Subcontractor Invoice Management: How to Bill Clients Without the Headache Getting the work done is the easy part. Getting paid on time is where things fall apart for most subcontractors. Here's a straightforward guide to billing clients professionally, tracking what you're owed, and getting paid without the runaround. Why Subcontractor Invoicing is Different As a sub, you're usually billing either a homeowner directly or a general contractor. The process is similar, but the expectations are different: Billing a homeowner: they want simplicity. A clean invoice with a total, what was done, and how to pay. Billing a GC: they may have their own approval process. Get everything in writing, especially for change orders. Either way, you need a paper trail. What Every Subcontractor Invoice Should Have Your company name and contact info Client name and address Invoice number (important for tracking) Date of work and invoice date Itemized list of work performed Total amount due Payment terms (Net 15, Net 30, due on receipt) How to pay (check, Zelle, bank transfer, credit card) The more professional the invoice looks, the faster clients pay. A handwritten note or a basic text email is easy to ignore. A clean PDF invoice with a payment link is harder to forget. The Most Common Invoicing Mistakes Subcontractors Make Waiting too long to invoice The longer you wait after completing work, the longer you wait to get paid. Invoice within 24-48 hours of completing a milestone or finishing the job. Not tracking what's been billed If you don't know what you've already invoiced, you'll either miss billing something or accidentally double-bill. Keep a record. No follow-up process Most late payments aren't intentional. The client just forgot. Have a system for following up at 7 days, 14 days, and 30 days past due. Not having signed estimates before work begins If you don't have a signed estimate, the client can dispute the amount. Always get written approval before starting. How to Get Paid Faster Offer a payment link: clients pay faster when they can click a button than when they have to write a check Require a deposit: 25-50% upfront is standard for most residential work Milestone billing: bill at key points (rough-in complete, final complete) rather than all at the end Keep it simple: the easier the invoice is to understand, the less they'll question it For a deeper dive on all of this, see how to get paid faster as a contractor. Using Staxen for Subcontractor Invoicing Staxen lets you create invoices directly from a signed estimate. It knows what you quoted, calculates what's been billed so far, and figures out what's remaining. You can invoice for a percentage of the contract, for specific line items, or for a custom amount. Once created, you send it straight from the app by text or email as a portal link. The client opens it on their phone, sees the line items, and pays right there. No printing, no scanning, no emailing attachments from your phone's camera roll. Every Staxen invoice comes with online payment built in. Clients pay by card or ACH from the invoice link, and automatic reminders follow up on overdue invoices so you never make the awkward call. If you connect QuickBooks Online, Staxen pushes the invoice there automatically when you send it and pulls the payment status back.