- An invoice needs your business details, the customer, a number and date, each line with quantity and price, tax, the total and how to pay.
- Send it the day the job is done. Invoices sent later get paid later.
- Put your payment terms in writing on every invoice: when it is due and how you take payment.
How to use this invoice template
Fill in the form from the top. The invoice under the form updates as you type, and the green card shows the total due.
- Your business. Name, address, phone and email, plus your license number if your trade has one. These are kept in your browser, so next time they are already filled in, on the estimate generator too.
- Customer and job. Who you are billing, the job address and a short job name, such as "Water heater swap".
- Number and dates. Invoice numbers should go up and never repeat. The due date fills in 15 days out; change it to your terms.
- Line items. One line per thing you charge for: labor hours, each material, a trip charge, a disposal fee. Quantity times price makes the amount.
- Tax, discount and deposit. Add the sales tax rate if it applies, a discount in dollars if you gave one, and any deposit already paid so the invoice shows the balance due.
- Print or save as PDF. The button opens your browser's print window. Choose "Save as PDF" as the printer to get a file you can email or text.
Nothing you type is sent to Koira or anyone else. The draft is saved in this browser so a refresh does not lose it; "Start a new one" clears the job and keeps your business details.
What a contractor invoice should include
An invoice is a request for payment and a record for both of you. It is also what you will point to if a customer disputes a charge. A complete one has:
| Part | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Your business name, address, phone, email | So the customer knows who to pay and how to reach you |
| License number (where your trade is licensed) | Shows the customer you are licensed for the work |
| Invoice number | A unique number for your books and for matching payments |
| Invoice date and due date | Starts the clock on your payment terms |
| Customer name and job address | Ties the bill to the job, important for liens and disputes |
| Line items with quantity, price and amount | Shows what they are paying for; fewer "what is this charge" calls |
| Subtotal, tax, discount, total | The math, shown, so nobody has to redo it |
| Deposit paid and balance due | Credits what they already paid |
| Payment terms and methods | When it is due and how you take payment |
Keep a copy of every invoice you send. The IRS recordkeeping guide says to keep records as long as you need them to prove the income or deductions on a tax return.
How to write line items customers do not question
Most invoice disputes start with a line the customer does not understand. A few habits stop most of them:
- Name the work, not the code. "Replace 40 gal gas water heater, haul away old unit" beats "WH-40G install".
- Split labor and materials when the customer expects it, such as on time-and-materials jobs. On flat-price jobs, one line per task is cleaner.
- Show trip and disposal fees as their own lines. They are easier to accept when they are named than when they are buried.
- Match the estimate. If you sent an estimate, use the same line names, and add any change orders as their own lines with a note on when the customer approved them.
Whether you charge sales tax on labor, materials or both depends on your state and sometimes your city and trade. Check your state's revenue department; if in doubt, ask your accountant once and set the rate here.
Invoice line items by trade
The template works for any trade. What changes is the lines. A few patterns that keep invoices clear:
| Trade | Typical lines |
|---|---|
| Plumbing | Trip or service call fee, labor (hours or flat rate per task), each part or fixture, disposal of the old unit, permit fee |
| HVAC | Diagnostic fee, labor, parts (capacitor, motor, refrigerant by the pound), maintenance plan visit, permit |
| Electrical | Service call, labor, each device or fixture, panel or breaker parts, permit and inspection fee |
| House cleaning | Standard clean, deep clean or move-out clean as one line, then add-ons: inside oven, inside fridge, windows |
| Lawn care | Monthly service (number of visits), extras such as aeration, leaf cleanup or mulch by the yard |
| Roofing | Tear-off and replace by the square, underlayment, flashing, vents, dumpster, any decking replaced by the sheet |
| Painting | Each room or area as a line, or labor plus paint by the gallon, with prep and repairs as their own lines |
| Handyman | Hourly labor with a minimum, materials at cost or with a markup, trip charge |
On larger jobs, bill in stages: a deposit, a progress payment when a milestone is done, and the balance at the end. Each stage is its own invoice with its own number, and the final one shows what was already paid.
Payment terms that get you paid faster
Terms are the line customers read last and remember first. Pick terms you will enforce, and write them on every invoice.
| Terms | What it means | Fits |
|---|---|---|
| Due on receipt | Payment when the invoice is handed over | Service calls and small jobs |
| Net 15 | Due within 15 days of the invoice date | Homeowners on larger jobs |
| Net 30 | Due within 30 days | Property managers and commercial work |
| Deposit plus balance on completion | Part up front, the rest when done | Projects and installs |
The fastest-paid invoices are the ones the customer can pay from their phone the moment they get them. Paper and PDF invoices work, but every extra step (find the checkbook, look up the address, write the check) adds days.
When a printable invoice is not enough
A printed or PDF invoice is fine for a few jobs a month. As the jobs add up, the work around the invoice takes the time: chasing late payers, matching payments, remembering who still owes you.
Koira's free Office plan sends the same invoice by text and email with a pay button for card or bank, sends polite reminders when it goes past due, and marks it paid on its own. See how invoices work in Koira, or start free with the button in the green card above.
Pricing the job first? Use the estimate generator, and the profit margin calculator to check the price leaves you a margin.
Last checked October 8, 2026.