Who this is for
Licensed plumbers, HVAC technicians, electricians, gas-line specialists and other regulated trade professionals. Owner-operators and small crews who bill from the truck and email a PDF after the job rather than running a full ERP. Works for one-off service calls, planned installations and recurring maintenance contracts.
What sets a trade invoice apart
License number on every invoice. Required by state law in most US jurisdictions for licensed trades, and similarly required in the UK (Gas Safe registration, NICEIC for electricians) and Australia. It also reassures the customer they hired the licensed professional they thought they hired. Put it in the From block or the Notes field.
Service address, not just the billing address. Bill To is who pays, often a landlord or property manager. The Ship To field doubles as the actual service address. Always fill both for multi-property clients; insurers and future buyers will both ask.
Service-call or trip fee on its own line. Whether you waive it or not, list it. Customers see the value of the visit, not just the parts and labor it produced.
Labor at the rate that actually applied. Standard, after-hours, emergency. Each at its own named line: "Standard labor, 1.5 hrs @ $95" and "After-hours surcharge, 1.0 hrs @ $50". The split stops disputes about whether the emergency rate was ever authorised in the first place.
Permit number where applicable. For permitted work (gas, electrical, anything over a state threshold) reference the permit number. Closes future questions from the building department or the next owner.
Insurance and warranty
A meaningful share of plumbing and HVAC invoices end up attached to an insurance claim, especially water-damage and heat-failure jobs. Adjusters scan invoices in seconds and need three things to approve quickly: date of service, affected equipment (with model and serial), and a plain-English scope of work. Write line items assuming the reader is an adjuster who has never been inside your customer's home.
The trade default is a one-year warranty on parts and workmanship. Manufacturer warranties on the equipment itself (water heaters, condensers, furnaces) typically run longer but are administered by the manufacturer, not you. Make the distinction clear: "One-year warranty on parts and workmanship. Equipment manufacturer warranties per manufacturer terms".
Payment terms
Due on receipt is normal for residential. Many shops collect on the day by card from the van. Net 14 is the right setting for small commercial accounts. Net 30 for property-management companies that explicitly require it. Always include a late-fee clause for commercial accounts; most residential customers pay on the day when asked.
How to use this template
- Open the plumbing & HVAC template.
- Put the service address into the Ship To field.
- Replace placeholder labor and parts with the actual work performed.
- Add your license number and any permit reference in the Notes field.
- Download as PDF and email or leave on site.