Retainer work turns prepaid capacity into billable records. Everhour supports weekly approval and billing review before client invoices go out.
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A retainer client usually pays before the work is fully known, either as one advance payment or as a recurring monthly amount. Your job is to connect later services to that prepaid balance. A usable time record names the client, project or matter, task, date, person, billable status, and the agreement or budget the entry belongs to.
Retainer tracking also separates billable client work from non-billable coordination. A strategist drafting campaign assets, a bookkeeper reconciling client transactions, and a lawyer reviewing a matter all need records that show which hours consumed the retainer. That detail supports the invoice, the drawdown, and any request to replenish an evergreen retainer after billed work reduces the balance.
The agreement controls the tracking setup. A fixed-fee retainer needs records that show effort against the included scope, even when the client does not see every hour as a separate charge. An hourly retainer needs entries tied to rates, billable status, and the balance available for earned fees. Mixed arrangements need both views kept distinct.
A common workflow is simple: perform the service, bill the client periodically, then draw down the retainer to cover earned fees. The time entry should identify the work clearly enough for the reviewer to decide whether it belongs inside the retainer, outside the retainer, or outside billing entirely. Legal teams may record billable time in six-minute intervals, but that convention is profession-specific rather than universal.
The biggest mistake is treating a retainer as a flat monthly label instead of a balance tied to work performed. That hides over-service, weakens replenishment requests, and makes utilization reports less useful. Track internal planning, client communication, delivery work, and corrections in separate categories when those categories change billing treatment or management review.
Utilization also needs a clear denominator. Professional services firms often calculate utilization as billable hours divided by total recorded hours for the period. Some teams use billable hours divided by fixed capacity, such as a 40-hour week, and that rate can exceed 100% when billable work exceeds the capacity denominator. Pick one method and keep non-billable time visible.
A free, one-off tracker is enough for a solo professional reconciling one client balance at the end of the week. It should produce a clean list of entries by client, project, task, billable status, rate, and notes. That output can support a straightforward invoice or a quick retainer status email.
A managed workflow becomes necessary when several people work against the same retainer, approvals matter, or billing needs a record of review. Everhour Timesheets collect weekly project hours and working hours by person, then let managers approve, reject, partially approve, and lock submitted entries before billing review. That gives retainer work a durable approval trail instead of a loose spreadsheet.
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A retainer time entry should include the client, project or matter, task, person, date, time spent, billable status, rate when billing is hourly, and a short work description. Add the retainer category or budget when the client has several active scopes. The goal is a record that supports the invoice, the drawdown, and the next replenishment request.
A retainer usually starts with advance payment for future professional work. Standard hourly billing often charges after the work is done. Retainer billing still needs time records because the professional earns fees through later services, bills the client periodically, and draws against the prepaid amount when the agreement uses that workflow.
Yes, non-billable time should be tracked when it affects staffing, scope, or utilization. Billable hours show what can be charged to the client. Non-billable hours show the hidden cost of account management, internal revisions, training, and coordination. Without both categories, retainer profitability and utilization reporting become incomplete.
Yes, a monthly retainer can be consumed before the month ends when billed work exceeds the prepaid amount or included scope. An evergreen retainer can require replenishment after the professional draws against it for billed work. Clear time records show the date, task, person, and amount of work that caused the drawdown.
No federal rule requires a specific timekeeping app. The FLSA requires covered employers to keep accurate records for non-exempt workers, including hours worked each workday and total hours worked each workweek. Covered non-exempt employees must receive overtime pay for hours worked over 40 in a fixed 168-hour workweek, unless an exemption applies.
Everhour Timesheets collect weekly project hours and working hours by person, then route submitted time to managers for approval, rejection, or partial approval. Submitted and approved time can be locked, which gives billing reviewers a cleaner record before retainer drawdowns and client invoices are finalized.
Everhour Reporting turns logged time, budgets, costs, and project data into reports filtered by client, project, member, billable time, invoice status, and budget metrics. Retainer managers can export reports in CSV, Excel/XLSX, or PDF for client review, internal margin checks, or invoice backup.
Track approved client hours before they reach invoices. Everhour Timesheets give retainer teams weekly review, approval, rejection, partial approval, and locked entries for cleaner billing decisions.
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