The fastest way to get paid slower is a vague invoice. If a client has to call you to figure out what they're paying for, the check waits until they do. A clear invoice answers every question before the client asks it.
Below is a free contractor invoice template you can download, what every construction invoice should include, and a few habits that get you paid faster.
Free download: contractor invoice template
A one-page invoice for contractors, remodelers, and trades: client and job site details, invoice number and due date, line items with quantity, unit, and rate, sales tax, deposits already paid, balance due, and payment instructions.
What to include on a contractor invoice
- Your business details. Company name, address, phone, email, and your license number if your state requires it on paperwork.
- Who you're billing and where. The client's name and the job site address. On a homeowner job these are often the same; on a property manager's job they usually aren't.
- An invoice number. Number every invoice in order (1001, 1002, 1003). It's how you and the client refer to it, and it keeps your books straight at tax time.
- Invoice date and due date. "Due on receipt" is fine, but an actual date is clearer. If your terms are 15 days, write the date 15 days out.
- Line items. What you did, how much of it, and the price. "Install 42 sq ft subway tile backsplash, including grout and sealing" beats "Tile work."
- Totals. Subtotal, sales tax if it applies to your work in your state, the invoice total, any deposit or earlier payment, and the balance due.
- How to pay. Who checks are payable to, your Zelle or ACH details, and whether you take cards. Every extra step between "I should pay this" and "paid" costs you days.
Habits that get contractors paid faster
- Invoice the day the work is done. The client is happiest right after the job wraps up. Two weeks later, they've moved on.
- Show what was already paid. Listing the deposit and the balance due prevents the "didn't I already pay you?" email.
- Match the estimate. Use the same line items and names the client approved. If something changed, it should already be on a signed change order, not a surprise on the invoice.
- Bill big jobs in stages. On a multi-week project, a progress billing schedule keeps cash coming in instead of financing the whole job yourself.
- Follow up on a schedule. A friendly reminder a few days past due, then another a week later, recovers most late payments without an awkward phone call.
Invoice vs. estimate: what's the difference?
An estimate is what the work will cost, sent before you start, and (ideally) signed by the client. An invoice is a request for payment for work done or a milestone reached. The estimate sets the price; invoices collect it. If you need one, here's our free construction estimate template.
When a template stops being enough
A template works fine for a handful of jobs a month. It starts to hurt when you're tracking which invoices are paid in a spreadsheet, retyping line items from the estimate, and remembering who to chase.
BuildSuite Invoicing handles that part:
- Turn a signed estimate into an invoice in one click, with numbering handled for you.
- Clients open the invoice from a link on any phone. No app or account needed.
- Record payments by check, Zelle, ACH, card, or cash, and see what's outstanding on every job.
- Optional reminders email the client when an invoice is 3 and 7 days past due.
- Your logo on every PDF and email.
BuildSuite Invoicing is in early access and launches at $12.99/month. Learn more, or grab the free template above and get that invoice out today.