Your plumbing business tackles a variety of jobs, from unblocking drains to installing water lines. With all that work on your team’s plate, the last thing you want to do is spend time chasing down payments and answering questions about bills. 

You can use our free invoice template to charge clients for diagnostic fees, estimated work, and completed work for your plumbing business. Using a template makes invoicing faster because you don’t have to rewrite the same information over and over again.

Sending clean and detailed invoices makes it easier to track cash flow and get paid on time. It adds a dose of professionalism to your business, which helps build trust with clients. Having digital records in one place can also help you keep records and prepare for tax season more effectively.

What a plumbing invoice template should include

Include the following fields and information on a plumbing invoice template:

• Your company’s name, address, and contact information
• Invoice number
• Invoice date (usually the day you finish the work)
• Line items such as labour or parts
• Payment due date
• Payment terms
• Payment methods

How to estimate labour charges

Labour, which you can charge per job or hourly, makes up a significant portion of the bill. 

To calculate your hourly labour rate, add your labour burden, taxes, and insurance costs. Remember that labour burden includes employees’ labour rates and any benefits they earn, such as pension costs. Calculate an employee’s labour rate by factoring in their work experience, licensing, and education.

Common payment terms

Payment terms tell clients when their invoice is due and how to pay it. This helps them pay you quickly and accurately. 

While most businesses have fixed payment terms for all clients, you can choose to vary them depending on the size of the job. For small jobs, for example, you can ask for immediate payment. For others, you may set the due date for a fixed amount of time after the invoice date. “Net 30,” which means that the client has 30 days after the invoice date to pay you, is a popular option.

You can also offer payment plans to ease the financial burden on clients who have signed on for long-term projects. Consider adding information about your late-fee policy, in case customers don't make your due date.

When to send an invoice

For smaller jobs, it’s easier (and standard practice) to send invoices to clients immediately upon completion of the work.

For larger jobs, you may need to send progress invoices to your clients. Invoicing tools can make this process easier.

When to charge a diagnostic fee

You've probably been in a situation like this — your company gets a call from a homeowner, and you visit their home. You spend time and resources diagnosing the issue. The homeowner decides to let their uncle, who's a whiz with tools, do the work. 

In these cases, you can use the plumbing invoice template to charge a diagnostic fee for finding the cause of the problem. 

This fee could be hourly or a flat rate. Include your company’s name, contact information, and the time and resources used to diagnose the issue. 

You could also give an estimated cost to repair the problem, in case the client decides to hire you instead.

How to create an estimate for a job

Projects with a large scope and multiple components spread over time can get complex quickly. In such cases, it’s in the client’s (and your own) best interests to start with an estimate that defines the scope of work.

To create an estimated cost for a job, include the following information:

• Your company’s name, address, and contact information
• Scope of work
• Labour
• Parts
• Total cost of the project
• Timeline for completion
• Any required licences
• Terms of service

A plumbing business has many moving parts, which can make operations difficult to manage. With the right plumbing invoice template, you can stay on top of cash flow and not drain your finances.

Invoicing tools can help you quickly create a plumbing invoice template, allowing you to track your work and help you get paid faster. Join many other small business owners who use online solutions like QuickBooks to make invoicing easier. 

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