To check a vendor invoice against the contract and the work done, compare three sources line by line: what the job was supposed to deliver, what the person on site saw delivered, and what the vendor billed. Procurement teams know this as a three-way match. In facility services it is rarely done, because the planned scope lives in an email, the confirmation of the work lives in someone's memory, and the invoice goes straight to accounts payable.
This guide shows how to check a vendor invoice against the contract in practice, the five mismatches that matter, and what to do when you find one.
Why invoices for facility work slip through
Accounts payable checks that an invoice is arithmetically correct, matches a vendor on file, and fits a budget. It cannot check whether the boiler was actually tuned, because nobody in accounting was there. The facility team knows whether the work was done but rarely sees the invoice. The contract, which says what is included and at what rate, sits with procurement.
Each team holds one of the three sources and nobody holds all three, which is why invoice reconciliation for service work needs the facility team in the loop.
The three sources to compare
| Source | Where it comes from | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Planned scope | The contract's included services checked for this job, and the job description split into items | "Duct cleaning, furnace maintenance, boiler tuning" |
| Reported work | The person who saw the work confirms which items were done and adds anything unplanned | "Duct cleaning and furnace done; boiler not touched; also unclogged a drain" |
| Billed work | The line items on the vendor's invoice | "Duct cleaning, furnace maintenance, boiler tuning, drain service" |
Splitting the scope into items is what makes the comparison possible. "Fix plumbing on the main floor" cannot be checked against an invoice; "replace faucet in room 17" and "fix toilet leak on main floor" can.
The five mismatches to check a vendor invoice against the contract
- Billed but not done. An item appears on the invoice but the site did not report it as done. Hold that line and ask the vendor.
- Unscoped charge. An invoice line matches nothing planned and nothing reported. It may be legitimate extra work nobody recorded, or it may not.
- Price mismatch. The contract states a rate for the item, or includes it at no charge, and the invoice shows a different amount. Either direction is worth a look; only an overcharge is money to hold.
- Covered work billed as extra. The job was covered by the contract, see our guide on the service contract coverage check, but the vendor billed it as a separate call-out.
- Done but not billed. The work was reported as done and nothing is on the invoice yet. Not an error, but expect it on a later invoice and do not let it be billed twice.
Mismatch 1 has a twin: an item planned, not done, and not billed. The invoice is correct, but the work is still owed. If the item is under contract, recall the vendor; if not, reassign it.
What to do with a mismatch
Flag it, hold the disputed amount, and send the vendor a specific question: which line, what the site reported, and what the contract says. Most mismatches are honest mistakes and get resolved with a corrected invoice or a credit. Record the outcome either way. A vendor whose invoices need correcting every month is a renewal conversation, and our article on how to handle a vendor performance issue covers how to raise it with evidence.
What the check should not do is approve or pay. Payment approval belongs in accounting, with its own controls. The facility-side check feeds it a clear answer: these lines are confirmed, this amount is on hold, here is why.
How Evalystar checks invoices
Evalystar is vendor management software for facilities and procurement teams. When a job is created, its planned scope is recorded as items, from the contract services checked for the job and from the job description. When the person on site rates the job, they tick the items that were done and can add unplanned work. When the invoice is attached to the job, Evalystar matches its lines to those items and flags the mismatches above, including prices that differ from a rate the contract states, with the amount to hold. It does not raise purchase orders, approve invoices, or make payments.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I check a contractor invoice against the contract?
Compare each invoice line with the contract's included services and stated rates, and with the work the site confirmed as done; flag any line billed but not done, any charge outside the planned scope, and any price that differs from the contract rate.
What is a three-way match for facility services?
A three-way match for facility services compares the planned scope of a job, the work the site reports as done, and the lines on the vendor's invoice, the service equivalent of matching a purchase order, a goods receipt, and an invoice.
What should I do if a vendor bills for work that was not done?
Hold that line, not the whole invoice, and send the vendor the specific item, what the site reported, and what the contract says; record the outcome so repeated errors are visible at renewal.
Who should check facility invoices: accounting or the facility team?
Both, for different things: the facility team confirms the work was done and matches the scope, and accounting approves and pays; neither can do the other's check alone.
Can software approve or pay vendor invoices automatically?
Some procure-to-pay suites can, but a facility-side invoice check should flag mismatches and hold disputed amounts, and leave approval and payment to the accounting system.