Free contractor invoice template for residential jobs
A contractor invoice does more than ask for money: it names the license that did the work, the address where it was done, the contract it bills against, and every payment already made. The sample below is the final invoice on a 12 by 16 foot deck replacement with a $9,150.00 contract, one $385.00 change order and two payments received, leaving a balance of $5,120.00. Labor, materials and the permit fee each get their own lines, and you can download the blank PDF and CSV free.
What goes on a contractor invoice
| Field | What goes there |
|---|---|
| Business name, license number and class | The name on your license, the number, and the classification, written the way the state board's lookup shows them. California requires the license number in all construction contracts and advertising, and Maryland requires it in every home improvement contract, so carrying it onto the invoice keeps your paperwork consistent. |
| Bill-to name and billing address | The person or company paying, at the address where they get mail. For a rental or a second home that is often a different city from the job. |
| Job site address | The street address of the property you worked on, on a separate line from the billing address. Permits, warranties and lien paperwork all run on the job address. |
| Invoice number, date and contract reference | A number you never reuse, the date you sent it, and the contract it bills against, such as deck replacement agreement signed May 12. The reference tells anyone reading the invoice which promise this bill belongs to. |
| Original contract sum | The price on the signed contract before changes. Print it even on a final invoice so the homeowner can see the total has not drifted. |
| Labor lines | Hours and rate, or a fixed price per task, with a plain description of what the crew did. Labor shown apart from materials answers the first question most homeowners ask. |
| Material lines | The big items by quantity and unit price: decking by the linear foot, railing by the foot, the framing package as one line. Screws and hangers can ride inside a package line. |
| Permit and fees at cost | The permit number and the fee the city charged, passed through with no markup, plus any dump or inspection fee. A homeowner can match that line to the receipt. |
| Signed change orders | Extra work the homeowner approved in writing after the contract, such as the stair gate in the sample, priced as one line with the date signed. Add it below the contract lines so the original sum stays visible. |
| Payments received | The deposit and any mid-job payment as dated credits under the total: $915.00 on May 12 and $3,500.00 on May 28 on the sample deck. |
| Balance due, terms and lien notice | The amount owed, the due date, how to pay, and any late charge your contract states. If your state requires a lien notice, or you want to reserve lien rights in writing, this is where the sentence goes. |
The line-item table
| Description | Type | Qty | Unit price | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tear out and haul off existing 12 x 16 ft deck | Labor | 1 | $780.00 | $780.00 |
| Footings, pressure treated framing and hardware | Materials | 1 | $1,258.00 | $1,258.00 |
| Composite deck boards, per linear foot | Materials | 432 | $4.75 | $2,052.00 |
| Composite railing, per linear foot | Materials | 34 | $41.00 | $1,394.00 |
| Carpenters: framing, decking and rail, per hour | Labor | 48 | $72.00 | $3,456.00 |
| Building permit B26-01882, city fee at cost | Permit | 1 | $210.00 | $210.00 |
| Change order 1: gate at stair landing, signed June 3 | Change order | 1 | $385.00 | $385.00 |
How to use this template
- Start from the signed contract. Copy the contract date, the job address and the contract sum before you type a single line item. If the invoice total will not tie back to that sum plus signed changes, find out why before the homeowner does.
- Split labor from materials. Show labor as hours and rate or as task prices, and materials on their own lines. On the sample deck that comes to $4,236.00 of labor and $4,704.00 of materials, and the homeowner can see both.
- Add change orders after the base contract. List the contract work first, then each signed change order with its date. Original sum plus change orders gives the revised contract, $9,535.00 on the sample.
- Subtract every payment by date. Show the deposit and each later payment as a dated credit. What is left, $5,120.00 on the sample, should be the number that stands out on the page.
- State when and how to pay. Give a due date, not just a term like due on receipt, and list the ways you take payment. A card or bank payment link gets used the same evening, while a mailed check waits for the weekend.
Get paid faster
Match the license record exactly
Homeowners look contractors up. If the board's site shows one business name and the invoice shows another, expect a phone call where the payment should be.
Use lien language your state supports
A line saying unpaid balances may result in a mechanics lien as allowed by state law is common on contractor invoices. Whether it helps, and which notices must come first, depends on your state, so have an attorney read the sentence once and then reuse it.
Put the late charge in the contract first
A late fee that appears for the first time on the invoice is easy to refuse. When the signed contract states the charge and the day it starts, the invoice only repeats it, and some states limit what you can charge a consumer, so check before you pick a rate.
Send the final invoice with the walkthrough
Walk the finished job with the homeowner, fix or write down anything they point at, and send the final invoice that day. An invoice that arrives after the punch list is handled gets paid, and one that arrives before the walkthrough starts a negotiation.
The blank PDF prints Description, Type, Qty, Unit price and Amount columns on one page, and the CSV opens with the same five headers in Excel or Google Sheets.
Frequently asked questions
What should a contractor invoice include?
Your business name and license number, the bill-to name and address, the job site address, an invoice number and date, the contract it bills against, labor and materials as separate lines, any permit fees, signed change orders, payments already received, and the balance with a due date. On a fixed price job, print the original contract sum too, so the total can be checked against it.
Do I have to put my license number on an invoice?
Rules differ by state, and most are written about contracts and advertising, not invoices. California requires licensed contractors to include the license number in all construction contracts, subcontracts, calls for bid and advertising. Maryland requires the home improvement license number in the contract. Printing it on the invoice costs nothing and shows the homeowner the same number they can look up. Your own board's rule is the one that counts, so read it.
Should a contractor show labor and materials separately?
On most jobs, yes. Homeowners trust a total they can take apart, and the split helps with warranty questions later because it records what was installed. It can also matter for sales tax, since some states treat materials and labor differently. If you quoted one fixed price, you can still show the split as long as the lines add up to the contract sum.
How long does a contractor have to file a lien on an unpaid invoice?
It depends entirely on the state. In California, a contractor with a direct contract with the owner must record the lien within 90 days after completion of the work, or within 60 days after the owner records a notice of completion or cessation, whichever is earlier. California also requires a mechanics lien warning in home improvement contracts. Other states use different deadlines, and some require notices early in the job. This is general information, not legal advice, so confirm your deadline with your state's statute or a construction attorney.
What does Staxen charge a contractor who only needs invoicing?
Staxen charges $59 per month per AI employee, so hiring only Ivy the Invoicer is $59 per month, and all three employees together are $149 per month. The first 7 days are free in the app, and the plan is month to month. Ivy builds the invoice, splits bigger jobs into milestone payments, collects by card or ACH through Stripe, steps up the reminders on a balance that goes overdue, and keeps QuickBooks Online synced both ways.