Posting Vendor Bills and Maintenance Charges SOP
Every repair or maintenance job must have a corresponding vendor bill posted in Buildium before the monthly close. This ensures owner statements accurately reflect all charges and that reconciliation is clean.
Systems involved: Buildium, Google Drive (vendor W-9s), Slack (#chat-ai-accounting)
When to Post a Bill
Post vendor bills as soon as an invoice is received — ideally within 2 business days of the vendor completing the job. Do not wait until month-end. All bills for a given month must be posted before the disbursement run (by the 5th).
How to Post a Vendor Bill in Buildium
Go to Accounting → Vendor Bills → New Bill
Select the vendor from the dropdown (must be in Buildium's vendor list)
Select the property the work was performed at
Enter the bill date (date on the invoice, not today's date)
Enter the due date (per the vendor's payment terms)
In the line items, select the appropriate GL account (e.g., Repairs & Maintenance, Plumbing, HVAC)
Enter the amount and a clear description of the work performed
Link the bill to the work order if applicable (this connects the charge to the maintenance history)
Attach the vendor invoice PDF to the bill record
Save the bill
Paying the Bill
After posting, the bill will appear in Accounting → Vendor Bills → Unpaid. To pay:
Select the bill(s) to pay
Choose the payment account (PPM operating account)
Select the payment method (check, ACH, or credit card)
Confirm and post the payment
Payment terms vary by vendor. Most vendors are net-15 or net-30. Do not pay invoices without a corresponding bill posted in Buildium first.
GL Account Reference
Use consistent GL accounts for all maintenance charges. The full GL account map is maintained in Supabase (gl_account_map table, 67 accounts with recon_role tags). Key maintenance accounts:
Repairs & Maintenance — general repairs
Plumbing — plumbing-specific repairs
Electrical — electrical repairs
HVAC — heating and cooling repairs
Landscaping / Grounds — exterior maintenance
Cleaning / Turnover — unit turnover between tenants
Capital Improvements — major improvements (depreciated; check with Dan)
If you are unsure which GL account to use, post to #chat-ai-accounting in Slack and the CFO Agent will advise.
Common Errors to Avoid
Posting to the wrong property — always double-check before saving
Using today's date instead of the invoice date — this affects monthly reporting
Not attaching the invoice — invoices must be on file for owner audit and 1099 purposes
Posting a bill without a work order link — link whenever a WO exists
Using "Other" as the GL account — always select the most specific account available