Recurring invoices for maintenance and retainer work

Published 2026-11-03

Short answer

Recurring invoices bill repeat work, such as monthly cleaning or a service retainer, on a fixed schedule. Agree price, frequency, invoice day, term, price review and cancellation in writing first. Pick an invoice day that exists in every month, review each invoice before it goes out and keep your own payment record.

Some of the steadiest income in contracting comes from work that repeats: monthly cleaning, quarterly gutter clearing, an annual boiler service, a retainer for call-outs. The paperwork repeats too, and the usual way to lose money is simply forgetting to send the invoice. A small routine fixes that.

What should I agree in writing for repeat work?

What is included in each visit or period, and what is billed separately, such as parts and call-outs
The price per visit or per month, and the currency
How often you invoice and on which day
The start date, and either an end date or how renewal works
How and when the price can change
How either side can cancel, and the notice needed

Put these six points on paper before the first invoice and have the customer accept them. Most disputes over a repeating job come from one of them being left unsaid.

Which invoice day works in every month?

Choose the 1st or the 15th, not the 31st. A day that exists in every month avoids questions about what happens in February. Say on each invoice which period it covers, for example "Service period: 1 to 30 November", so the invoice can be matched to the work.

Example: a monthly site cleaning contract

A contractor cleans a small office after hours for 450 a month on a 12 month agreement. That is 5,400 a year. Forgetting to invoice for two months is 900 of work given away, and chasing it later is awkward because the customer has already closed those months in their books.

If the agreement allows an annual increase of 3%, the new monthly price from month 13 is 463.50. Put the review date in your calendar, and tell the customer in writing before the new price starts.

How do I review each invoice before it goes out?

A repeating invoice is a copy of the last one, so it also copies the last one's mistakes. Before you send each one, check three things: whether anything extra happened this period that should be added (an extra visit, materials), whether anything was not done and should be credited, and whether the date and period are right.

Give each invoice its own number when you send it, as described in invoice numbers and payment terms. Do not reuse the number of the previous month's invoice.

Why keep my own payment record?

With a repeating arrangement, a late payment can go unnoticed for months. Keep a simple list of each invoice, the date sent, the due date and the date paid, and check it monthly. Late payment charges, interest and the rules for sending invoices on a recurring basis differ by country, so check what applies to your business. If an invoice does go unpaid, read how to handle late-paying clients.

Common mistakes

Never writing down the price review, so a price from three years ago stays unchanged
Invoicing the whole year in advance without agreeing it
Sending the same invoice twice after a reminder
Letting the arrangement run on after the end date without confirming a renewal

Recurring plans in SiteReporta

In SiteReporta, a recurring plan starts from an invoice you have already made. Creating plans is part of SiteReporta Pro. You choose the interval (weekly, every 2 weeks, monthly, quarterly or yearly), the first date, and an end date, a number of invoices or no end. When a date comes round, the app creates a draft invoice from that template (it catches up when you open the app). It never issues or sends anything: you open the draft, check it, and send it yourself.

If you allow notifications, the app reminds you at 9:00 local time on the due dates of an active plan. The reminder is a local notification on your device. It names the customer and shows no amounts. SiteReporta does not track whether an invoice was paid, so keep the payment record described above. For a one-off job billed in stages instead, read deposit and progress payment invoices.

Frequently asked questions

What day of the month should I send recurring invoices?

Choose a day that exists in every month, such as the 1st or the 15th, not the 31st. State the service period on each invoice, for example "Service period: 1 to 30 November".

Can I raise the price on a recurring contract?

Only as the agreement allows. Write the price review into the contract, for example an annual increase of 3%, put the date in your calendar and tell the customer in writing before the new price starts.

Should every recurring invoice have its own number?

Yes. Give each invoice its own number when you send it and do not reuse the previous month's number.

Can I invoice the whole year in advance?

Only if the customer has agreed it in writing. Invoicing a year in advance without agreement is a common mistake in repeat arrangements.

Does SiteReporta send recurring invoices automatically?

No. A recurring plan prepares a draft when a date comes round. It never issues or sends anything: you open the draft, check it and send it yourself. Creating plans is part of SiteReporta Pro.

Sources

Official sources for the rules and figures mentioned in this guide. Rules change and differ by place, so check the current text and your local rules.

General guidance, not legal, tax or accounting advice. Rules differ by country and trade.