Contractor invoice template for trade jobs

One page the customer can read in the driveway and pay the same week. Copy it, or download it for Word or a spreadsheet.

3 min read

The short answer

A good contractor invoice template matches the estimate the customer said yes to. It has your details, the job address, an invoice number, the work and materials line by line, any approved changes, what's already paid, the balance, the due date and how to pay. Below is one to copy, plus a Word file and a spreadsheet.

On this page

A contractor invoice template you can copy
Contractor invoice example for a finished job
Construction invoice template for bigger jobs
Plumbing and handyman invoice templates
Free contractor invoice template, ready to edit
Sending it the day the job ends

A contractor invoice template you can copy

Keep it to one page and use the same words you used on the estimate. When the invoice and the estimate match, the customer has nothing to ask about, and the check goes out sooner.

Invoice

From: [Your business name], [phone], [license number if your state needs one]
Bill to: [Customer name], [mailing address if it's not the job]
Job address: [Where you did the work]
Invoice number: [1001]
Date: [The day the job ended]
Due: [Due date]

Item	Qty	Amount
[Labor: what the crew did]	[hours]	[amount]
[Material or part]	[qty]	[amount]
[Approved change: what was added, and when they said yes]	1	[amount]
Deposit already paid		[amount]
Balance due		[balance]

This invoice is for the work on estimate [number], dated [date].

How to pay: [check, card, bank transfer or your payment link]. Due by [date].

Questions about this invoice? Call or text [your name] at [phone].

Contractor invoice example for a finished job

Here is how the lines read on a small plumbing repair, with the amounts left for you. Notice the extra work is its own line, with the day the customer said yes. That one line heads off most of the calls that start with "I didn't ask for that."

Invoice 1048

From: Linden Plumbing, Rosa
Bill to: Pat Morales, 22 Elm St
Date: [The day the job ended]
Due: [14 days later]

Item	Qty	Amount
Replace kitchen faucet and both shut-off valves	1	[amount]
Faucet, valves and supply lines	1	[amount]
Added: clear the bathroom sink drain (approved by text, Tuesday)	1	[amount]
Balance due		[balance]

Construction invoice template for bigger jobs

On a job that runs for weeks, you bill in parts. Use the same layout every time so the customer can see where the job stands without calling you.

Phase or draw. Name the part of the job this invoice covers, like framing or rough-in.
Progress so far. What's billed to date and what's left on the contract.
Change orders. Each approved change on its own line, with its number and date.
Retainage. If the contract holds some back until the end, show it every time.

Plumbing and handyman invoice templates

Small jobs need fewer lines, not a different invoice. Most of the time it's one line of labor, one line of parts and a total. The part that slips is the extra thing you fixed while you were there. Write it down before you leave the driveway, or it never makes the bill.

"Misc. work" with no detail
Parts with no description
A total that doesn't match the estimate, with no reason given

Free contractor invoice template, ready to edit

Same template, ready to fill in. The Word file opens in Word and Google Docs. The spreadsheet opens in Excel and Google Sheets and adds up the lines for you.

Word file Spreadsheet

Fill in your name, phone and payment details once and save that copy. Number your invoices in order, so you can tell at a glance if one is missing.

Sending it the day the job ends

The best day to send an invoice is the day the work is done, while the customer is still glad it's fixed. The jobs that go unbilled are the small ones and the extras. Check today's finished jobs against today's invoices before you call it a night, or have the list checked for you and a draft waiting for your price.

By hand6 steps

Dig out today's job notes
Find the estimate for each job
Copy the lines into an invoice
Add the extra work from memory
Save it as a PDF
Email it to the customer

For every finished job, usually after dinner.

Set up onceWaiting on you

The Elm St job is done and has no invoice yet. Here's a draft from your notes.

Invoice 1048 for Pat Morales, 22 Elm St: the kitchen faucet and both shut-offs, plus the bathroom drain Pat OK'd on Tuesday. Your amount on each line, then it's ready to send.

Finished jobs checked against invoices every day. You price it and send it.

See the overdue invoices job →

NextReminders ready for every late invoiceSee how the overdue invoices job keeps it friendly first and firmer later.

Questions about contractor invoice templates

Something else on your mind? Ask us on the fit call. No pitch, and we'll say if it isn't a fit.

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Your business name, contact details and any license number your state requires; the customer and job address; an invoice number and date; a plain description of the work with line items and materials; approved change orders; the total; payment terms; the due date; and how to pay.

A header with your business details, a customer and job block, then a table of work and materials, often broken into phases or milestones, approved changes listed separately, any deposit already paid, the balance due and the due date. It should match the estimate the customer signed.

In the US, rules vary by state and trade. Most invoices need the seller's name and contact details, a date, a description of the work, the amount due, and any sales tax your state requires. Some states require a contractor license number. Check with your accountant for your state.

People usually mean a standard invoice for finished work, a progress invoice for part of a bigger job, and a final invoice that closes the job out. Contractors also send deposit invoices up front. Use the same layout for all so customers know what they're looking at.

Check finished jobs against invoices sent at the end of every day. Small jobs and extra work on site slip most often. In a Commonhouse setup, AI drafts the missing invoices from the day's notes and a person on your team checks and sends each one.

Bill it the day it's done.