Invoice app and templates for carpenters
Custom work with long lead times and materials bought up front. A carpenter’s invoice should separate the design, the shop and the install.
Carpentry ranges from a morning fixing a stair to a month building cabinets. The bigger the piece, the more of the work happens away from the client: measuring, drawing, buying lumber, cutting in the shop. If your invoice only shows an install day, the client pays for the visible part and you give away the rest.
What makes carpentry invoices different
- Much of the labour is in the shop, not on site, and clients do not see it.
- Materials are bought for the piece and can be expensive, such as hardwood or custom hardware.
- Custom work has a design stage, and changes at that stage change the price.
- Lead times are long, so a deposit for materials is normal and fair.
What goes on a carpentry invoice
- Design and measuring time, as its own line.
- Lumber and sheet goods, with a materials total, and special-order items listed separately.
- Hardware, trim and finishing materials.
- Shop fabrication hours, with the rate.
- On-site installation hours, and the deposit already received.
Example: a built-in bookshelf with a window seat
| Item | Qty | Price | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Design and measuring (hours) | 3 | $70.00 | $210.00 |
| Lumber and plywood | 1 | $640.00 | $640.00 |
| Hardware, trim and finish | 1 | $185.00 | $185.00 |
| Shop fabrication (hours) | 22 | $70.00 | $1,540.00 |
| On-site installation (hours) | 6 | $70.00 | $420.00 |
| Total | $2,995.00 | ||
| Deposit received (materials) | -$1,000.00 | ||
| Balance due | $1,995.00 |
Total $2,995.00 with a $1,000 deposit received, leaving $1,995.00 to pay. The shop hours are 22 of the 31 hours billed, which is why they need their own line.
Three billing problems carpenters run into
Shop time given away
If it takes a day in the shop and an hour on site, billing only the install is a bad deal. Estimate and invoice the shop hours as a line.
Design changes after the lumber is cut
Agree the drawing before you cut anything, and price any change after that as an approved extra.
Materials paid for from your pocket
A deposit sized to the materials means the client carries the cost of the wood, not you. State it in the estimate.
Estimates, deposits and getting paid
Write the estimate from the drawing, with the materials, the finish and what is not included. Ask for a deposit that covers materials, and invoice the balance at installation. Our guide on pricing a job explains how to set your hourly rate and markup.
How Invoice Mint fits carpentry
- Save your design, shop and install rates so an estimate takes a few taps.
- Send the estimate as a link and let the client accept it online.
- Turn the accepted estimate into an invoice and show the deposit received.
- See which invoices are paid so finished pieces never sit unbilled.
How much do carpenters make?
In the United States, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) puts the median annual wage for carpenters at $60,580 as of May 2025, about $29.12 an hour. BLS reports that about 25 percent of carpenters are self-employed.
| Measure | Amount |
|---|---|
| The lowest-paid tenth earn less than | $40,410 |
| Median wage | $60,580 |
| The highest-paid tenth earn more than | $99,910 |
| Projected job growth, 2025 to 2035 | 4 percent |
These figures are for employees. BLS wage data does not include self-employed workers, so an owner’s income depends on the prices they charge, the work they win and the costs they carry. Say you want to take home the median, $60,580, and your tools, shop, truck, insurance and software cost $12,000 a year. If you can bill 1,300 hours (most of a self-employed year goes on quoting, driving, buying materials and paperwork), you need $55.83 for each billable hour just to get there, before tax and before any profit.
Do carpenters need a licence, and how long is the training?
BLS lists a high school diploma as the typical entry requirement and apprenticeship as the usual training, with optional certification by specialty. It adds that carpenters must pass the OSHA 10-hour safety course. Whether you need a contractor licence for the work you take on depends on where you work.
Taxes and costs when you run a carpentry business
In the United States, self-employed people pay self-employment tax of 15.3 percent, made up of 12.4 percent for Social Security and 2.9 percent for Medicare, on top of income tax. The IRS also says they may have to pay estimated tax every quarter. Costs that are specific to carpentry include:
- Tools, saw blades and other consumables that wear out.
- A shop or storage space, and the power it uses.
- Your truck, trailer and the cost of getting lumber.
- Insurance, and the safety training your area requires.
- Time spent on drawings and revisions that clients do not see.
Rules in Canada, Australia, the UK and elsewhere are different, so check with your own tax office. A habit that works everywhere: move a fixed share of every payment into a separate account the day it arrives, and ask an accountant what share suits your income.
Free tools for carpenters
- Free estimate template for contractors and small businesses A free, clean estimate template in PDF, Word and Excel. Fill in your lines and prices, send it, and win the job. Open
- Free invoice template for contractors and small businesses Free invoice templates in PDF, Word and Excel. Pick a style, add your lines and prices, and send a professional invoice. Open
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Markup and margin calculator
Free markup and margin calculator. Enter your cost and a markup, margin or price to see the selling price and profit.
Open
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Service price calculator
Free service price calculator. Enter hours, your rate, costs and a profit markup to see what to charge for the job.
Open
Common questions
How do I charge for design time?
As its own line on the estimate and the invoice, with hours and rate. Some carpenters credit it against the build if the client goes ahead. Say which in the estimate.
Should I bill shop hours separately from install?
Yes. Shop hours are often the bulk of the labour and clients do not see them. A separate line makes the cost of the work visible.
How much deposit should a carpenter ask for?
Enough to cover the materials and start the job. Check what is customary and allowed where you work, and put it in the estimate.
Is there a free carpentry estimate template?
Yes. The free estimate and invoice templates can be edited for carpentry and downloaded as a PDF, Word file or Excel sheet.
Other industries
Mobile mechanics
Travel, parts, labour and approvals at the customer’s door.
See the example invoice
Flooring installers
Square-foot pricing, waste, prep and removal.
See the example invoice
General contractors
Stage payments, change orders and deposits on remodels and builds.
See the example invoice
