For trades
The plumbing invoice template guide
On a busy plumbing job the invoice is easy to leave until last, but a clear, complete one is what actually gets you paid. Plumbing work mixes labour, parts, call-out fees and sometimes emergency rates, so the invoice has to itemise all of it in a way the customer can follow. Here's what belongs on one and how to put it together in a couple of minutes.
What a plumbing invoice should include
Whether you work alone or run a small crew, every invoice should have these:
- Your business name and license number, plus phone, email and address. In many areas your plumbing license or registration number needs to appear on the invoice.
- The customer's name and the job address, especially if it differs from their billing address.
- A unique invoice number such as INV-0001, so both sides can refer back to the job later.
- The service date and a clear due date. "Due within 14 days" beats a vague "due soon."
- Itemised line items that separate labour, parts and any call-out or emergency fee.
- The subtotal, any sales tax, and the total due, shown clearly at the bottom.
- Payment instructions and any warranty note on the work or parts you supplied.
Sensible default line items
The clearest plumbing invoices split the work so the customer can see exactly what they're paying for. A typical job might read: call-out fee, $75; labour, 2.5 hours at $95 per hour; replacement mixer tap, $60; disposal of old fittings, $20.
Keep parts and labour on separate lines rather than bundling them into one number. It heads off "why so much?" questions and makes any warranty claim on a part straightforward. For emergency or after-hours work, show the higher rate as its own line so the premium is visible instead of hidden inside the labour total.
Deposits and payment terms
For small repairs, payment on completion is normal. For larger jobs, such as a bathroom re-pipe or a water heater install, it's standard to ask for a deposit up front, often 25% to 50%, to cover the parts. Our contractor deposit guide goes through how to ask for one without losing the job.
Keep the terms short. Net 7 to Net 14 works well for trade work, since you've usually already paid for the parts. Note any warranty period on the invoice, and consider a small late fee, for example 2% per month, to nudge slow payers. Put all of this on the invoice itself so there are no surprises.
How to make one in minutes
You don't need accounting software or a fiddly spreadsheet on site. Our free plumber invoice generator gives you a clean template with the fields above built in. Enter your details, add separate lines for labour and parts, and download a PDF from your phone or laptop with no signup. It numbers your invoices and adds up the totals, so every invoice you send looks the same. If you take on general building work too, the contractor invoice generator works the same way.
A few habits that get you paid faster
Invoice the same day you finish, while the work is fresh in the customer's mind. Double-check the job address, the parts list and the total before you send. And if the due date slips, send a short, friendly reminder. Most late payments are forgotten rather than refused, and a polite nudge clears up the majority of them. For more ideas, see how to get paid faster by clients.