Free Contractor Invoice Generator
Invoice for trade and contracting work fast: itemize labor and materials, add tax, and download a clean branded PDF. Built for independent contractors — no signup, all in your browser.
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A filled-in example. Your details replace the placeholders — nothing here is saved.
City, Postcode
| Description | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labor (hours) | 1 | $1,200.00 | $1,200.00 |
| Materials | 4 | $450.00 | $1,800.00 |
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What a contractor invoice should include
- Your business name, license number and contact details
- The job site address and a job or contract reference
- Labor itemized by task or hours, with rates
- Materials with quantities and unit prices
- Any approved change orders
- Tax, retainage (if held back), the total and payment terms
Progress billing beats one invoice at the end
On anything longer than a few days, invoice in stages against an agreed schedule of values rather than waiting for completion. Each application shows the contract sum, the percentage of each work item complete this period, the cumulative total, retainage withheld, amounts previously certified, and the amount now due. Doing it this way keeps your cash flow tracking the work, and it makes disputes small and current instead of large and retrospective. It is also the format most general contractors and owners expect to receive.
What a contractor invoice should show
- Business name, licence number, and the project or job name and address
- Contract sum, and the schedule-of-values line items being billed
- Percentage complete and value earned this period per line
- Approved change orders as their own lines, each with its reference number
- Retainage withheld (commonly 5–10%) and the cumulative amount retained
- Less previous payments, then net amount due and payment terms
Change orders, retainage and lien rights
Never absorb extra work into a progress line: an approved change order is its own numbered line with its own value, and unapproved work should not be billed at all until it is signed off — that is the single most common cause of a rejected application. Retainage is normally released at substantial completion and again at final completion; track the cumulative figure on every invoice so the release is not a negotiation. Finally, US mechanics-lien rights are time-limited and depend on notices served early in the job; keep your invoice dates, delivery evidence and change-order approvals filed together, because they are the record you will need if payment stops.
FAQ
- What should a contractor invoice include?
- Your business name and contact, the client’s details, an invoice number and dates, itemized labor and materials with amounts, any tax, the total, and payment terms.
- What is retainage and how do I show it?
- Retainage is a percentage of each payment (usually 5–10%) held back until the job is complete. Show it as a deduction on every application, along with the cumulative amount retained, so the release at completion is a known number rather than a claim.
- How do I bill for extra work?
- Through a numbered change order approved before the work starts, then billed as its own line referencing that number. Extra work folded into an existing progress line is the most frequently rejected item on a contractor invoice.
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New to invoicing? Read how to make an invoice.