Invoice app and templates for general contractors
A remodel is paid in stages and changed along the way. Your invoices need to keep up with both without anyone losing track of what is owed.
A general contractor sells a result that takes weeks, uses other people’s work and rarely ends the way it began. Clients add a tile upgrade, the wall opens up and shows a surprise, a subcontractor slips a week. Meanwhile you have paid for materials and labour long before the last coat of paint. Your invoices are how the money keeps pace with the work.
What makes contractor invoices different
- The job is billed in stages, not at the end. A deposit starts it, one or two payments follow milestones, and the balance comes at handover.
- The price changes. Every addition or surprise is a change order, and an invoice that ignores them starts an argument.
- Subcontractors and suppliers are costs you carry. Waiting for the final invoice to recover them ties up your own cash.
- The client wants to see what they have paid and what is left, in one place, at any point.
What goes on a contractor invoice
- The contract price and the stage this invoice covers, in plain words: “Stage 2: tile, waterproofing and drywall”.
- Each approved change order as its own line, with its number and date, so nobody has to remember who agreed to what.
- Payments already received, shown as a line that reduces the total, so the balance due is obvious.
- Materials that you bill separately from the contract, such as a special-order vanity, with a note of who chose it.
- Your payment terms and how to pay, written the same way on every invoice.
Example: the final invoice on a bathroom remodel
The contract was $16,000. Two change orders came up during the work, and the client has already paid a deposit and two stage payments.
| Item | Qty | Price | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contract price | 1 | $16,000.00 | $16,000.00 |
| Change order 1: heated floor | 1 | $1,350.00 | $1,350.00 |
| Change order 2: extra shower niche | 1 | $480.00 | $480.00 |
| Total | $17,830.00 | ||
| Deposit and stage payments received | -$12,800.00 | ||
| Balance due | $5,030.00 |
The $12,800 is the $3,200 deposit plus stage payments of $5,000 and $4,600. The client sees the whole story on one page, and the balance of $5,030.00 has no surprises in it.
Three billing problems contractors run into
Work added with a handshake
A change agreed on site and never written down is a change you will wait to be paid for. Put it on a change order the same day, get a reply, and bill it as its own line.
A deposit that does not cover the first costs
If materials and permits come before the first payment, you are lending the client money. Set the deposit to at least cover what you must buy before you can start.
A final invoice that is a surprise
Clients who have seen every stage and every change before the last invoice rarely dispute it. Send a stage invoice at each milestone and the final one is just arithmetic.
Estimates, deposits and getting paid
Start with a written estimate that lists what is and is not included, get it accepted, then invoice the deposit. Our guides on writing an estimate and on how much deposit to ask for walk through both. When the estimate is accepted, it should turn into your first invoice without retyping anything.
How Invoice Mint fits contracting
- Turn an accepted estimate into an invoice in one tap, with the client, items and totals already in place.
- Save your common line items, such as demolition, tile labour and dumpster fees, in Saved Items so a stage invoice takes minutes.
- Send the invoice as a link from the job site. Your client opens it in any browser, with nothing to install.
- See which invoices are sent, viewed and paid, so you know where to follow up.
How much do general contractors make?
In the United States, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) puts the median annual wage for construction managers, the closest BLS category to a general contractor, at $114,990 as of May 2025, about $55.28 an hour. BLS reports that about 38 percent of construction managers are self-employed, which is the group where pay varies most.
| Measure | Amount |
|---|---|
| The lowest-paid tenth earn less than | $69,690 |
| Median wage | $114,990 |
| The highest-paid tenth earn more than | $189,440 |
| Projected job growth, 2025 to 2035 | 9 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. For a contractor, the useful question is how much work you need to carry your costs. Say you want to take home $115,000 and your overhead (insurance, vehicle, estimating software, office and phone) is $36,000 a year. You need $151,000 of gross profit. On jobs that earn a 25 percent margin, that means about $604,000 of work a year. The markup and margin calculator turns your own numbers into prices.
Do general contractors need a licence, and what does the path look like?
Rules differ by state, province and country. BLS notes that some states require construction managers to be licensed, and contractor licensing, bonding and insurance are common requirements for taking on work for the public, so check what applies where you work before you quote. BLS lists a bachelor’s degree as the typical route for construction managers, though many contractors come up through the trades, and new managers usually work under an experienced manager for up to a year.
Taxes and costs when you run a contracting 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 contracting include:
- Your licence, bond and insurance, which many clients ask to see before they sign.
- Subcontractor and supplier payments you carry until the client pays you.
- Permits and inspection fees, which you can pass on if the estimate says so.
- Estimating, scheduling and invoicing software.
- Your vehicle, phone and a jobsite storage cost.
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 general contractors
- Free contractor estimate template A free contractor estimate template with space for labour, materials and notes. Download it in PDF or Word. Open
- Free construction estimate template A free construction estimate template for bids and quotes: itemized lines, totals and notes, in PDF and Word. 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
Common questions
How do I invoice a job that is paid in stages?
Agree the payment schedule in the estimate. Then send a deposit invoice before you start and one invoice at each milestone, each showing what has already been paid. The final invoice only carries the balance.
How should I show change orders on an invoice?
Give each change order its own line with its number and a short description, after the original contract price. That way the client can match every extra charge to something they approved.
How much deposit should a general contractor ask for?
There is no single number. Ask for enough to cover the costs you must pay before the first stage is complete, such as permits and special-order materials. Check what is customary and allowed where you work.
Can I use a template instead of an app?
Yes. The contractor and construction estimate templates and the invoice template are free to download as PDF, Word or Excel, and every field can be edited.
