What Procore does, what QuickBooks does
Procore is the project and contract system; QuickBooks is the accounting ledger. Subcontractor invoices touch both, which is why ownership of the approval step gets confused.
| Job | Procore | QuickBooks Online |
|---|---|---|
| Subcontract / commitment and its SOV | Yes — Commitments tool | No commitments; purchase orders only |
| Subcontractor submits invoice | Yes — Invoicing tool (subs bill against the SOV) | Bills entered or uploaded by AP |
| PM approval of percent complete | Yes — invoice review and approval workflows | No construction approval workflow |
| Retainage on sub invoices | Yes — set and release on subcontractor invoices | Recorded via accounts/items you set up |
| Lien waivers and payment holds | With Procore Pay | No |
| Payment | With Procore Pay | Yes — Pay bills, or your bank |
| General ledger, job cost reports, 1099s | Job costs read back from the ERP | Yes — system of record |
Where AP approval, lien waivers and retainage belong
Put the controls in the one place every subcontractor invoice passes through before it becomes a QuickBooks bill — and make payment impossible until the waiver is in.
- Approval needs the subcontract, SOV and prior billings in view. In Procore that is the Invoicing tool; in an AP tool it is the subcontract or PO record.
- Lien waivers must gate payment, not just be filed. If payment happens in QuickBooks, the gate has to be checked before the bill is paid — QuickBooks will not do it for you.
- Retainage should be calculated once, at approval, at the subcontract rate, and posted with the bill so the retainage payable balance in QuickBooks ties to the invoices that created it.
- Posting should carry job and cost code so QuickBooks job-cost reports stay right; Procore’s QuickBooks Online connector requires an accounting approver before sending records.
Your options today
There are four common set-ups; which is right depends on whether subs already bill in Procore and whether you license Procore Pay.
| Set-up | How it works | Good fit | Watch-outs |
|---|---|---|---|
| All in Procore | Subs bill in Procore Invoicing; PMs approve; Procore Pay pays and exchanges waivers; the Procore QuickBooks connector sends bills to QuickBooks | GCs already licensed for Procore financials and Pay, on QuickBooks Online Plus/Advanced or QuickBooks Desktop | QBO connector does not sync commitments or budgets; Procore Pay publishes a subcontractor fee (0.2% of commitment value, capped at $4,000) under its default model |
| Procore for projects, AP in QuickBooks | Invoices emailed to AP, keyed into QuickBooks as bills, approvals and waivers tracked by email or spreadsheet | Low volume, few subcontractors | Approval, waiver and retainage controls live in inboxes and spreadsheets; double entry |
| Procore + construction AP layer | Invoices captured and approved in a construction AP tool with waiver holds and retainage, then posted to QuickBooks; Procore stays the project system | Invoices arrive by email, or you do not use Procore Invoicing/Pay | Check how commitment data reaches the AP tool; many need it re-entered or imported until a Procore connection exists |
| Procore + middleware or Zapier | Marketplace connectors or automation tools move records between Procore and QuickBooks | Specific sync gaps (e.g. commitments, payments) | You still need a home for approval and waiver controls; see the integration options guide |
A subcontractor invoice workflow that works with both
Keep the contract in Procore, run approval and payment controls in one place, and post once to QuickBooks.
- 1
Step 1
Set up the subcontract (commitment) and its schedule of values in Procore, so field and PM teams work from one contract record. - 2
Step 2
Receive the subcontractor’s invoice — through Procore Invoicing if subs bill there, or by email into your AP process. - 3
Step 3
Have the project manager confirm percent complete against the schedule of values and approve the amount. - 4
Step 4
Calculate retainage at the subcontract rate and check that only approved change orders are billed. - 5
Step 5
Collect the conditional lien waiver for this payment (and unconditional for the last one) before releasing payment. - 6
Step 6
Post the approved bill — with job, cost code and retainage — to QuickBooks, and pay it from QuickBooks or your payment provider. - 7
Step 7
Send payment status back to the project team so Procore commitments show billed and paid to date.
Where Aequo Build fits
Aequo Build is the construction AP layer for QuickBooks Online: subcontractor invoices are captured, coded, approved, held for lien waivers and posted to QuickBooks with retainage. It does not connect to Procore today.
A Procore integration is in development. Until it ships, teams using Aequo Build alongside Procore keep commitments and project management in Procore and set up subcontracts and purchase orders in Aequo Build (or import them from QuickBooks) for invoice matching, retainage rates and waiver requirements.
Frequently asked questions
We use Procore and QuickBooks. Which one should approve subcontractor invoices?
Approval belongs wherever the project manager can see the subcontract, schedule of values and field progress — usually Procore if subs bill through Procore Invoicing, or a construction AP tool if invoices arrive by email. QuickBooks should receive the approved bill for posting and payment; it has no built-in subcontract, schedule-of-values or lien-waiver controls.
Does Procore send subcontractor invoices to QuickBooks?
Yes, with Procore’s own connectors. The QuickBooks Online connector sends subcontractor invoices to QuickBooks as vendor bills (Plus, Advanced or Intuit Enterprise Suite only) but does not sync commitments, prime contracts or budgets. The QuickBooks Desktop connector also exports commitments as purchase orders.
Do I need Procore Pay to process subcontractor invoices?
No. Procore Invoicing handles invoice submission and approval; Procore Pay adds payment disbursement, lien waiver exchange and payment holds. Procore notes that exporting payment records to QuickBooks Online is available to companies that license Procore Pay. Many contractors pay from QuickBooks or their bank instead.
Can QuickBooks Online handle lien waivers and retainage on its own?
Not as controls. QuickBooks Online records bills and payments; lien waiver tracking and payment holds happen outside it. Retainage on bills is typically recorded with a retainage payable account or line item, calculated by hand, unless a connected construction system calculates it.
Does Aequo Build integrate with Procore?
Not yet. A Procore integration is in development. Today, Aequo Build teams keep Procore for project management and commitments, process subcontractor invoices in Aequo Build (capture, approval, lien waivers, retainage) and post approved bills to QuickBooks Online through Aequo Build’s live QuickBooks Online integration.
Run subcontractor invoices, pay apps and retainage in one place
Aequo Build is construction accounts payable for contractors on QuickBooks Online: invoice capture, approvals, lien-waiver payment holds, invoice-linked retainage and an AIA-style billing register.
Related guides and tools
Sources
Checked on October 21, 2026. Vendor capabilities and prices change; confirm current details with each vendor.
- Procore Support — Invoicing — owner and subcontractor invoices, billing periods, retainage
- Procore — Invoice Management — invoice approval workflows
- Procore Support — Payments (Procore Pay) — for GCs and owner-builders; lien waivers, payment requirements, holds
- Procore Support — QuickBooks Online integration — what syncs and what does not; supported QBO editions
- Procore Support — QuickBooks Online: things to know — subcontractor invoices as vendor bills; accounting approver; daily job-cost sync
- Procore Support — About the QuickBooks Desktop connector — commitments as purchase orders; subcontractor invoices as bills
- Procore Support — Add a Subcontractor SOV to a commitment
- Procore Support — Procore Pay fee models
- Intuit QuickBooks Support — Enter bills and record bill payments in QuickBooks Online
- Intuit QuickBooks — Job costing