Purpose Statement

Automatically generate an invoice with a flat fee when an inspection is completed. This automation eliminates manual invoice creation, ensures consistent billing, and applies fees based on configurable inspection criteria such as occupancy class, square footage, and inspection type.

Background Information

The Fee Schedule within the Invoicing module allows administrators to configure automated billing rules. When automation is enabled, First Due evaluates the configured criteria each time an inspection is completed. If all criteria are met, the system automatically creates and links an invoice to the inspection.

This feature is useful for agencies that charge standardized inspection fees based on occupancy classifications, building size, or specific inspection types.

Prerequisites:

• Access to the Invoicing module.
• A configured Fee Schedule line item.
• Inspection Types already created.
• Applicable occupancy classifications available.
• Users with permission to manage Fee Schedules.

Required Permissions

Users should have permissions that allow them to:

• Access the Invoicing module.
• Create and edit Fee Schedule line items.
• Configure Fee Schedule Criteria.
• View and manage Inspection records.
• View, edit, and delete invoices (if modifications are required after automation).

Note: Required permissions may vary by agency configuration.

Video

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Open the Fee Schedule

1. Navigate to Invoicing.
2. Select Fee Schedule.
3. Either:
   • Select Create Line Item to build a new fee
   • Edit an existing Fee Schedule line item or Duplicate and Edit and existing Fee

2. Configure the Fee Schedule

Complete the required fields including:

• Billing Category
• Type
• Line Item
• Unit
• Fee Type
• Fee

Under the automation settings:

• Set the Unit Type to Each.
• Enable Automation.
• Set the Associated Action to Completing an Inspection.
• Select Flat Fee.
• Enter the appropriate Fee.
• Optionally enter the Billing Code and General Ledger Code.

3. Configure Automation Criteria

Select the Criteria tab.

Build the conditions that determine when the fee is automatically applied.

For this example:

Criteria 1

• Field: Occupancy Class
• Operator: In
• Select all applicable occupancy classifications.

Available operators include:

• Equal To
• Not Equal To
• In
• Not In
• Null
• Is Not Null

Chose 5 different types of Occupancies (A1-A5)

Criteria 2

• Field: Total Area per Square Feet per Occupancy
• Operator: Greater Than or Equal To
• Value: 5,000

Criteria 3

• Field: Total Area per Square Feet per Occupancy
• Operator: Less Than or Equal To
• Value: 10,000

This limits the automation to occupancies between 5,000 and 10,000 square feet.

Criteria 4

• Field: Inspection Type
• Operator: Equal To
• Value: Large Commercial Construction (Inspection Type)

Only inspections using this Inspection Type will generate the fee.

4. Understand AND vs. OR Logic

When configuring multiple criteria:

• AND requires every condition to be true before the invoice is created.
• OR requires only one of the listed conditions to be true.

Choose the logic that matches your billing requirements.

5. Save the Fee Schedule

After configuring all criteria:

1. Select Save.
2. Exit the Fee Schedule.

6. Complete an Inspection

Complete an inspection that matches the configured criteria.

After the inspection is completed, navigate to the Invoices section of the inspection record.

The invoice is created automatically and linked to the inspection.

7. Review the Automatically Created Invoice

Within the inspection's Invoices section you can:

• View the automatically generated invoice.
• Edit the invoice.
• Delete the invoice.
• Unlink the invoice from the inspection.
• Change the invoice form.

Expand the invoice details using the + icon to review the automated fee that was added. The + sign turns to a - sign once the invoice details / line item area is opened.

Best Practices

• Use descriptive Fee Schedule names so automated fees are easy to identify.
• Test new automation rules before deploying them in production.
• Use AND logic when every condition must be satisfied.
• Carefully define square footage ranges to prevent overlapping fee schedules.
• Create separate Fee Schedule line items for different square footage ranges when charging different amounts.
• Limit automation to the appropriate Inspection Types to prevent unintended invoices.
• Always save Fee Schedule changes before testing.

Troubleshooting & FAQs

The invoice was not created automatically.

Verify that automation is enabled, the Associated Action is set to Completing an Inspection, and all configured criteria were satisfied.

The fee was applied to the wrong inspection.

Review the configured criteria, especially the Inspection Type, Occupancy Class, and square footage ranges.

Can I create multiple automatic fees for different building sizes?

Yes. Create additional Fee Schedule line items with different square footage ranges and fee amounts.

What is the difference between AND and OR criteria?

AND requires every configured condition to be true. OR requires only one configured condition to be true.

Can I modify the invoice after it is created?

Yes. Automatically generated invoices can still be viewed, edited, deleted, unlinked, or have their invoice form changed if your permissions allow.