Trades & home services
Free Contractor Invoice Template
Free general contractor invoice template built for draw schedules, change orders and retainage. Customize the line items and send a clean PDF to the owner.
Free · No signup · Editable · PDF in under a minute
General contractors rarely invoice a job once. Work is billed against a draw schedule tied to milestones — deposit, rough-in, drywall, substantial completion — with retainage held back until the punch list closes. This template is built for that progression: each invoice states which draw it represents, how much of the contract value has been billed to date, and what remains. Change orders sit on their own numbered rows rather than being folded into the base contract amount, which is the single most common cause of an owner disputing a final bill. Subcontractor costs can pass through at cost with your management fee as a separate percentage line, or roll into a lump sum, depending on how the contract is written. There is space for permit numbers, lien waiver status and the contract reference a lender will ask for. On cost-plus work the same layout handles labor, materials and the agreed markup as three clean sections.
Invoice
- Number
- INV-0042
- Issue Date
- Jul 1, 2026
- Due Date
- Jul 16, 2026
From
Rivera Studio
18 Mercer Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211
EIN 84-3920117
Bill To
Northwind Coffee Co.
402 Bleecker Street
New York, NY 10014
| Description | Qty | Unit Price | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Draw 2 of 4 — rough-in complete (25% of contract) | 1 draw | $14,500.00 | $14,500.00 |
| Framing labor and lumber package | 1 job | $9,400.00 | $9,400.00 |
| Change order #3 — relocate gas line, owner approved | 1 job | $1,875.00 | $1,875.00 |
| Subcontractor management fee (12% of trade costs) | 1 project | $1,480.00 | $1,480.00 |
| Building permit and plan review (at cost) | 1 item | $965.00 | $965.00 |
- Subtotal
- $28,220.00
The template opens with these lines already filled in. Change any of them — they are a starting point, not a price list.
What a general contractor invoice usually contains
These are the lines this template starts with, at illustrative US rates for 2026. Every description, quantity, unit and rate is editable.
| Description | Qty | Unit Price | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Draw 2 of 4 — rough-in complete (25% of contract) | 1 draw | $14,500.00 | $14,500.00 |
| Framing labor and lumber package | 1 job | $9,400.00 | $9,400.00 |
| Change order #3 — relocate gas line, owner approved | 1 job | $1,875.00 | $1,875.00 |
| Subcontractor management fee (12% of trade costs) | 1 project | $1,480.00 | $1,480.00 |
| Building permit and plan review (at cost) | 1 item | $965.00 | $965.00 |
| Total | $28,220.00 | ||
- Default unit
- project
- Payment terms
- Net 15
- Suggested layout
- classic
Terms this template starts with
Payment is due within 15 days of invoice date. Retainage of 10% is withheld from each draw and released after final inspection and punch list completion. No work outside the contract scope proceeds without a signed change order; verbal approvals are confirmed in writing the same day. Materials remain the property of the contractor until paid for in full. Delays caused by owner-supplied materials, permitting or other trades may extend the schedule and are billed at the rates above.
- Your logo, accent colour and business details
- Any currency, with named tax rates per line
- Six layouts on A4 or US Letter
- Hosted payment link and read receipts with a free account
General Contractor invoicing questions
- What is retainage and should it show on the invoice?
- Retainage is a percentage the owner or lender holds back from each payment until the project is complete and the punch list is closed, commonly five to ten percent. Show it as a deduction on every invoice and carry the accumulated balance forward, so the final release invoice is a formality rather than a negotiation.
- How should change orders be billed?
- Always on their own numbered lines, referencing the signed change order, and never folded into the base contract amount. Unsigned changes are the leading cause of unpaid final invoices. If a change is authorized verbally in the field, put it in writing the same day and reference that record on the invoice.
- Cost-plus or fixed price on the invoice?
- Both work as long as the invoice matches the contract. Fixed-price jobs bill against the draw schedule by percentage of completion. Cost-plus jobs itemize labor, materials and subcontractors at cost with the agreed markup on its own line, and the owner will normally expect supporting receipts attached to each billing.
- When do lien deadlines matter here?
- Preliminary notice and lien deadlines are strict and vary widely by state, and they usually run from first furnishing or last work date rather than the invoice date. Record those dates on your documents and talk to a construction attorney in your state rather than relying on invoicing software to track them.