The homeowner says the final invoice includes an allowance already paid

The final amount cannot be followed from the earlier claims

A hypothetical Victorian homeowner queries an allowance on the builder's final invoice. They believe it was already included in a progress payment, while the builder says the final amount reflects the actual selection. Reconstruct the calculation before sending another demand. A disagreement about the arithmetic may be resolvable only when both parties can see how earlier claims relate to the final adjustment.

Find the original allowance wording

Locate the relevant contract schedule and any agreed selection or change documents. Record what was included and how the contract describes an adjustment. Ask the adviser about unclear wording. Do not assume all allowances work identically or apply a margin, tax treatment or adjustment method taken from another project's contract.

Check the invoice against the agreed terms

Business.gov.au's unpaid-invoice guidance recommends reviewing contractual payment conditions. Use the actual agreement to guide the reconciliation, with professional advice where needed. This article does not establish a Victorian domestic building entitlement or prescribe how a particular allowance must be calculated. The supporting documents and applicable requirements need to be assessed together.

Source: business.gov.au: What to do when you haven't been paid

Trace the amount through each claim

In the hypothetical example, list the allowance component in earlier progress claims, payments received and the final adjustment. Keep supplier cost evidence beside the relevant selection where appropriate. Distinguish a cumulative contract total from an additional amount now requested. Do not add both figures together merely because they appear on different documents.

Explain any correction plainly

If the calculation contains an error, ask accounts and the adviser how to correct the invoice and communicate the change. Preserve the original and the reason for the revision. If the arithmetic is supported but the entitlement remains disputed, identify that distinction. A corrected spreadsheet cannot itself establish that the owner approved the selection or adjustment.

Respond with a traceable calculation

Provide the appropriate explanation and supporting records through the agreed channel, then seek advice on any unresolved dispute. CRP can help organise the account reconciliation. The practical objective is a final claim that can be followed from the contract through earlier payments to the amount now sought, instead of repeating a total neither party can readily verify.