For trades
The roofing invoice template guide
Roofing jobs are some of the bigger tickets a trade will invoice, and they mix a lot of moving parts: labour, materials by the square, tear-off and disposal, permits, and often weather delays that stretch the timeline. A clear, itemised invoice turns all of that into a bill the homeowner or property manager can follow and pay without a back-and-forth. Here is what belongs on a roofing invoice and how to put one together in a couple of minutes.
What a roofing invoice should include
Whether you run a solo repair business or a full re-roof crew, every invoice should have these:
- Your business name and license number, plus your phone, email, address and insurance details. Roofing is licensed in most areas, and customers expect to see the license and proof of liability cover on the paperwork.
- The customer's name and the property address where the work was done, especially if it differs from their billing address.
- A unique invoice number like INV-0001, so both sides can refer back to the job later.
- The work date (or date range) and a clear due date. "Due within 14 days" beats a vague "due soon."
- Itemised line items separating labour, materials, tear-off and disposal, and any permit or inspection fees.
- The subtotal, any sales tax, and the total due, shown clearly at the bottom.
- Payment instructions and your workmanship warranty, plus a note of any manufacturer warranty on the shingles or membrane you installed.
Sensible default line items
The clearest roofing invoices break the job down so the customer sees exactly what they are paying for. Materials are usually measured in "squares" (100 square feet of roof), so a typical re-roof might read: "Tear-off and disposal, 22 squares, $75/square", "Architectural shingles, 22 squares, $110/square", "Underlayment and flashing, $340", "Labour, 22 squares, $200/square", and "Permit fee, $150."
Keep materials 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 material simple. If the scope changed mid-job, such as extra plywood for rotten decking, add it as its own clearly labelled line so the change is transparent.
Deposits and payment terms
Roofing materials are expensive and ordered up front, so a deposit is standard practice. For a full re-roof it is common to take 25% to 50% on signing to cover the material order, with the balance due on completion. Some roofers split it into thirds: deposit, mid-point and final. If you want more detail on setting the amount, see our contractor deposit guide.
Keep your terms short. Net 7 to Net 14 works well since you have already paid for the materials. State your workmanship warranty period on the invoice (one to ten years is typical depending on the work), and consider a small late fee such as 1.5% to 2% per month to nudge slow payers. Spell it all out 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 the truck. Our free contractor invoice generator gives you a clean template with all the fields above built in. Add separate lines for tear-off, materials and labour, then download a professional PDF from your phone or laptop with no signup. It adds up the totals for you, so every invoice stays consistent.
A few habits that get you paid faster
Invoice as soon as the final inspection passes, while the job is fresh in the customer's mind. Double-check the property address, material counts and total before you send. Attach a couple of finished photos if you can, since it reinforces the value of the work. And if the due date slips, send a short, friendly reminder. Most late payments are forgotten, not refused, and a polite nudge clears up the majority of them.