PrimeBuild Construction built its AIA billing forms in Excel, a different version for every project. The inconsistent formats produced formula errors and miscalculations, and the documents looked unprofessional in front of clients. Moving to a standardized AIA billing template cut form prep time by 75%.
“APARBooks transformed our billing process, saving us time and boosting our professional image. It's been a game-changer for our growing business.”
— Amanda Johnson, CEO of PrimeBuild Construction
Company background
PrimeBuild Construction is a general contractor in Atlanta, Georgia, founded in 2023. The company does commercial and residential work, with 25 employees and $5 million in annual revenue.
The challenge: a different AIA form for every project
As a new company in a competitive market, PrimeBuild ran its AIA billing through Excel spreadsheets. The result was multiple inconsistent formats that confused team members and accountants alike. Each project used its own version of the AIA billing forms, which led to formula errors, miscalculations, and confusion.
“We were constantly working with different versions of AIA billing forms,” Amanda Johnson recalls. “This lack of consistency created chaos for our team. Accountants struggled to keep up, and errors in formulas and data were not uncommon. It was a nightmare trying to manage this without a unified format.”
The manual approach was slow, and the documents it produced looked unprofessional, which put PrimeBuild's credibility with clients at risk and caused misunderstandings during project reviews.
The solution: a standardized AIA billing template
PrimeBuild implemented APARBooks, a construction-specific accounting platform. It introduced an auto-generated, standardized AIA billing form template that gave every project the same format. Key pieces included standardized templates, automatic form generation from project data, cloud-based access for collaboration, and integration with existing accounting and project management tools.
“Implementing APARBooks was straightforward, and their team provided excellent support throughout the process,” Johnson says. “Within a week, we had fully transitioned our billing system to the new platform.”
The results
- Preparation time down 75%. Preparing an AIA billing form went from about 4 hours to 1 hour.
- Errors minimized. Formatting discrepancies were virtually eliminated and data entry mistakes dropped, with error rates falling from 5% to under 0.5%.
- More capacity. The team handled a 30% increase in billing volume without adding staff and reallocated 20 hours a week of admin time to higher-value work.
Clients and partners regularly noted the improved clarity and professionalism of PrimeBuild's payment applications. “APARBooks has not only saved us time and reduced errors, but it's also given us a level of professionalism that sets us apart from our competitors,” Johnson concludes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is AIA billing in Excel error-prone?
Teams end up with a different version of the form for each project, so formats drift and formulas break. PrimeBuild Construction had formula errors and miscalculations that were hard to catch without a unified format.
How does APARBooks standardize AIA billing?
APARBooks auto-generates AIA billing forms from project data using one standardized template, so every project uses the same format. It's cloud-based and integrates with existing accounting and project management tools.
What results did PrimeBuild Construction see?
AIA form prep time dropped 75% (4 hours to 1), error rates fell from 5% to under 0.5%, and the team absorbed a 30% increase in billing volume without new hires.
Built for Contractors. Built for Construction Accounting.
APARBooks is purpose-built construction accounting software for general contractors and bookkeepers. Manage job costing, AIA progress billing, subcontractor payments, retainage, change orders, lien compliance, and WIP reporting in one place.
