Overview
Invoice Line Items give you flexibility to create custom invoices by adding individual line items from your price list to invoice groups. You can control the cost, margin, price, quantity, and subtotal for each line item, allowing you to build invoices that match your exact billing needs.
This feature works alongside the existing standard invoice groups created from signed quotes, so you can continue using your current workflow while also having the option to create detailed, itemized invoices when needed.
Purpose
This article helps you:
Understand the difference between Standard Groups and Line Items Groups
Learn how to add line items to invoices from your price list
Control cost, margin, price, and quantity for each line item
Set default invoice margins for price list items
Switch between Standard and Line Items group types
Organize line items with section headers and descriptions
Understand invoice line item permissions
Manage cost line items created when invoices are sent
Enabling Invoice Line Items
Before you can use Invoice Line Items, you need to enable this feature in your Company Settings.
Click the hamburger menu (☰) in the top-left corner.
Select Company Settings.
Scroll down to New Features in the left side menu.
On the right, find Invoice Line Items in the features list.
Click the Enable button.
Once enabled, you can create Line Items Groups in your invoices and control cost, margin, price, and quantity for individual line items.
Important: To manage which team members can access and edit invoice line items, configure your Permission Profiles under the Billing Access section. You can define view and edit access for each field (cost, margin, price) per user role.
How to Access
After enabling the feature, you can access it following these steps:
Navigate to a project you want to create an invoice for and click on it
On the top right, click on the Billing tab
Below it, select the Invoices sub-tab
From there, you can:
Create a new invoice by clicking on the “New Invoice” grey button
Edit an existing invoice by clicking on the pencil icon
Setting Default Invoice Margins in Price List
Before creating invoices with line items, you can set default margins for items in your price list.
Go to Company Settings.
Select Price List.
Find the item you want to configure.
Click the Default Invoice Margin icon (third icon from the right). When this icon is blue, it means a default margin has been set for that item.
In the popup, enter your desired margin percentage.
The system automatically calculates the price based on the cost and margin you set.
vice versa, you can edit the price, which would auto-calculate the margin.
Important notes about default margins:
Changing default margins in Company Settings does not affect existing invoice line items in already created invoices.
Default margins only apply to new line items you add going forward.
You can override these defaults when building individual invoices.
Creating Invoices from Signed Quotes
The traditional invoicing workflow remains unchanged. When you have a signed quote, you can still create invoices (Deposit, Progress, Balance) as you always have. The invoice will pull the quote details into a standard group.
Understanding Invoice Group Types
ProLine now supports two types of invoice groups:
Standard Groups:
Editable group name
Editable total amount
Single description field
Can sync with signed quotes
Line Items Groups:
Editable group name and description
Total amount is NOT editable (it calculates automatically from line items)
Individual line items with quantities, costs, margins, and prices
Subtotal updates automatically based on line items in the group
Adding a Line Items Group
In the invoice editor, click Add Group.
Select Line Items Group.
Enter a group name and optional description.
Click Add Line Item to search and select items from your price list.
For each line item, you can adjust:
Quantity
Cost
Margin percentage
Price (editing margin updates price, and vice versa)
The group subtotal updates automatically as you add or modify line items.
Switching Between Group Types
You can convert between Standard and Line Items groups:
Click the group type toggle button (shows current type).
A confirmation dialog appears because this action has consequences.
When switching from Line Items to Standard:
The current total amount is preserved.
The amount becomes manually editable.
Line items are hidden but not deleted.
You can sync back to the signed quote if applicable.
When switching from Standard to Line Items:
The amount becomes calculated (not editable).
You can add line items.
Previous line items are restored if they existed before.
Working with Line Items
Adding Line Items:
Search for items from your price list.
Default margins from Company Settings populate automatically if set.
Adjust quantity, cost, margin, or price as needed for this specific invoice.
Editing Margins and Prices:
Changes made in the invoice do NOT affect Company Settings defaults.
Editing margin automatically updates price.
Editing price automatically recalculates margin.
Cost remains fixed based on the price list item.
Dragging and Dropping:
You can drag line items between groups.
Subtotals recalculate automatically when items move.
This helps organize your invoice presentation.
Section Headers:
You can add section headers within line item groups, just like in quotes.
These help organize the invoice visually for customers.
Permissions for Invoice Line Items
ProLine includes granular permissions under Billing Access (previously under Project Access):
See Cost and Margin: User can view cost and margin values.
Edit Cost: User can modify the cost value (field will be grayed out if permission not granted).
Edit Margin and Price: User can adjust margin percentage or price (fields grayed out if permission not granted).
If a user does not have "See Cost and Margin" permission, they can still see and edit the price if they have "Edit Margin and Price" permission, but the cost and calculated margin will be hidden.
Sending Invoices and Cost Line Items
When you send or mark an invoice as Sent for the first time, ProLine creates cost line items in the Budget tab for tracking purposes.
Critical behavior:
Cost line items are ONLY created the first time an invoice is sent.
If you reset the invoice, edit it, and send it again, cost line items do NOT recalculate.
This is intentional to preserve any manual adjustments you may have made to costs.
A warning message will appear if you attempt to resend an invoice to remind you that cost line items will not update.
Use Cases and References
Change Orders Without New Quotes
You need to bill a customer for additional work with items that have different profit margins. Instead of creating a new quote, create a standalone invoice with a Line Items group. Add the specific items needed, assign appropriate margins to each, and send the invoice.
Custom Billing for Unique Projects
A project requires billing for specialized items where your standard universal margin doesn't apply. Use Line Items groups to set specific margins per item within the same invoice, giving you precise control over profitability.
Progress Billing with Detailed Breakdowns
You want to provide customers with itemized progress invoices showing exactly what work is being billed. Create a Line Items group that lists individual tasks or materials with quantities and prices, giving customers transparency.
Mixed Billing Scenarios
Combine Standard groups (for quote-based amounts) with Line Items groups (for additional custom charges) in the same invoice. This allows you to bill the original contract amount plus change order items in one professional document.
Related Resources:
If you want to learn more about invoice types and running balance invoicing, check out our guide: Managing a Project: Billing - Running Balance Invoices
Other Related Guides:
Guidelines and Best Practices
Plan Your Cost Categories:
If you use Invoice Line Items for change orders or additional work, consider using different cost categories in the Budget tab. This helps you track where additional costs and revenue are coming from.
Set Default Margins Strategically:
Take time to configure default invoice margins in your price list for commonly used items. This speeds up invoice creation and ensures consistency.
Understand Contract Value Implications:
Invoice Line Items do not change the contract value shown in the Budget tab. The contract value reflects signed quotes only. When you add line items to invoices, your actual revenue may exceed the contract value, which affects gross profit margin calculations. Be aware of this when analyzing project profitability.
Use Standard Groups for Quote-Based Billing:
When creating invoices directly from signed quotes, the Standard group maintains the connection to the quote. Only switch to Line Items groups when you need item-level margin control.
Be Cautious When Switching Group Types:
Switching from Standard to Line Items breaks the automatic sync with your signed quote. Only make this switch if you genuinely need item-level customization. If you need to go back, you can switch back to Standard and re-sync.
Standalone vs. Running Balance:
Invoice Line Items work with both standalone and running balance invoicing approaches. For change orders, standalone invoices are often clearer since they represent one-time additional charges rather than part of the original project payment schedule.
Document Changes in Descriptions:
When adding line items for change orders or additional work, use the group description field to explain what the charges are for. This provides context for both your team and the customer.
Check Permissions Before Rolling Out:
Review and configure billing permissions for your team members based on their roles. Not everyone needs to see costs and margins, and limiting who can edit these values prevents accidental changes.
Review Before Sending:
Always preview invoices before sending them. The invoice design shows customers the line items, prices, and totals clearly. Confirm everything looks correct and professional.
Understand Resending Behavior:
Remember that cost line items only generate when an invoice is sent the first time. If you need to make changes after sending, understand that the budget tracking will not automatically update. You may need to adjust cost line items manually if necessary.
Summary
Invoice Line Items gives you powerful flexibility to create custom invoices with item-level margin control. This feature is designed for scenarios like change orders where different items require different profitability targets. While the feature adds complexity to invoicing, it solves real business challenges for companies that need precise billing control. Use Standard groups for quote-based billing and Line Items groups when you need customization. Always be mindful of how invoice line items interact with contract values and budget tracking, and configure appropriate permissions for your team members.
Need Help?
If you encounter difficulties or have further questions, contact our support team at support@proline.app or through the chat in the lower corner of your screen. We're here to help you with any issues or concerns.