EstimateSheets
HomeTemplates › Contractor invoice template

Contractor invoice template

A free Excel invoice that does the math, plus a log that tells you which invoices actually got paid.

Download the template

Excel file. No email, no signup. Yours to edit.

2 tabs · 150 formulas · Works in Excel, Google Sheets and LibreOffice

TabWhat it does
InvoiceA one-page invoice that calculates itself. Enter description, quantity, unit and rate on up to 16 lines; amounts, subtotal, discount, tax, deposits, previous payments and balance due are all formulas. Due date fills in automatically from the invoice date.
Invoice LogForty rows tracking every invoice you send: number, customer, job, dates, amount invoiced, amount paid. Balance, days late and a PAID / OPEN / OVERDUE status calculate on their own, with a running summary of what is out, what is overdue and your collection rate.

What is on the invoice

Everything a trade invoice needs, and nothing decorative. Your company block, the customer's billing address, and a separate work-performed-at address, because on most jobs those are two different places. Invoice number, invoice date, job or PO number, and a due date that calculates itself. It defaults to Net 15, and the +15 is an editable formula if you bill on different terms.

Sixteen line item rows take a description, quantity, unit and rate, and calculate the amount. Below that: subtotal, discount, tax rate and tax, total, less deposit received, less previous payments, and the number that matters, balance due. Deposits and progress payments are built in because that is how construction billing actually works.

There is a payment instructions block and a short late-charge and lien-rights note at the bottom. The whole thing fits on one printed page.

The log is the reason this template exists

Nearly every free invoice template stops at the invoice. That is the easy half. Sending an invoice takes five minutes. Knowing which ones came back is the half that decides whether you make payroll.

A contractor with eleven open invoices and no list is guessing. The Invoice Log replaces the guess. One row per invoice: number, customer, job, issued date, due date, amount invoiced, amount paid. The sheet calculates the balance, counts days late from today's date, and stamps each row PAID, OPEN or OVERDUE. Because it uses today's date, the picture is current every time you open the file.

Above the rows, a summary: total invoiced, total collected, total outstanding, what is overdue right now, what is more than 30 days late, and your collection rate. Thirty seconds on a Monday morning tells you exactly who to call.

Getting paid faster

A few habits matter more than any template feature.

  • Put the invoice number in your payment instructions. When a cheque or transfer arrives with the number on it, you can match it to an invoice. When it arrives without one, you are doing detective work.
  • Keep terms short. Net 15 gets paid sooner than Net 30. Long terms do not make you look established; they make you a lender.
  • Chase at day one late, not day thirty. The older a receivable gets, the less likely it is to be collected. A polite call the day after the due date is normal business, not rudeness. The log's days-late column tells you when that day is.
  • Know your lien deadlines. Notice and filing windows are short, unforgiving, and different in every state and province. Check the rules where you work rather than assuming.
Sending the invoice is the easy half. Any template can total up line items. The half that decides whether you make payroll is knowing which invoices came back, which are still out, and which just went overdue. That is what the Invoice Log tab is for.

Questions

What should a contractor invoice include?

Your company details, the customer's billing address, and the address where the work was performed. An invoice number, invoice date, due date, and the job or PO number. Line items with quantity, unit and rate, then subtotal, tax, any deposit or previous payments, and the balance due. Clear payment instructions, with the invoice number included so the payment can be matched when it arrives.

What payment terms should contractors use?

Shorter than you think. This template defaults to Net 15, and shorter terms consistently get paid sooner than longer ones. Net 30 is common because customers like it, not because it is good for you. Whatever terms you pick, put the actual due date on the invoice, not just the phrase.

What do I do when a customer does not pay?

Start the day after the due date, not a month later. A short, polite reminder with the invoice attached resolves most cases; the older a receivable gets, the less likely you are to collect it. If reminders do not work, escalate in writing, and look into your lien rights early, because notice deadlines are short and vary by state and province. This is not legal advice — check the rules where you work, and talk to a construction lawyer if the amount justifies it.

Does the template work in Google Sheets and LibreOffice?

Yes. It is a standard .xlsx file, and all 150 formulas use functions that Excel, Google Sheets and LibreOffice Calc all support. The days-late tracking works the same way in each: it reads today's date, so the log is current whenever you open it.

How does the invoice log know an invoice is overdue?

Each row compares the due date to today's date. If there is an unpaid balance and the due date has passed, the sheet counts the days late and flags the row OVERDUE; paid rows show PAID and everything else shows OPEN. The summary above the log totals what is outstanding, what is overdue now, and what is more than 30 days late.

Related