What should a construction invoice include?

Your business name and contact details, the customer and job-site address, an invoice number, invoice and due dates, itemized labor and materials with quantities and rates, any deposit and remaining balance, sales tax where it applies, the total due, and your payment terms.

How much deposit should a contractor put on an invoice?

Many contractors take 10–50% up front, enough to cover materials and scheduling. Some states cap home-improvement deposits (for example, California limits the down payment to 10% or $1,000, whichever is less), so check your state’s rule. The free deposit calculator shows the deposit, the balance, and the caps in the states it lists.

Is this invoice template really free?

Yes. There is no sign-up and nothing to install. The generator runs entirely in your browser. The details you type are not sent to or saved on our servers. Fill it in, then download or print it as many times as you like.

How do I save the invoice as a PDF?

Click “Download / print PDF”. Your browser’s print window opens with only the invoice on the page; choose “Save as PDF” (or “Microsoft Print to PDF”) as the destination to save a file you can email or text to your customer.

Can ChatGPT or another AI assistant fill in this invoice for me?

Yes. Tell the assistant your business, customer, and line items and ask it to make an invoice with redbudway.com. It can build a link to this page with the details filled in (the format is described on the page); you open the link, check and edit the invoice, and download it as a PDF. The details sit after the # in the link, which browsers do not send to our servers.

Can my customer pay the invoice by card?

A PDF invoice can only ask for payment: your customer still has to mail a check or find another way to pay. With a free Redbud Way account you can send the invoice with a card pay link instead, or send a quote that collects a deposit first, and the money is paid out to your bank about two business days after each payment. Redbud Way charges a 0% platform fee. Stripe’s standard fees apply, billed to your own Stripe account: 2.9% + 30¢ per card payment plus 0.4% Stripe Invoicing on an invoice or quote, so a $300 invoice costs $10.20. The full fee table is at redbudway.com/pricing#fees.

Contractor invoice template

A free construction invoice template you fill in right here. Add labor and materials, set tax and an optional deposit, and the totals calculate as you type. When it looks right, download or print it as a PDF.

Fill in your invoice

From (your business)Business nameYour contact detailsContractor license #

Bill to (customer)Customer nameCustomer address / contactJob site address (if different)

Invoice #Invoice dateDue date

Line items

Item 1 descriptionQty for item 1Price ($) for item 1
$850.00
Item 2 descriptionQty for item 2Price ($) for item 2
$1,560.00
Item 3 descriptionQty for item 3Price ($) for item 3
$1,240.00
Item 4 descriptionQty for item 4Price ($) for item 4
$2,100.00
Item 5 descriptionQty for item 5Price ($) for item 5
$450.00

Tax (%)Deposit (%), optionalCheck your state’s deposit limit

How you get paid (optional)Notes / payment terms

Preview

Oakline Builders LLC

(555) 123-4567 hello@example.com

INVOICE

Invoice #: INV-1001
Date: Oct 16, 2026
Due: Oct 30, 2026

Bill to

Jordan Rivera

123 Main St Springfield, USA

Description	Qty	Price	Amount
Demolition and haul-away	1	$850.00	$850.00
Framing labor (hours)	24	$65.00	$1,560.00
Lumber, fasteners, and hardware	1	$1,240.00	$1,240.00
Drywall hang, tape, and finish	1	$2,100.00	$2,100.00
Dumpster rental (10-yard)	1	$450.00	$450.00

Subtotal: $6,200.00
Total: $6,200.00
Deposit due (30%): $1,860.00
Balance due: $4,340.00

Notes & terms

Payment due within 14 days of the invoice date. Deposit is due before work begins; the balance is due on completion. Change orders are billed separately.

Everything stays in your browser. Nothing you type is sent to our servers. In the print window, choose “Save as PDF” to download a file. When you download, this browser remembers your business details, invoice number, and customers so your next invoice is quicker.

Skip the PDF. Get paid by card.

Click “Send as a payable invoice” and this invoice carries over to Redbud Way, so your customer gets an email with a Pay button instead of a PDF. Nothing to retype. Redbud Way is free, with a 0% platform fee. Stripe's standard fees apply, billed by Stripe, and payouts reach your bank about two business days after each payment.

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Who's behind it

I'm Adam Williams, a software engineer. I built Redbud Way so small service businesses can get paid by card without paying for software they don't need. Your payments run on your own Stripe account, so your money never passes through us. Questions? Email me at adam@redbudway.com and I'll answer myself.

Why Redbud Way is free

What to include on a contractor invoice

Your business details. Company name, phone, email, and address, plus your license number where your state requires it on paperwork.
Customer and job site. Who you are billing and the address the work was done at, which can differ from the billing address.
Invoice number and dates. A unique invoice number, the invoice date, and a clear due date so there is no debate about when payment is late.
Itemized labor and materials. Break out labor, materials, equipment rental, disposal, and permits as separate lines with quantity and rate.
Deposit, tax, and balance. Show any deposit already collected or due now, sales tax where it applies, and the remaining balance.
Payment terms. When payment is due, how you accept it, and how change orders are handled.

Tips for getting contractor invoices paid faster

Reference the signed estimate or contract on the invoice so the customer can match the numbers to what they approved.
Bill change orders as their own lines instead of rolling them into a lump sum. Itemized extras get disputed far less.
For bigger jobs, take a deposit up front to cover materials, then invoice the balance at completion or at milestones.
Send the invoice the day the work is finished. The longer you wait, the longer you wait to get paid.

Pricing the job first? Use the job cost estimator or the markup calculator. See also Redbud Way for contractors.

Fill this invoice from a link (for AI assistants)

Ask ChatGPT, Claude, or any AI assistant to “make an invoice with redbudway.com”. It can put the details in a link to this page, and you open a filled-in invoice you can check, edit, and download. The details go after the #, which your browser never sends to our servers.

from, from_contact, license: your business name, contact details, and license number
to, to_contact, site: the customer’s name and address, and the job site if different
item=description|qty|price: one per line item, repeat for more (up to 50)
no, date, due: invoice number, and dates as YYYY-MM-DD
tax, deposit: percentages. state: two-letter code to check deposit limits. notes: payment terms

Example: https://redbudway.com/tools/invoice-template#from=Joe%27s+Plumbing&to=Jane+Doe&item=Replace+water+heater%7C1%7C1200&item=Labor+%28hours%29%7C3%7C85&tax=7&due=2026-10-01

Frequently asked questions

What should a construction invoice include?: Your business name and contact details, the customer and job-site address, an invoice number, invoice and due dates, itemized labor and materials with quantities and rates, any deposit and remaining balance, sales tax where it applies, the total due, and your payment terms.
How much deposit should a contractor put on an invoice?: Many contractors take 10–50% up front, enough to cover materials and scheduling. Some states cap home-improvement deposits (for example, California limits the down payment to 10% or $1,000, whichever is less), so check your state’s rule. The free deposit calculator shows the deposit, the balance, and the caps in the states it lists.
Is this invoice template really free?: Yes. There is no sign-up and nothing to install. The generator runs entirely in your browser. The details you type are not sent to or saved on our servers. Fill it in, then download or print it as many times as you like.
How do I save the invoice as a PDF?: Click “Download / print PDF”. Your browser’s print window opens with only the invoice on the page; choose “Save as PDF” (or “Microsoft Print to PDF”) as the destination to save a file you can email or text to your customer.
Can ChatGPT or another AI assistant fill in this invoice for me?: Yes. Tell the assistant your business, customer, and line items and ask it to make an invoice with redbudway.com. It can build a link to this page with the details filled in (the format is described on the page); you open the link, check and edit the invoice, and download it as a PDF. The details sit after the # in the link, which browsers do not send to our servers.
Can my customer pay the invoice by card?: A PDF invoice can only ask for payment: your customer still has to mail a check or find another way to pay. With a free Redbud Way account you can send the invoice with a card pay link instead, or send a quote that collects a deposit first, and the money is paid out to your bank about two business days after each payment. Redbud Way charges a 0% platform fee. Stripe’s standard fees apply, billed to your own Stripe account: 2.9% + 30¢ per card payment plus 0.4% Stripe Invoicing on an invoice or quote, so a $300 invoice costs $10.20. The full fee table is at redbudway.com/pricing#fees.