Where do pay application lines come from?

From the job’s schedule of values. Create a pay application and the continuation sheet seeds from the same SOV your invoices use — enter this-period work, materials stored, and retainage, then certify.

How does retainage carry between periods?

Certified applications carry forward: prior work completed, stored materials, and retainage flow into the next period so you are not rebuilding the sheet each month.

Do approved change orders show up on the draw?

Yes. Change orders approved on the job can seed the next period’s pay application, so the contract value and the billing stay on the same record.

Are these licensed institute form numbers?

No. EstiLumina prints a certified continuation-sheet package and exports CSV — it does not claim licensed form numbers you may not use.

Can the GC or owner pay online?

Optionally. Connect your own Stripe account and collect the current payment due online — funds go to your account, never through EstiLumina. Recording a manual payment always works.

What does it cost to run pay apps here?

The Subcontractor package is $199/mo with one seat, and extra seats are $29/mo. Portal collaborators — the GC or owner receiving your application — never use a paid seat. Start with one job free for 14 days, no credit card.

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Pay apps that match the job you already priced

Subcontractors lose days rebuilding progress bills from stale SOVs. EstiLumina starts the pay application from the same numbers that won the work.

14 days free · one job · full features · no credit card

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Built for trade billing pressure

Continuation sheet seeded from the job SOV — not a separate spreadsheet
Retainage on work completed and materials stored when the contract needs it
Certify, print, or export CSV for the owner / GC handoff
Optional online collect when your Stripe Connect account is ready
Same job record as takeoff, estimate, bids, and field — one clear truth

Where the billing spreadsheet drifts

PressureSeparate billing sheetEstiLumina

The SOVA copy of the schedule of values, re-keyed per periodContinuation sheet seeds from the job SOV you already billed against

Prior periodsLast month’s numbers pasted in — and sometimes wrongCertified applications carry work completed and retainage forward

RetainageRecomputed by hand, split across formulas nobody remembersRetainage on work completed and stored materials, carried per period

Change ordersCOs patched into the sheet after someone remembers themApproved change orders seed the next period’s application

The owner packagePrint, sign, scan, email, chaseCertify, then print the package or export CSV for the GC handoff

Getting paidWait for the check, reconcile it laterRecord the payment — or collect the draw online on your own Stripe

Honest boundaries

Not a licensed institute form PDF package
Not a full accounting ledger — job cost + progress billing on the job
Not automatic bank deposits without connecting Stripe to collect
Portal collaborators for GCs and owners do not consume a paid seat

Pay application questions

Straight answers for estimators, PMs, and owners evaluating EstiLumina.

Where do pay application lines come from?: From the job’s schedule of values. Create a pay application and the continuation sheet seeds from the same SOV your invoices use — enter this-period work, materials stored, and retainage, then certify.
How does retainage carry between periods?: Certified applications carry forward: prior work completed, stored materials, and retainage flow into the next period so you are not rebuilding the sheet each month.
Do approved change orders show up on the draw?: Yes. Change orders approved on the job can seed the next period’s pay application, so the contract value and the billing stay on the same record.
Are these licensed institute form numbers?: No. EstiLumina prints a certified continuation-sheet package and exports CSV — it does not claim licensed form numbers you may not use.
Can the GC or owner pay online?: Optionally. Connect your own Stripe account and collect the current payment due online — funds go to your account, never through EstiLumina. Recording a manual payment always works.
What does it cost to run pay apps here?: The Subcontractor package is $199/mo with one seat, and extra seats are $29/mo. Portal collaborators — the GC or owner receiving your application — never use a paid seat. Start with one job free for 14 days, no credit card.

Packages from $199/mo · try one job free

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