deliveries, visitors, delays by cause, safety pointers and T&M. Print - Daily Log pulls one day onto a single page for the truck.

- Dashboard with Checks (OK / NOTE / FLAG): % complete vs time used, billed vs earned, holdback held, overdue invoices, open COs and delay days by cause.

- Client Summary: a clean one-page progress snapshot for the owner, with no brand footer.

Who it's for

Small Alberta GCs, framers, post-frame and shop builders, site-work outfits, and fab shops that bill in stages (1 to 20 people).

FAQ

Does it calculate when holdback must be released? It suggests an expiry date from the substantial performance date plus 60 or 90 days, and you confirm the expiry date yourself. Actual release still follows your contract closeout, so you type that date in.

Is it accounting software? No. It's a billing and record-keeping tool for one job at a time. Your bookkeeping system still records the invoices.

Does it handle GST? It shows GST at 5% on each draw, with two modes for GST on holdback (statutory/contract holdback, or GST on the full draw for informal holdbacks) and a flag when holdback GST comes due. It's not tax advice. Check with your accountant.

Is it a full CPM scheduler? No. Predecessors are notes only. It's a simple schedule with workday math and a bar chart.

Does it read my contract or drawings? No. You enter the contract value, schedule of values and progress.

Does it work outside Alberta? The prompt-payment and holdback references are Alberta's. The tracking works anywhere, but check your own province's rules.

Can I get a refund? It's a digital download, so there are no refunds once it's delivered. Try the free Bid Go/No-Go Scorer first to make sure the files work on your computer.

Disclaimer

A billing and record-keeping aid only. Not legal advice, not tax advice, and not a substitute for your contract, your lawyer or your bookkeeper. Your contract terms and the Prompt Payment and Construction Lien Act govern. Act references are plain-language summaries cited by section number. Check the current legislation before relying on them. Example numbers are made up.

About the maker

Built by a tradesperson with 35 years in fabrication and construction across Western Canada.

Compatibility (spreadsheets)

- Made for Microsoft Excel 2016 or newer, Windows or Mac. Plain .xlsx with no macros.

- LibreOffice Calc (free): every workbook recalculates with no formula errors.

- Does it work in Google Sheets? You can upload the .xlsx and open it in Google Sheets, but Sheets drops the sheet protection (so grey formula cells can be typed over) and ignores the print layouts. For printing, Excel is recommended.

- Not tested in Apple Numbers.

- Type in the yellow cells. Grey formula cells are locked (no password), so you can't break a formula by accident.

- Grab the free Bid Go/No-Go Scorer first. It's built the same way, so if it opens and works on your computer, the paid sheets will too.

Licence

One-business licence: use it across your business (all its sites and crews) on as many jobs as you like. Please don't resell, share or publish the blank templates outside your business. Completed job files and filled-in forms can go to your clients, prime contractors, auditors and regulators.

Refund policy

Because these are digital downloads, I don't offer refunds once a file has been delivered. Please check the compatibility list above before you buy, and grab the free Bid Go/No-Go Scorer to test on your computer first. If a file won't open or something isn't working, email me at support@bidsheets.ca and I'll help you sort it out.

Updates

Buyers get the 2027 update free. I'll email you the new version when it's ready. Each January I refresh the payroll rates (CPP, EI, WCB) in the estimating workbook and fab calculator, re-check the Alberta OHS and prompt-payment references in the safety and billing products, and re-check the standards references in the takeoffs.

Support

Questions? Email support@bidsheets.ca. I usually answer within 2 business days.

Founding price for the newsletter list: use code JC7YU8IAP8 at checkout, valid until November 20, 2026.