A professional invoice is more than a payment request — it's a reflection of your business. Whether you're an electrician, plumber, HVAC technician, or general contractor, having a clean, detailed invoice template makes you look professional and helps you get paid faster.
Below you'll find free invoice templates designed specifically for construction subcontractors. Each template includes all the essential fields you need, formatted for your specific trade.
What Every Contractor Invoice Template Needs
Before diving into the templates, here's what every professional contractor invoice should include:
Template 1: General Contractor Invoice
Best for: General contractors managing multiple trades, residential and commercial projects.
Key fields:
This template is designed for contractors who need to track progress billing across multiple phases of work.
Template 2: Electrician Invoice
Best for: Electrical contractors doing residential and commercial work.
Key fields:
Electrical work often requires detailed materials tracking. This template includes sections for wire footage, breakers, panels, and fixtures — all the line items you need for a complete invoice.
Template 3: Plumber Invoice
Best for: Plumbing contractors doing service calls and new construction.
Key fields:
Plumbing invoices often mix service calls with project work. This template handles both, with clear sections for trip charges, hourly labor, and materials.
Template 4: HVAC Invoice
Best for: HVAC contractors doing installations, repairs, and maintenance.
Key fields:
HVAC work requires detailed equipment documentation. This template captures model numbers, serial numbers, and specifications — important for warranty claims and future service.
Template 5: Painting Contractor Invoice
Best for: Painting contractors doing residential and commercial work.
Key fields:
Painting invoices often involve estimating disputes around coverage. This template breaks down square footage, prep work, and coats applied to prevent confusion.
Template 6: Roofing Invoice
Best for: Roofing contractors doing repairs, replacements, and new construction.
Key fields:
Roofing involves significant material costs. This template includes sections for shingles, underlayment, flashing, vents, and disposal — plus a warranty documentation section.
How to Customize Your Template
Each template is a starting point. Customize it for your business:
Why Templates Are Just the Starting Point
Templates work — but they still require manual data entry. Every invoice you type by hand is time you could spend on billable work. And manual entry invites errors: wrong quantities, forgotten line items, math mistakes.
Modern invoicing tools like SubPaid's Snap to Invoice take templates to the next level. Instead of typing every line item, you snap a photo of your completed work or materials receipt. AI extracts all the details, populates a professional invoice, and you send it in seconds.
The result: faster invoicing, fewer errors, and more time doing the work that pays.
Making the Switch
Here's a simple progression for improving your invoicing:
1. Start with a professional template (better than no template)
2. Customize it for your trade and business
3. Use it consistently on every job
4. When you're ready, upgrade to AI-powered invoicing to eliminate manual entry entirely
The goal is to make invoicing so fast and painless that you do it immediately after every job — because same-day invoicing means faster payment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What format should I save my invoice in?
PDF is best for sending to clients — it can't be accidentally edited and looks the same on every device. Keep an editable version (Word or Excel) as your master template.
Should I use numbered invoices?
Absolutely. Sequential invoice numbers (INV-001, INV-002, etc.) help you track payments, make tax time easier, and look more professional.
How do I handle change orders on my invoice?
List change orders as separate sections with their own line items. Reference the change order number and approval date. This keeps the original contract work separate from additions.