Contractor invoice template
A contractor invoice is a billing document that a general contractor or construction business issues to a property owner, developer or upstream contractor to request payment for work performed on a project. Unlike a single service ticket, a construction invoice usually belongs to a series: each one records the share of the contract completed during a billing period, the amounts already paid, and any sums withheld until the project closes. The template on this page builds that document in the browser and exports it as a PDF that carries only the contractor's own business details.
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What a construction invoice contains
A complete general contractor invoice identifies the contractor, the client and the project address, then states an invoice number, an issue date and the billing period covered. Construction clients often require the contract or purchase order number as well, because a lender, owner's representative or accounts-payable team matches each invoice against an approved budget before releasing funds.
The body lists line items grouped by the way the contract is priced. Typical groups are supervision and general conditions, self-performed labor, materials, subcontracted scopes, equipment rental, site services such as dumpsters and disposal, and pass-through costs such as permit fees. Approved change orders appear as separate lines so that the original contract sum and the adjusted contract sum remain traceable.
How contractors bill: progress billing and lump sums
Small residential jobs are frequently billed as a lump sum on completion or as a deposit followed by a final invoice. Larger projects use progress billing, in which the contractor invoices at agreed intervals, commonly monthly, for the percentage of each scope completed. The invoice then reports the scheduled value of each scope, the work completed to date, the amount previously billed and the amount due for the current period.
Cost-plus and time-and-materials contracts bill differently again: labor is charged by the hour, materials at cost with an agreed markup, and the contractor's fee as a percentage or fixed amount. The quick-add items in the template, such as Project supervision by the hour and Materials by the lot, cover both styles, and the markup field applies only to material lines.
Retainage, lien waivers and change orders
Retainage is a portion of each progress payment that the owner withholds until substantial completion or final acceptance, as a security for completion and correction of defects. Where a contract provides for it, the invoice shows the retained amount for the period and the cumulative retainage held. State law and the contract set the percentage and the release conditions, so the template leaves those figures to the contractor.
Many owners and lenders require lien waivers with each payment application. A conditional waiver accompanies the invoice and takes effect only when payment clears; an unconditional waiver follows receipt of funds. The default terms in the template mention both forms where applicable. Change orders should be billed only after written approval, and each approved change order is best listed with its own reference so the running contract total is easy to audit.
Fees and pass-through costs specific to construction
Construction invoices regularly carry costs that are not labor or materials in the ordinary sense. Dumpster delivery, haul-away and tipping charges, temporary facilities, equipment rental by the day or week, and building permit and inspection fees are common examples. Listing them as separate fee lines, rather than folding them into labor, shows the client exactly which costs are pass-through and which are the contractor's own work.
Subcontracted work is often shown as a single line per trade, for example electrical, plumbing or drywall, billed by the lot. When a subcontractor is an electrician, the electrical portion is frequently supported by its own estimate and invoice, which the contractor can attach or reference.
Payment terms commonly used by contractors
Payment terms on a general contractor invoice typically state the due date, often a fixed number of days after the invoice or after the owner approves the payment application, together with the accepted payment methods. Some contracts add late-payment interest permitted by state prompt-payment statutes, while public projects follow the payment rules of the awarding agency. The template records the terms in plain text so that the wording of the signed contract can be reproduced exactly.
Sample contractor invoice
The sample below is a filled construction invoice for the second of four progress billings on a remodel. A construction invoice template of this kind serves as a contract invoice under a signed agreement: it bills the share of the contract earned in the period, shows retainage withheld and lists approved change orders separately. The figures are examples only.
Example figures for illustration only. They are not typical prices or rates for this work.
Example Contracting Company · Invoice INV-SAMPLE-001 · Bill to Example Property Owner
Kitchen and bath remodel, progress billing period 2 of 4
| Description | Qty | Unit rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project supervision · Labor | 12 hr | $75.00 | $900.00 |
| Labor · Labor | 64 hr | $55.00 | $3,520.00 |
| Materials · Material | 1 lot | $3,520.00 | $3,520.00 |
| Subcontractor work · Labor | 1 lot | $2,400.00 | $2,400.00 |
| Equipment rental · Material | 3 day | $120.00 | $360.00 |
| Dumpster and disposal · Fee | 1 ea | $450.00 | $450.00 |
| Permit fee · Fee | 1 ea | $300.00 | $300.00 |
| Example total | $11,450.00 | ||
Terms on the sample: Progress billing: this invoice covers work completed during the stated billing period against the schedule of values. Retainage is withheld at the contract percentage until substantial completion where the contract provides for it. Conditional lien waivers accompany each progress payment and unconditional waivers follow cleared funds, where applicable. Payment due within 30 days. Change orders are billed only after written approval.
Limitations
The template produces an invoice document; it does not generate AIA-style payment application forms, calculate retainage automatically or track a schedule of values across invoices. Retainage, lien waiver and prompt-payment requirements vary by state and by contract, and the contractor remains responsible for using terms that match the signed agreement and applicable law. Tax treatment of construction materials and labor also differs between jurisdictions and should be confirmed before tax is charged.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a contractor invoice and a payment application?
A payment application is a formal request, often on a standardized form, that reports the schedule of values, work completed and retainage for a billing period. A contractor invoice is the payment request itself. Many residential and small commercial projects use the invoice alone, while larger projects attach it to a payment application.
How is retainage shown on a construction invoice?
Retainage is usually shown as a deduction from the amount earned in the period, followed by the cumulative retainage held to date. In this template it can be entered as a line in the notes or reflected in the amount already paid, with the contract percentage stated in the terms.
Should change orders appear on a separate invoice?
Approved change orders can be billed on the regular progress invoice as separate lines, each with its change order number. A separate invoice is sometimes required by the owner. In either case the change should be approved in writing before it is billed.
Can a general contractor include subcontractor charges?
Yes. Subcontracted scopes are commonly billed as lump-sum lines per trade, with or without the general contractor's markup as the contract allows. The subcontractor's own invoices and lien waivers are often requested as supporting documents.