Plumbing Invoice Template
Download a plumbing invoice template to bill labor, piping, fixtures, equipment, service work, permits, change orders, retainage, taxes, and completed work.
Create Clear Invoices for Plumbing Work
A plumbing invoice gives contractors a structured way to bill for completed labor, piping, fittings, valves, fixtures, equipment, excavation, testing, service work, permits, approved changes, retainage, and other project charges. It helps customers and general contractors understand what work was completed and how the current payment amount was calculated.
This Plumbing Invoice Template is designed for plumbing subcontractors, residential plumbers, commercial plumbing contractors, mechanical contractors, service departments, project managers, accounting teams, and business owners responsible for billing new construction, renovation, maintenance, repair, and specialty plumbing work.
What Is a Plumbing Invoice?
A plumbing invoice is a billing document issued for completed plumbing work, a defined billing period, an approved project phase, a service visit, unit-priced work, time-and-material work, or a final contract balance. It identifies the project, billing period, work performed, quantities, units, rates, taxes, retainage, prior payments, and amount due.
Depending on the project, the invoice may cover domestic water, sanitary waste and vent, storm drainage, natural gas, fixtures, water heaters, pumps, interceptors, equipment connections, excavation, insulation, testing, disinfection, startup, or service repairs.
When to Use This Template
- Billing residential plumbing installations and repairs
- Submitting commercial plumbing progress invoices
- Billing underground sanitary, storm, or water piping
- Charging for fixture rough-in and trim work
- Billing water heaters, pumps, interceptors, and specialty equipment
- Charging for service calls and emergency repairs
- Billing time-and-material work
- Charging unit-priced piping, fixtures, excavation, or equipment connections
- Requesting retainage release
- Issuing a final invoice after testing and closeout
Who Should Use This Template?
This template is suitable for plumbing subcontractors, residential plumbing contractors, commercial plumbers, mechanical contractors, service plumbers, medical-gas contractors, specialty piping contractors, project managers, service managers, office administrators, and accounting teams.
It can be adapted for domestic water, sanitary, vent, storm, gas, medical gas, compressed air, process piping, fixtures, equipment, water heaters, pumps, interceptors, drains, service work, testing, disinfection, and closeout.
What a Plumbing Invoice Should Include
| Invoice Section | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Contractor and Customer Details | Identifies the plumbing contractor, customer, billing contact, project address, license information, and remittance details. |
| Invoice Information | Records the invoice number, billing period, invoice date, due date, payment terms, contract number, and purchase order. |
| Plumbing Work Items | Lists piping, fittings, valves, fixtures, equipment, excavation, testing, service work, and related activities. |
| Quantity and Rate Details | Shows linear feet, fixtures, equipment items, plumbing units, labor hours, unit rates, and extended amounts. |
| Labor Charges | Separates regular time, overtime, foreman, journeyman, apprentice, service technician, testing, and supervision. |
| Materials and Equipment | Tracks pipe, fittings, valves, fixtures, pumps, water heaters, rentals, freight, delivery, and supplier charges. |
| Contract Billing | Summarizes original contract value, approved changes, prior billing, current billing, retainage, and remaining balance. |
| Adjustments | Records taxes, deposits, allowances, discounts, credits, backcharges, and retainage release. |
| Supporting Documentation | References time sheets, service tickets, delivery records, test reports, inspection records, daily logs, photos, and approvals. |
How to Use the Template
- Enter the plumbing contractor, customer, project, billing contact, and remittance information.
- Assign a unique invoice number and confirm the billing period, invoice date, due date, and payment terms.
- List each completed plumbing system, service task, contract item, or approved change separately.
- Enter quantities, units, labor hours, rates, and extended amounts.
- Separate labor, piping, fixtures, equipment, excavation, testing, permits, and subcontractor charges where required.
- Reference the estimate, contract, schedule-of-values item, work order, service ticket, purchase order, or change order supporting each charge.
- Record prior billing, deposits, retainage, credits, taxes, backcharges, and payments received.
- Attach required time records, delivery tickets, fixture records, test reports, signed service authorizations, or change-order approvals.
- Review descriptions, quantities, and calculations before issuing the invoice.
- Track payment, disputes, retainage, and the remaining balance until the invoice is closed.
A plumbing subcontractor submits a monthly progress invoice for a multifamily project. The invoice bills underground sanitary piping, domestic-water risers, fixture rough-in, water heaters, roof drains, gas piping, pressure testing, and insulation. It also includes an approved change order for relocated kitchen sinks, deducts prior billing, applies contract retainage, and references the applicable schedule-of-values items and material-delivery records.
Best Practices for Plumbing Invoices
- Use descriptions that match the contract scope and plumbing cost codes.
- Identify the system, building, floor, room, riser, or equipment tag when useful.
- Show measurable quantities for unit-priced work.
- Separate regular labor, overtime, material, equipment, and subcontractor charges.
- Reference approved change orders individually.
- Reconcile major fixture and equipment charges with purchase orders and supplier invoices.
- Apply retainage and taxes consistently with the agreement.
- Include required purchase-order, work-order, and billing references.
- Attach supporting documentation before submission.
- Preserve revised, credited, disputed, and voided invoice history.
Common Plumbing Invoice Mistakes
- Using broad descriptions without quantities or locations
- Billing unapproved change work as base-contract work
- Omitting the purchase-order, contract, or work-order number
- Failing to separate prior and current billing
- Applying the wrong retainage percentage
- Charging overtime without required authorization
- Failing to deduct deposits, credits, or previous payments
- Using inconsistent tax treatment for labor, materials, and equipment
- Submitting invoices without required time sheets, delivery tickets, or testing backup
- Closing the invoice before payment and retainage are reconciled
Frequently Asked Questions
What should be included on a plumbing invoice?
Include contractor and customer details, project information, invoice dates, payment terms, work descriptions, quantities, labor hours, rates, taxes, retainage, prior payments, and the current balance due.
Can this template be used for service calls?
Yes. It can record service date, technician, diagnostic work, regular and overtime hours, travel, materials, equipment, service charges, customer authorization, and payment status.
How should plumbing materials be billed?
List materials individually or by approved assembly, depending on the contract. Common entries include pipe, fittings, valves, supports, sleeves, drains, fixtures, trim, water heaters, pumps, and accessories.
Can the invoice support progress billing?
Yes. Track the original schedule-of-values amount, previous billing, current completion, stored materials where permitted, retainage, and balance remaining for each item.
How should change orders appear?
List each approved change separately with its change number, description, approved amount, prior billing, current billing, retainage, and remaining balance.
Should labor and materials be separated?
Separate them when required by the customer, contract, tax treatment, service agreement, insurance documentation, or internal reporting process.
What backup may be required?
Supporting records may include time sheets, signed service tickets, supplier invoices, delivery tickets, test reports, inspection records, daily logs, photos, approved change orders, and lien waivers.
When should a final plumbing invoice be issued?
Issue the final invoice after the billable scope, testing, flushing, disinfection, inspections, punch-list work, closeout documents, approved changes, and contractual billing conditions are complete.
Keep Plumbing Billing Clear and Traceable
A structured plumbing invoice helps contractors bill completed work accurately, document approved changes, track retainage and payments, and maintain consistent customer and project records.
SimplySub can help plumbing subcontractors organize customers, jobs, invoices, estimates, change orders, purchase orders, documents, and job-cost information within one workflow.