Record a Retainer
Start by opening the Income area.
Select New Income, then choose Retainer as the income type.
Next, select the client and project connected to the retainer.
Enter the retainer amount, then continue.
You can also enter additional details, such as the retainer number or payment method. These fields are optional and can be used based on your internal workflow.
At the bottom of the income record, BaseBuilders will show invoices that the retainer can be applied to. If no invoices exist yet, there will not be anything to apply the retainer to at this step.
Select Save to record the retainer.
The retainer now has an available balance that can be applied to future invoices.
Create an Invoice for the Project
After the retainer has been recorded, go to the project detail page.
Open the Billing tab and select Add Invoice.
You can create the invoice manually or use Rocket Billing to build the invoice from available work in progress.
After the invoice is created, review the invoice amount and change the invoice status as needed. In the video example, the invoice is changed to Issued.
At this point, the invoice exists, but no income has been applied to it yet.
Apply Retainer Funds to an Invoice
Open the invoice detail view.
If retainer funds are available for the project, BaseBuilders will show that funds are available.
Select Apply Funds.
Enter the amount of the retainer you want to apply to the invoice.
You do not have to apply the full retainer balance. You can apply only the amount you want to use on that invoice.
Select Apply.
BaseBuilders applies that portion of the retainer to the invoice and updates the invoice totals.
How the Invoice Totals Are Updated
After retainer funds are applied, the invoice will show the applied retainer amount and the remaining balance due.
If the invoice includes tax, the invoice detail will show the subtotal, tax, total invoice amount, applied retainer, and remaining balance due.
This gives you a clear view of how much of the invoice has been covered by the retainer and how much still needs to be paid.
Review Retainer Activity on the Project
After applying the retainer to the invoice, return to the project detail page and open the Billing tab.
The project will now show an income record connected to the invoice.
BaseBuilders displays the income activity based on the income line items applied to that specific project’s invoices.
This matters because one income record can be applied to multiple invoices. BaseBuilders separates out the portion of the income that applies to each project invoice and displays it in the appropriate place.
Why This Matters
Retainers are not always applied all at once. A client may pay a retainer up front, and you may apply portions of that retainer across several invoices over time.
BaseBuilders keeps track of the original retainer balance, the amount applied to each invoice, and the remaining funds available.
This gives you better visibility into prepaid client funds and helps keep invoice balances accurate.
Basic Retainer Workflow
The basic workflow is:
Record the retainer as new income.
Select the client and project.
Enter the retainer amount.
Save the retainer.
Create or issue an invoice for the project.
Open the invoice detail view.
Select Apply Funds.
Enter the amount of the retainer to apply.
Apply the funds.
Review the updated invoice balance and project income activity.
Key Takeaway
To use retainers in BaseBuilders, first record the retainer as income. Later, when an invoice is ready, apply some or all of the available retainer balance to that invoice.
BaseBuilders will update the invoice balance and show the related income activity on the project, even when one retainer is applied across multiple invoices.