Standard
The clean one-page version — line items, tax, terms, total.
Free Contractor Invoice Template (PDF, Word & Google Docs)
A contractor invoice has a few jobs a generic invoice doesn't: it splits materials from labor, shows the deposit you've already collected, and states a balance due your client can't misread. This free contractor invoice template does all three. Download it blank in PDF, Word, or Google Docs — or open it in the free AI invoice generator with contractor fields already set, and download a finished PDF in about a minute.
Free downloads
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With deposit & balance due
Shows the deposit you've collected and the balance still owed — the format clients pay fastest.
Materials + labor split
Materials and labor as separate sections, so nothing gets questioned line by line.
Every download is free — no email, no sign-up, no watermark.
01
What to include on a contractor invoice
Your business name and license number if your state requires one, the client and job address, an invoice number and date, payment terms, then the work itself: materials with quantities, labor as hours × rate or a fixed bid, any change orders as their own lines, the deposit already paid, and the balance due. If you charge for hauling or disposal, give it a line — buried fees are how disputes start. A contractor invoice that reads clean gets paid faster: your client should find the number they owe in under five seconds.
02
Contractor invoice example
This example shows a deck repair billed the way clients like to read it: materials on one line ($1,840), labor as 16 hours × $65, the $1,000 deposit subtracted in plain sight, and a balance due of $1,880 nobody has to calculate. Want more worked examples? See our sample contractor invoices — three real-world formats with notes.
03
Billing a deposit and progress payments
For longer jobs, invoice in stages: a deposit invoice before work starts, progress invoices at milestones, and a final invoice for the balance. Number them in one series (INV-014-1, -2, -3) so the paper trail reads clean. The deposit template above handles the common case; for full progress-claim billing with retention, the construction invoicing guide walks the whole sequence.
Practical answers
Frequently asked questions
What should a contractor invoice include?
Your business and license details, the client and job address, an invoice number and date, payment terms, materials with quantities, labor as hours × rate, change orders as separate lines, any deposit received, and the balance due.
How do I invoice for a deposit as a contractor?
Add a "Deposit received" line as a negative amount so it subtracts from the total, or use the deposit field in our free generator — it adds a Balance Due line automatically.
Is a contractor invoice different from a construction invoice?
Mostly naming. Independent contractors bill for their own work; construction invoices often cover crews, materials and stage payments. See the construction invoice template if you're billing a build.