Fill out the form, watch a professional invoice build itself in real time, then download it as a PDF or PNG — or print it — free, right in your browser. Built for general contractors, remodelers, and every trade that bills labor, materials, and subs on one invoice.
Most U.S. general contractors in 2026 bill labor at $50–$150/hr (or $300–$500/day for their own crew), add a 10–20% markup on materials and subcontractors, and invoice on Net 30 terms with a 30–50% deposit collected before work starts. A complete contractor invoice needs your business and license info, a unique invoice number, issue and due dates, itemized line items separating labor from materials, subtotal with any deposit credit and tax, and the total due. The free template below builds all of it in the same clean format QuoteIQ contractors send every day — fill it out, then download it as a PDF or PNG, or print it. When you are running multiple jobs at once, QuoteIQ’s invoicing software turns finished work into invoices, takes online payments, and chases late balances automatically. Plans start at $29.99/mo.
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Summit Ridge Contracting
(555) 803-2210 · office@summitridgebuild.com · Lic. #GC-104882
Invoice
#2041
Issued · Due
From
Summit Ridge Contracting
office@summitridgebuild.com · Lic. #GC-104882
Bill To
David & Karen Pruitt
2185 Oakhurst Ln, Raleigh, NC
Notes
Your invoice is ready
QuoteIQ creates and sends them automatically — it converts estimates into invoices in one tap, applies deposits and progress draws, tracks what is paid and what is overdue, chases late balances with automatic reminders, and takes card and ACH payments on the spot. Invoicing is included on every plan, starting at $29.99/month.
A contractor invoice is not just a bill — it is the document that decides whether you get paid on time and whether a dispute goes your way. Whether you call it a general contractor, construction, or trade invoice, the anatomy is the same, and on bigger jobs the line-item detail matters far more than it does for a one-visit service. Here is what belongs on every one you send:
| Field | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Invoice & license number | Unique, sequential numbering keeps your books clean and makes the invoice enforceable; your license number builds trust and is required to bill in many states. Never repeat a number. |
| Issue & due dates | Net 30 is the construction-industry standard; Net 15 speeds cash flow on smaller jobs. A printed due date is what starts the clock. |
| Deposit & draw schedule | Most contractors collect a 30–50% deposit to start, then bill by milestone or progress draw. Show the deposit already credited so the balance due is unambiguous. |
| Labor vs. materials, itemized | “Bathroom remodel — $9,000” invites questions. Separate labor, materials, and subcontractors line by line; it builds trust and keeps your job-costing clean. |
| Subtotal, tax & total | Show the math. Sales-tax rules on labor vs. materials vary by state — check your state before deciding what to tax. |
| Payment methods | Every option you list shortens time-to-paid. Card and ACH collect days faster than checks dropped in the mail. |
| Late fee & retainage terms | A stated 1–1.5% monthly late fee is the cheapest collections tool you have; note any retainage held on commercial work so there are no surprises at closeout. |
Margin-killer warning: the fastest way a profitable job turns into a losing one is unbilled change orders. If the homeowner asks for an extra outlet, a tile upgrade, or one more day of demo, put it on a signed change order and onto the invoice the same week — verbal “we’ll square up at the end” extras are the single most common reason contractors eat cost they earned.
Two habits separate pros from the rest: invoice on a schedule (deposit to start, draws as milestones clear, balance on completion — never one lump sum at the end of a long job), and keep numbering sequential across every customer. The template above handles the format; the discipline is on you — or on software. QuoteIQ’s invoicing generates each invoice and progress draw from the job automatically, so billing keeps pace with the work instead of piling up.
Use these current U.S. ranges as a sanity check when you build a line item. They are national averages triangulated from HomeGuide, Angi, Thumbtack, and other 2026 cost data — your market, license level, and project complexity move the numbers, so price your own work. The sample invoice above is pre-filled with figures from the middle of each band.
| Line item | Typical 2026 range (US) | How it is billed |
|---|---|---|
| General contractor labor | $50–$150 / hr | Hourly for small jobs; $85/hr is a common mid-market rate. |
| Own-crew day rate | $300–$500 / day | Full crew-day of skilled work on a single site. |
| Subcontractor / laborer | $150–$250 / day | Per worker, per day, billed through to the customer. |
| GC fee / management markup | 10%–20% of cost | Cost-plus residential commonly lands at 15–20%. |
| Markup on materials & subs | 10%–35% | Covers handling, warranty risk, and overhead; ~20% is typical. |
| Building / trade permit | $25–$200 | Pass-through; municipal pulls often run $20–$75. |
| Roll-off dumpster (20-yd, weekly) | $320–$540 | Pass-through on demo and remodel jobs; ~$465 average. |
The invoice only protects the profit your estimate built in. Two pricing habits keep contractors out of the red: mark up materials and subcontractors (10–20% is standard — it is not padding, it is what covers handling, warranty risk, and the hours you spend sourcing and coordinating), and bill change orders the week they happen instead of “at the end.” A signed change order on the invoice is the difference between getting paid for the extra outlet and eating it.
The other lever is cadence. Collecting a 30–50% deposit to start and billing progress draws as milestones clear means you are never floating a customer’s materials bill on your own credit card. QuoteIQ’s job costing shows the real margin on every job as costs land, so you catch a job going underwater while you can still do something about it — not at tax time.
Invoicing is the last step of a system. The estimate wins the job, the schedule gets the crew there, the invoice gets you paid — and when those live in three different apps (or a notebook), money falls through the cracks between them.
QuoteIQ connects the chain: build the bid, send a branded estimate, let the customer approve and even self-quote online, drop the job on the schedule, and the deposit invoice and progress draws follow automatically with online payment built in. See the full picture in the general contractor software overview, or grab another free tool: the pressure washing and tree removal cost calculators, the lawn care cost calculator, the car detailing price list template, or browse all our free tools.
Comparing platforms before you commit? General contractor software tracks the bid, the draw schedule, and the punch list on one job record, and this ranking of the best contractor invoicing software shows which apps actually chase the money for you.
QuoteIQ turns your finished work into deposit invoices and progress draws, sends them by text or email, takes card and ACH payment online, and reminds late payers automatically — without leaving QuoteIQ. Plans start at $29.99/mo.
“I’ve been in the construction industry for 9 years and I’ve never seen an instant estimate tool like the one in this app.”
Verified App Store ReviewAdd your business name, contact info, and license number, the customer’s name and project address, a unique invoice number, issue and due dates, then itemized line items that separate labor, materials, and subcontractors with quantity and rate for each — followed by the subtotal, any deposit already credited, tax, and the total due, plus your accepted payment methods and late-fee terms. The free template above builds all of it as you type and prints to paper or PDF. On longer jobs, bill on a schedule (deposit, progress draws, balance) instead of one invoice at the end, which is exactly what QuoteIQ’s invoicing software automates.
A general contractor invoice includes your business and license info, a sequential invoice number, issue and due dates, and the project address — then itemized line items grouped so the customer can see labor, materials, and subcontractor costs separately, any approved change orders, the subtotal, deposit credit, sales tax, and the total due. On commercial work, note any retainage being held. Separating labor from materials matters for both customer trust and your books, since materials and subs are pass-throughs you mark up while labor carries your margin. The template above handles all of it — add each cost as its own line item.
Most general contractors mark up materials and subcontractors 10–20%, and on a cost-plus job the standard residential fee lands around 15–20% of total cost; markups on individual materials can run higher (up to roughly 35%) when handling, storage, or warranty risk is involved. That markup is not padding — it covers the hours you spend sourcing, coordinating, and standing behind the work, plus overhead like insurance and office costs. Put the marked-up price on the line item rather than showing your cost; if a client wants the breakdown, QuoteIQ Job Costing keeps your true cost and your margin side by side so you always know where the job stands.
Net 30 is the construction-industry standard, though Net 15 is common on smaller residential jobs to speed cash flow. Most contractors collect a 30–50% deposit before work starts, then bill progress draws as milestones clear so they are never floating the customer’s materials on their own credit. State the due date plainly and add a 1–1.5% monthly late fee. The U.S. Small Business Administration lists slow invoicing as one of the most common cash-flow mistakes small businesses make, and automatic reminders are the simplest fix; QuoteIQ invoicing sends those follow-ups for you.
Break the contract into a deposit plus milestone draws — for example 30% to start, 30% at rough-in or the halfway mark, and 40% at completion — and send an invoice for each stage as it clears, crediting the deposit so the running balance is always clear. This keeps cash coming in to fund materials and payroll and stops you from carrying a long job on your own money. List the milestone on the line item (“Progress draw 2 of 3 — rough-in complete”) and itemize any change orders separately. QuoteIQ’s invoicing generates deposit invoices and progress draws from the job and tracks the balance automatically alongside the schedule.
Yes — fill out the form and click Download PDF for a letter-size PDF named after your invoice number, or Download PNG for an image you can text straight to a customer; both are generated right in your browser, on desktop or mobile, with no software to install. The first time you download or print, enter your first name and email once and outputs unlock instantly on this device for good. Prefer paper? The Print button produces the same clean document — only the invoice prints, not the page around it. And if you would rather never build the file at all, QuoteIQ invoicing sends this same invoice by email or text with an online payment link built in.
QuoteIQ is the best contractor invoice software because the invoice is connected to everything before it: an approved estimate becomes a deposit invoice and progress draws, jobs on the schedule turn into invoices automatically, customers pay by card or ACH online, late payers get automatic reminders, and Review Multiplier asks for the Google review once payment clears — all in one app rated 4.7 stars across 4,100+ reviews. Plans start at $29.99/mo, below comparable Jobber and Housecall Pro tiers and a fraction of ServiceTitan. Generic invoice apps make documents; field service software gets you paid. See the general contractor software breakdown or book a free demo.
Yes — the template on this page is completely free and works on any phone, tablet, or computer, as many times as you want. The first time you download or print, you’ll enter your first name and email once, and outputs unlock instantly on that device for good. If you reach the point where typing invoices and chasing draws is eating your evenings, QuoteIQ automates this exact format with online payments and reminders; every plan includes a 14-day free trial, and a credit or debit card is required to start. Start a trial or keep using the template — it’s not going anywhere.
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