Free Hourly Invoice Template
Bill by the hour cleanly: list your hours and rate for each task, the tool totals it automatically, add tax, and download a clean PDF. Great for freelancers, tutors and consultants — no signup.
Create this invoice → Free · no signup · downloads as PDF
What this template looks like
A filled-in example. Your details replace the placeholders — nothing here is saved.
City, Postcode
| Description | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work (hours @ rate) | 1 | $1,200.00 | $1,200.00 |
Pre-configured
This page is set up for hourly invoice — adjust anything you need.
No signup
Fill it in and download a clean PDF instantly. No account, no watermark.
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Runs entirely in your browser — your data and logo never leave your device.
What to include on an hourly invoice
- Each task or session with hours × your rate
- The date or period the work covers
- Overtime, if billed at a different rate
- Any expenses to be reimbursed
- Subtotal, tax and total
- Payment terms
Time entries a client will actually approve
An hourly invoice is only as persuasive as its detail. One line reading “Consulting — 40 hrs” invites scrutiny; forty short dated entries invite payment. Log the date, a one-line description of what the work achieved, and the hours, then let the rate do the arithmetic. Group by project or work stream if the total gets long, and keep the vocabulary a client would use rather than your internal shorthand. The goal is that the person approving the invoice can reconstruct the month without asking you a single question.
Rounding, minimums and rate tiers
- State your rounding increment — 6 minutes (0.1 h) and 15 minutes are the common ones — and apply it consistently
- If you have a minimum charge per call-out or per session, show it as its own line
- Different rates for different work (senior vs junior, on-site vs remote, out-of-hours) belong on separate lines, not blended into one average
- Overtime or weekend multipliers should be visible, not folded into the hours
- Non-billable time should not silently appear as billable hours — write it off explicitly if you want the goodwill to register
- Show the running total against any retainer or cap that was agreed
Retainers, caps and overruns
Where an hourly engagement has a cap or a prepaid retainer, the invoice should show three numbers: hours used this period, the retainer or cap applied, and what remains. Overruns are far easier to collect when they were flagged before they happened, so if you can see the cap approaching, raise it in writing during the period rather than in the invoice. For long engagements, invoicing every two weeks instead of monthly halves your exposure and surfaces disagreements while everyone still remembers the work.
FAQ
- How do I make an hourly invoice?
- Add a line for each task with the number of hours and your hourly rate — the amount calculates automatically. Add your details and the client’s, any tax, and download the PDF.
- How detailed should hourly time entries be?
- Detailed enough that the approver recognises the work: date, a short outcome-focused description, and hours. Avoid both extremes — a single monthly line reads as unaccountable, and minute-by-minute logging reads as padding.
- Should I bill in 15-minute or 6-minute increments?
- Either works as long as it is stated and applied consistently. Six-minute (0.1 hour) increments are the professional-services norm; 15-minute blocks are common for trades and support work.
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New to invoicing? Read how to make an invoice.