If you are in the construction or real estate business, you are used to long project timelines and progressive invoicing to keep up with your billing. But when does revenue get recognized? Will it happen when the contract gets signed? At different milestones or only at the end of the project? Each phase has its own pace, and the revenue needs to be tracked carefully throughout the end.

With long-term projects and multiple deliverables in place, construction and real estate businesses often stretch the process across months or even years. Revenue recognition in these industries is less about timing and more about progress.

Construction projects often span many months or years. Recognizing revenue based solely on billing milestones (say 30% upfront, 40% midway, and 30% on completion) doesn't reflect the actual progress or value delivered. Companies must track and report revenue based on performance progress, not payment terms.

This industry often uses the percentage of completion method, where revenue is recognized based on the cost incurred or work completed relative to the entire project. Misjudging this percentage can result in misstated finances.

Projects might include design, foundation, electrical, plumbing, and landscaping. Each component might have a separate delivery schedule and must be tracked as a performance obligation. When the scope changes during the progress, companies must reassess the total contract value and the revenue allocation accordingly. On the other hand, if the project execution is postponed, all the revenue earned will remain deferred even if an upfront payment was made.

Scenario:

A construction company signs a $600,000 contract to build a commercial warehouse. The client pays the full payment upfront, but the contract specifies that revenue will only be recognized at key stages of the project completion and not based on the period.

Project stages are defined as:

•  Site Preparation & Foundation: $100,000

• Structural Framework: 30% of contract value

• Roofing & Utilities Installations: 40% of the contract value

• Interior Finishing & Handover over: Remaining balance
  

Revenue Recognition with Zoho Billing

Zoho Billing enables businesses like the one above to create flexible revenue recognition rules tied to the project progress and with several deliverables.

At the end of the project, recognition happens only at milestone completions based on the manual entry made by the project management team.

Best Practices for Construction & Real Estate Firms' Revenue Recognition

• Break Down Phases as Obligations: Identify architecture and construction as distinct deliverable components.
• Use Percentage of Completion Metrics: Set the base recognition based on cost or time progress, not on the invoicing period.
• Handle Change Orders: Adjust the revenue schedule dynamically when the scope of the project changes. 
  

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