Labour, materials, staged payments — an invoice template built the way construction and trades actually bill. Free in Word, Excel and PDF, or use it online — no signup.
Contractor invoicing is different from ordinary billing: jobs run for weeks, materials are bought up front, and nobody pays the full amount in one go. A contractor invoice has to split labour from materials, connect to the original quote or contract, and fit a staged payment schedule — deposit, progress payments, final balance. The sample below is a kitchen remodel billed exactly that way. Use the same structure for any trade — plumbing, electrical, carpentry, renovations — and your invoices will match what homeowners, property managers and insurers expect to see.
A realistic example, priced the way contractors actually bill. Click the button and these exact items load into the free generator, ready to edit.
| Description | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labour — kitchen remodel (per day) | 6 | $350.00 | $2,100.00 |
| Materials — cabinets & countertops | 1 | $2,850.00 | $2,850.00 |
| Materials — tiles, fixtures & fittings | 1 | $940.00 | $940.00 |
| Waste removal & site cleanup | 1 | $180.00 | $180.00 |
| Total due | $6,070.00 | ||
Sample figures in USD — edit every line in the generator. Add VAT or GST there if you charge it; the tax calculator splits the tax out for you.
No signup. No watermark. The sample items load automatically; change anything you like.
The fastest way for a contractor to bleed cash is to front weeks of labour and thousands in materials, then invoice once at the end. Staged billing fixes that: a deposit before you start, progress invoices as milestones are hit, and a final invoice on sign-off. This template is built for that rhythm — each stage is its own clean invoice referencing the same job. Keep materials and labour on separate lines and clients (and their insurers) stop disputing totals. When a stage goes unpaid, the payment reminder generator and our guide to invoice payment terms will help you chase it professionally.
Construction work is rarely billed in one invoice. Progress billing splits the job into stages, and each stage gets its own invoice as the milestone is completed. Here is how a typical $30,000 job breaks down:
| Stage | Milestone | Share | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deposit invoice | On signing, before work starts | 30% | $9,000.00 |
| Progress invoice 1 | Framing and first fix complete | 40% | $12,000.00 |
| Final invoice | Job signed off, snagging done | 30% | $9,000.00 |
Many construction contracts also hold retention — often 10% — back from each stage until sign-off. Show retention as its own deduction line on the progress invoice, then invoice it separately once it is released, as explained in the FAQ below. The sample above loads into the generator with the same staged structure.
This template is built for independent contractors just as much as for construction firms: one-person operations bill the same way, with the same need to separate labour from materials and to bill in stages. It fits every trade — plumbing, electrical, carpentry, painting, roofing, handyman work — because the structure follows the job, not the trade. Use it as a contractor invoice generator online, or download it in Word, Excel or PDF from the template library and fill it in yourself.
Looking for a construction invoice template Excel free to use? This template is free, with no signup and no watermark: download it in Excel from the template library, or use the same template online in the free generator. Fill in your business and client details, the job site, and your labour and materials lines, then edit the rates and quantities for your job.
It also works as a construction progress billing Excel template. Instead of invoicing the whole job at once, make one copy of the template per stage: a deposit invoice on signing, a progress invoice at each agreed milestone (for example, framing complete), and a final invoice on sign-off. On each progress invoice, show the stage amount, any retention held back, and payments already received, so the client can see exactly what is due now and what remains. Keep every stage referencing the same job and contract number, and the running total stays clean from deposit to final payment.
The best time to agree payment terms is before work starts, not when the invoice is overdue. Put the terms on the quote and repeat them on every stage invoice, so there is never an argument about when a stage falls due. Common choices are payment on completion of each stage, or net 7, net 14 or net 30 days after the stage invoice — shorter terms protect your cash flow on jobs where you have already paid for materials and labour.
Invoice each stage promptly the moment its milestone is hit; a late stage invoice trains clients to pay late. If a stage goes unpaid, send a written reminder right away referencing the signed-off work — the payment reminder generator drafts escalating reminders for you. If your contract allows a late fee, the late fee calculator works out exactly what is owed. Our guide to invoice payment terms explains net 30, 2/10 net 30 and other common terms in plain language.
Every template is free — and they all live in the same template library with Word, Excel and PDF downloads.
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