Contractor Invoice Template

The standard fields — invoice number, dates, your details, your client's — plus a clear breakdown of labor, materials, and any equipment or permit costs. If you're billing for a specific phase of a larger job, name it explicitly so the client knows what the number covers.

Often yes, if the client is a business — they'll typically ask for a completed Form W-9 before your first payment, since they need your taxpayer ID on file to issue you a 1099-NEC at year end. It's worth sending it proactively with your first invoice rather than waiting to be asked.

Yes, generally — if you paid a subcontractor $2,000 or more in a year for services (the threshold for payments made in 2026 and later; it was $600 for earlier years), you're required to file Form 1099-NEC reporting that payment to both the subcontractor and the IRS by January 31.

The $2,000 threshold applies to the total you paid a given subcontractor across the whole year, not per invoice — so you need to add up every payment to that person or business as you go, not just check the amount on their final invoice.

Either works. Hourly suits work where the scope isn't fully defined upfront; a fixed project rate suits work with a clear, agreed scope. Whichever you choose, keep it consistent with what was actually agreed before the work started, and state it clearly on the invoice.

Due on receipt or Net 15 for smaller jobs and new clients, milestone-based progress billing for anything that runs weeks or months. Net 30 is more common with larger companies that have a fixed accounts-payable cycle than with individual homeowners.

Check the specific line item against what was actually agreed before responding — this is fast when the original scope or change order was written down, and slow when it wasn't. A short written confirmation at the time of any change prevents most disputes before they start.