Overview
If you’re an independent contractor on Worksome, you can be hired on a milestone-based contract. Each milestone has its own name, due date, and amount, simplifying both project scope and payment requests.
Milestone contracts are issued as Statement of Work (SoW) contracts, so that is the terminology you will see on the contract you sign.
To be hired this way you need a business entity set up on your Worksome profile. If you can only work through payroll, your client will not be able to put you on a milestone contract.
Benefits for Contractors
Transparent Payment Stages – Get paid for each completed milestone.
Progress Clarity – Easily track which milestones are pending, submitted, or fully paid.
Organized Project Flow – Break a large project into manageable chunks.
1. Viewing Milestones
Open your Hire page
The Milestones section of the overview lists every milestone with its name, due date, and amount, along with a total.
You can also open the conversation with your client and click View milestones in the sidebar.
No Editing
You can view, but cannot edit, the milestones set by the client. If something looks wrong, message your client.
2. Requesting Payment
Step 1: Create a Payment Request
Go to Payment Requests, or click Request payment on your Hire page.
Enter Work Dates
Specify the billing period.
Milestone due dates won’t auto-fill, so always enter your actual work period.
Step 2: Select a Milestone
In the Milestone section, choose the milestone you are billing for. Selecting it fills in the milestone amount for you.
Every milestone on your contract appears in this list, including ones you have already billed. If you pick a milestone that already has a payment request pending or approved, you will see the error “The selected milestone already has a payment request” when you try to send it. If you are unsure, check the milestone’s status on the Hire page first.
Step 3: Send Payment Request
Submit the Request
Once submitted, the milestone status changes to orange, indicating it’s awaiting client approval.
Await Approval
After the client approves, the milestone updates to green, signifying it’s completed.
One Milestone → One Payment Request
You can’t submit another payment request for a milestone while the first one is pending or approved.
If your request is rejected or cancelled, that milestone is freed up and you can submit a new request for it.
3. Draft Payment Requests & Edits
Multiple drafts: You can have several draft payment requests for one milestone, but only one submitted request at a time.
If your client changes a milestone: if your client edits or deletes a milestone while you have a draft, the milestone is removed from that draft and the amount is cleared, so you will need to select it again. If they changed the name, amount, or due date, a new contract version is generated and you will need to sign it before you can bill against that milestone. You will be notified when there is a new contract waiting for your signature.
New milestones: your client can also add milestones after you have signed. They will appear on your Hire page once the new contract version is signed.
Need Help?
Chat: Use the chat button in your Worksome dashboard.
Email: hello@worksome.com
With milestone-based contracts, you have a clear structure for getting paid at every step of a project—giving you the confidence and clarity needed to focus on delivering great work.