Free invoice template
Free construction invoice template
General contractors bill for a project, not a day. The invoice usually shows progress against a contract: how much of the job is complete, what has been paid, what is held back as retainage and what is due now. The template below does that for a kitchen remodel at the 50 percent point.
Adapt it to your own contract and save the PDF from this page. No account, and nothing is uploaded. For single-trade jobs there are more focused pages, such as the carpentry and roofing templates, and our invoice app for contractors.
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The lines are examples for general contractors. Change anything, add your details and download the PDF. Nothing you type leaves this browser.
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Invoice total:
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What goes on it
What to put on an invoice for general contractors
- Your contractor license number, the contract date and the project address
- The contract total, with progress billed this period against it
- A schedule of values: each phase with its share of the contract and the percent complete
- Approved change orders as separate lines, with their date and number
- Subcontractor costs, either on their own lines or inside the phases
- Payments received to date, and retainage held back where the contract requires it
- The amount due now, the due date and lien waiver or payment instructions if you use them
How you bill
How general contractors bill
Most residential projects are fixed-price contracts, paid in draws: a deposit at signing, payments when each phase is done (demolition, rough-in, drywall, finish) and a final payment on completion. Commercial and larger jobs use progress billing against a schedule of values, with retainage, typically 5 to 10 percent, held until the project is done. Cost-plus contracts bill actual costs plus a fee, with receipts attached.
Every change to the scope should be a written change order, and each one appears on the invoice with its own line. That protects the contractor from unpaid extras and the client from surprises. Start the project with a signed estimate so the invoice and the contract tell one story.
Get paid faster
Tips to get paid faster
- Bill the draw the moment the phase is complete, with a few photos. A client who can see the work pays faster.
- Never do extra work without a written change order. Put it on the invoice with its approval date.
- Show payments to date and retainage as visible lines, so the amount due is easy to verify.
- Keep each subcontractor's invoice and lien waiver handy for clients and lenders who ask.
- Put a card or transfer link on the invoice, see online payments, and send a reminder when a draw passes its due date.
Watch out
Common invoice mistakes
- Bundling change orders into the contract lines, which makes the original price look wrong
- Letting the draw schedule slip so the work is ahead of the payments
- Not showing retainage, so the client does not know when the held amount will be released
Save, send and get paid
Save, send and get paid with Jiffy.
This generator makes one PDF. The Jiffy app keeps every invoice, sends it for you and helps you get paid. Start on Free: 3 invoices a month, no end date.
A payment link on every invoice
Your client opens the invoice and pays by card or Apple Pay on Pro and Ultra, straight to your own Stripe account. On Free they pay by bank transfer with your details. Online payments
Reminders that chase for you
Send a reminder with one tap on every plan. Pro and Ultra add an automatic schedule that stops the moment the invoice is paid. Payment reminders
Estimates your client signs
Send an estimate, let your client sign it on their phone, then turn it into an invoice with one tap. Included in Free. Estimates
Invoice by voice on Ultra
Say the client, the work and the price. Jiffy writes the invoice and sends it when you tap. Voice invoicing
Other trades
Templates for other trades
More for your trade
FAQ
Questions
What is progress billing?
Progress billing sends an invoice at each stage of a project for the work completed so far, rather than one bill at the end.
What is retainage?
A percentage of each payment, often 5 to 10 percent, held back until the project is complete. Show it as a line on the invoice.
How do I invoice change orders?
Agree each change in writing, then add it as its own line with its number and approval date.
Is this construction invoice template free?
Yes. Fill it in online and save the PDF. No account is needed.
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Whatever you do, get paid for it.
Start free with 3 invoices a month, quotes and e-signatures. Free has no end date.