What's different about a construction invoice
A plumber's service call needs a few lines and a total. A construction job usually needs three more things on the page:
- Retainage. Commercial and public contracts commonly hold back 5–10% of each payment until completion. The invoice shows the full value earned, then subtracts the amount held, so both sides can see the running total of retained money.
- Change orders. Extra work agreed after the contract was signed. Each approved change order gets its own line and its number, never folded into a labor line.
- Job identification. The site address, the owner's PO or job number, and your licence number, because the person paying is often an accounts team that handles many jobs.
When a single invoice isn't enough
On larger contracts the owner or general contractor may ask you to bill against a schedule of values: every line of the contract, how much of it was done before, this period, and materials stored on site. That's a payment application rather than an invoice; the progress billing generator does that arithmetic.
Using the Excel version
Fill in the yellow cells. Put Y in the last column of any line the sales tax applies to (the template marks the materials line by default), enter the tax rate and the retainage percentage, and the workbook calculates the rest. Sales tax rules for labor vs materials differ by state. Check your state's rules.
Construction invoice questions
Which construction invoice template format should I use?
Use the Excel (XLSX) file if you want the totals to calculate as you type, Word (DOCX) if you want to edit the wording, and PDF if you fill in by hand on site. The online form above produces a finished PDF without any of them.
How do I show retainage on a construction invoice?
Bill the full value of the work done, then show the retainage percentage and amount on its own line underneath and subtract it. Track what has been held so you can bill it on a final retainage invoice when the job is accepted.
Can I bill a change order on a regular invoice?
Yes, once it's approved in writing. Give it its own line with the change order number so the client can match it to the signed document.