# How to check subcontractor rates against the agreed schedule of rates

Get the signed schedule of rates. Match each invoice line to a rate item. Compare the unit rate to the cent and check the quantity. Hold anything that differs. Pulsify checks unit rates against a CSV.

## Short answer

1. Get the signed schedule of rates.
2. Match each invoice line to a rate item.
3. Check the unit rate and the quantity.
4. Hold any line that is above the schedule.

## Before you start

You need:

- The subcontract and its schedule of rates.
- The subcontractor's invoice or progress claim.
- A person who knows what was done on site.

A schedule of rates fixes the price of each unit of work. The subcontractor's total goes up and down with the quantity. So there are two checks: is the rate right and is the quantity right? This guide covers the rate. The quantity needs someone who was on site.

## The manual way in Xero

1. Put the schedule in a spreadsheet: item, description, unit and rate ex GST.
2. Go to Business > Bills to pay and open the draft bill.
3. Match each line to a rate item.
4. Compare the unit rate. If the rate is higher, mark it.
5. Compare the quantity with the site record or the progress claim.
6. If anything is off, leave the bill in draft and ask for a corrected claim.

Xero cannot hold a schedule of rates and does not compare lines to one.

## The manual way in MYOB

Open the bill in MYOB and compare each line to your schedule sheet. MYOB does not compare lines to a schedule of rates.

## The Pulsify way

A schedule of rates is a list of items with a unit price. That is what a Pulsify price list holds.

1. Put the schedule in a CSV with Item code, Description and Unit price ex GST. Download template shows the format.
2. Click Database in the sidebar and open the Price Lists tab.
3. Click Upload price list. Choose the subcontractor and the CSV. Match the three columns and save.
4. Open the subcontractor's invoice. A line at a different rate shows "Price list: $X each". A line that is not on the schedule shows "Not in price list".

The subcontractor must be a supplier contact synced from Xero or MYOB. Pulsify matches on the rate item code first and then on the exact description, so ask the subcontractor to put the item code on each line. It checks the unit price only, not the quantity.

## Worked example

Example Concreting Pty Ltd has these rates, ex GST:

| Item code | Work | Rate |
| --- | --- | --- |
| C-01 | Slab pour, per m2 | $96.00 |
| C-02 | Formwork, per lm | $38.50 |
| C-03 | Labourer, per hour | $62.00 |

The invoice shows 120 m2 of slab at $96.00, 80 lm of formwork at $41.00 and 16 hours labour at $62.00. Two lines match. Formwork is $2.50 over. For 80 lm the difference is $200.00 ex GST. Hold the line and ask why.

## Common mistakes

- Checking only the invoice total against the subcontract sum. Check the rate on each line.
- Accepting day-work rates that are not on the schedule. Ask for the agreed day-work rate.
- Missing variations. If a variation has its own rates, add them to the schedule.

## Next step

[Book a call to find out how customers have saved hours per week after switching.](/contact/) Read the [price lists guide](/guides/price-lists/) for the upload steps.

## Common questions

### What is a schedule of rates?

A list of agreed unit rates for work items, such as dollars per square metre or per hour. The subcontractor bills the quantity done at those rates. It fixes the price per unit, not the total.

### Does a rate check prove the work was done?

No. A rate check proves the price per unit is right. You still need to check the quantity against the work done. See how to verify a progress claim.

### Can Pulsify check quantities done on site?

No. Pulsify checks the unit price on each line against the list you upload. It does not know how much work was done on site, so check quantities yourself.

Source: https://www.pulsify.tech/how-to/check-subcontractor-rates-against-the-agreed-schedule-of-rates/ (last checked 2026-10-19)