Keep three different questions visible
What result have you ordered, what will the whole project probably cost, and how much money has left your account? Those questions need different totals. A bank balance does not show unpaid commitments; a signed devis does not include every unchosen product or future delivery.
| Field | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Original agreed amount | The accepted scope and price |
| Accepted variations | Agreed additions and deductions |
| Current commitment | Original amount plus net accepted variations |
| Payments recorded | Money actually paid against that commitment |
| Outstanding balance | Current commitment minus related payments |
| Forecast uncommitted work | Necessary work still estimated or quoted |
| Contingency | Funding for remaining uncertainty, kept separately |
Use one identifier for each contract and link its documents, invoices and payments. Keep invoice issue and due dates as well as the actual transfer date. They answer different cash-flow questions.
Know what the advance payment means
An acompte and arrhes have different consequences under the DGCCRF guidance. An acompte is part-payment on a firm commitment. Arrhes ordinarily allow withdrawal from the commitment with the consequences specified by law; they are not another word for a fully refundable deposit. The contract should state the payment’s nature.
The official quotation guidance explains withdrawal rights according to signing circumstances. For an in-scope off-premises consumer contract, article L221-10 generally prohibits receiving payment within the first seven days, with statutory exceptions. Check this separately from the usual 14-day withdrawal period. No universal “safe deposit percentage” replaces checking the contract and actual procurement need.
A ledger that does not double-count the deposit
| Entry | EUR |
|---|---|
| Accepted initial devis | 18 000 |
| Accepted additional work | 1 200 |
| Accepted scope deduction | −500 |
| Revised contract total | 18 700 |
| First payment made | 6 000 |
| Second payment made | 7 000 |
| Total paid | 13 000 |
| Remaining contract balance | 5 700 |
The revised cost is 18,000 + 1,200 − 500 = €18,700. The €13,000 paid is already inside that value. Adding it again incorrectly shows €31,700. The outstanding €5,700 remains a commitment even while it is in your bank account.
Read cumulative invoices correctly
A situation de travaux can show cumulative work value since the start. If the second situation shows a cumulative €13,000 and €6,000 was already invoiced and paid, the new amount can be €7,000, subject to the document’s adjustments. Do not enter both €13,000 and €7,000 as new expenditure.
A final account of €18,700 should reconcile earlier invoices or advances so the remaining amount is clear. Record contract value once and money paid once. Check credits, retained sums, VAT and previous payments before accepting a demand for the balance.
Price a change before releasing it
Request a variation identifying cause, scope, quantities or references, TTC price, work removed, and effect on timing and other trades. The ANIL guidance recommends agreeing technical and price consequences through a dated, signed amendment before execution.
Replacing an unpurchased tap with a more expensive model should show the net difference and installation consequences. Do not add the entire new tap price while leaving the old one in the total. If a concealed defect requires urgent protective action, record the condition and immediate measures; obtain the proposed repair scope and price as soon as possible.
Keep a proposed €800 variation outside accepted commitments until agreed. If the work is likely necessary, include a marked provisional allowance in the overall forecast. On approval, replace that allowance with the accepted sum; do not keep both.
Attach payments to observable milestones
- The contract defines the stage and amount due.
- The relevant work or delivery is identified and checked with the responsible person.
- The invoice matches the agreed basis and accepted changes.
- Payment details match the verified contractor or supplier.
- The transfer and document reference are recorded against the correct contract.
Checking a payment stage is not automatically formal réception of an ouvrage. Keep those records distinct. If a milestone is disputed, identify what is missing and raise it in writing rather than silently treating the whole invoice as accepted or unpaid.
Retention is not spare project money
The law of 16 July 1971 governs contractual retention for covered private works: a maximum of 5%, with consignation or relevant guarantee arrangements. ANIL explains why simply keeping it in your own account can fail. This is not an automatic right to withhold 5% from any renovation invoice.
Track a lawfully retained amount as a separate commitment. It is not a discount and cannot safely fund a different purchase. Ask an ADIL or legal adviser how the contract, reservations and payment rules apply to a dispute.
Review the forecast and the next due dates
At each site review, reconcile commitments, uncommitted necessary work, payments and remaining contingency. Then check when cash is needed. If the total exceeds your funding limit, change optional work not yet ordered instead of relying on a grant or unspecified future saving.
Use a spreadsheet or Reno Pro and keep original documents alongside the records. The app guide explains recorded figures; recording a payment does not transfer money, amend a contract or confirm legal acceptance.
Sources and method
- Service Public — Devis et contrat de travaux
- DGCCRF — Acompte, arrhes, avoir
- Légifrance — Code de la consommation, article L221-10
- ANIL — Contrat d’entreprise : précautions et avenants
- ANIL — Marché privé : consignation d’une retenue de garantie
- Légifrance — Loi du 16 juillet 1971 : retenue de garantie
Sources consulted on 18 October 2026. Worked cost tables are editorial examples, not average market prices or contractors’ offers. Tax explanations concern metropolitan France.