What is a final bill in construction?
A final bill is the last bill on a contract. It is drawn up from the final measurements, takes off everything paid in the running bills, makes every deduction and recovery still due, and gives the last amount payable. It is passed only after the work is complete and the contract's outstanding matters are settled.
The arithmetic is the same as the RA bill format. What this workbook adds is the closing record: contract value, time, retention and the settlements checklist.
What is in the final bill workbook?
- Contract Details — project, work order and bill particulars with Bill Type set to Final, the GST rate and every deduction percentage.
- Previous Bills — each running bill's gross amount, GST, retention held and net paid.
- RA Bill Working — item-wise quantities up to the previous bill and final quantities, with MB pages.
- Deductions & Summary — gross amount, GST, deductions and recoveries, retention released, net payable and totals to date.
- Final Bill Closure — contract value, time, retention due date and the settlements checklist.
- Filled Sample — the final bill of an RCC framed building after three running bills.
How does the final bill sheet calculate?
- Qty for present bill = final quantity − quantity up to the previous bill, and each amount = quantity × rate.
- Gross amount = value of work up to date − value in previous bills + any escalation still payable.
- GST is added on the gross; retention, TDS, cess and the other percentage deductions are each worked out on the gross, never on the GST.
- Net payable = gross + GST − deductions and recoveries + any retention released.
- Delay = actual completion − (stipulated date + extension granted), and retention falls due on the completion date plus the defect liability period.
Worked example from the sample sheet: the final measurements bring the work to Rs. 84,79,780, of which Rs. 59,70,250 was billed in three running bills, so the final bill's gross amount is Rs. 25,09,530. Retention at 5%, income-tax TDS at 2%, labour cess at 1% and Rs. 25,000 compensation for delay leave Rs. 22,83,767.60 payable, and Rs. 4,23,989 of retention is still held.
How do you use the final bill template?
- Fill in Contract Details. Bill Type is already Final; check the GST rate and every deduction against the contract.
- On Previous Bills, enter every running bill: gross amount, GST, retention held and net paid.
- On RA Bill Working, enter each item's quantity from the last running bill and its final measured quantity, with MB pages.
- On Deductions & Summary, enter any escalation still payable and every recovery still due, including any compensation for delay.
- Fill in Final Bill Closure: contract amount, dates, defect liability period and the settlements done.
- Pass the bill only when the closure checklist shows nothing open.
What should you check before relying on the final bill?
- Final quantities must come from final measurements recorded and test-checked in the measurement book.
- Retention is never released automatically. Enter a release only when the contract says it is due, usually after the defect liability period.
- Whether compensation for delay is levied, and how much, is decided under the contract. The closure sheet records the delay; it does not decide it.
- Government departments and public-sector bodies prescribe their own final bill forms and certificates. No rates are supplied; the sample's are illustrative.
What does each column mean?
| Column | What goes in it |
|---|---|
| Qty up to Previous Bill / Qty up to Date | The quantity in the last running bill, and the final measured quantity. Both come from the measurement book. |
| Qty for Present Bill | Auto-calculated. Final quantity less the quantity already billed. |
| Amount up to Previous Bill / up to Date / for Present Bill | Auto-calculated. Quantity × rate. An item with a quantity and no rate shows NOT PRICED and is left out of the totals. |
| MB No. / Page | The measurement book page each final quantity is recorded on. |
| Check | Auto-calculated. Flags an item past its contract quantity, a final quantity less than already billed, or an item not priced. |
| Deductions & Summary | Gross amount of the final bill, GST, every percentage deduction on the gross, other recoveries such as compensation for delay, retention released and net payable. |
| Closure: Contract Value | The value of work done against the contract amount, in rupees and as a percentage. |
| Closure: Time | Stipulated date, extension granted, extended date, actual completion and the delay beyond the extended date. |
| Closure: Retention | Retention still held after the final bill and the date it falls due: completion date plus the defect liability period. |
| Closure: Settlements | Ten things to close before the final bill is passed, each Yes, No or Not applicable with a date and reference. |
A final bill is only as sound as the final measurements behind it. Record them in the measurement book format; the running bills before this one follow the same layout as the RA bill format in Excel.
Get the quantities from your drawings
The arithmetic in this workbook is the quick part. Reading dimensions off a full drawing set, item by item, is what takes days. Upload your drawings and InstaBOQ measures them for you and abstracts the quantities into this same structure.