Construction Invoice Generator
Construction billing has machinery general contracting invented for it: progress payments against a schedule of values, retainage held back until completion, and lien waivers exchanged for checks. This invoice is built for a draw. Bill the percent complete on each line, show retainage explicitly, and the arithmetic holds up in front of an owner's accountant.
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| Description | Qty / hrs | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Framing: 60% complete of $18,000 (prev. billed 35%) | 1 | $4,500.00 | $4,500.00 |
| Rough electrical allowance: 40% complete of $9,200 | 1 | $3,680.00 | $3,680.00 |
| Retainage withheld this draw (5%) | 1 | -$409.00 | -$409.00 |
| Subtotal | $7,771.00 | ||
| Total due | $7,771.00 | ||
What Trades Earn: Median Hourly Wages (BLS, May 2025)
National median wages for workers in each trade, not billed rates. A business bills 2x to 3x the wage to cover taxes, insurance, overhead, tools, and non-billable time; use these as the labor-cost floor under a quote, not the price.
| Trade | Median hourly wage |
|---|---|
| Plumbers, pipefitters, steamfitters | $34.70 |
| Electricians | $34.37 |
| HVAC mechanics and installers | $32.75 |
| Carpenters | $31.55 |
| Roofers | $27.95 |
| Painters (construction and maintenance) | $26.64 |
| Photographers | $21.47 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers | $18.82 |
| Janitors and cleaners | $17.71 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners | $17.07 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 national estimates · checked 2026-08
What to Know About Construction Invoices
- Progress billing invoices against a schedule of values (the job broken into priced line items, each billed by percent complete) so an invoice line like 'framing, 60% of $18,000' is the industry's native grammar.
- Retainage (commonly 5 to 10% withheld from each draw until substantial completion) should appear as its own negative line; several states cap retainage on public work and set release deadlines.
- Payment on commercial jobs typically runs through a formal application-for-payment cycle (AIA G702-style); this invoice mirrors that structure for jobs that don't warrant the full form.
- Exchanging a conditional lien waiver with each progress payment (conditional on the check clearing) is standard practice; unconditional waivers before payment give away the leverage.
- Prompt-payment statutes in many states start interest accruing on late construction payments automatically. But only from a properly submitted invoice date, which is why the date line matters.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does progress billing actually work?
The contract price is broken into a schedule of values. Each period you bill the percentage newly completed on each line, minus retainage. The running math (billed-to-date vs. contract value) is what the owner's side audits. Keep prior-billed percentages on each line as this example does.
How should retainage appear on the invoice?
As an explicit negative line each draw, and then as its own final invoice at release. Burying it in adjusted line amounts is how contractors lose track of what they're owed at completion.
Should a lien waiver accompany every invoice?
A conditional waiver (effective when payment clears) customarily travels with each draw request. Never send an unconditional waiver before the money is in hand. It extinguishes the lien rights that make the invoice collectable.
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This generator produces a general-purpose document, not legal, tax, or accounting advice. How our generators are built and checked →