How to politely request late payment from an engineering firm client

Late payment from an engineering firm client usually comes down to their process, not bad faith. Here's who pays, when, what tends to hold payment up, and a polite reminder you can send today.

Who pays, and when

A project engineer or manager approves. The accounts team pays. Payments often follow the firm's own billing milestones.

Why payment runs late

Subconsultant invoices can wait for milestone sign-off or the end client's payment.

Tips for chasing an engineering firm client

Tie your invoices to project milestones they recognize.
Reference the project number and task.
Agree terms that don't depend on their client paying.

Example reminder email

Subject: Quick reminder: invoice [number] Hi [first name], I hope all's well. Invoice [number] for [amount] was due on [date]. If it's already on its way, thank you, and please ignore this. This invoice is for the milestone noted below, with your project number. Has the milestone been signed off on your side? You can pay here: [payment link] Thanks, [Your name]

Write your reminders

Fill in the invoice to get four emails for an engineering firm client, from a heads-up to a final notice, with the dates to send them. Nothing you type leaves your browser.

Your reminders will appear here.

Want these sent for you?

We're building a tool that sends these reminders automatically from your own Gmail when a Stripe invoice goes overdue, all in one email thread, and stops the moment it's paid. It isn't ready yet. Planned price: $19 a month.