Plumbing invoice template

Download the Plumbing invoice template

The same sample document in two formats. The PDF is what a finished invoice looks like; the spreadsheet has live formulas, so change a quantity or a rate and the totals follow.

No signup, no email, no watermark. Sample figures — edit everything. Opens in Excel, Numbers and Google Sheets.

See this invoice filled in, in the builder — the same sample, editable.

What a Plumbing invoice needs on it

Plumbing estimates get disputed over two things: what the fixture actually is, and what happened when you opened the wall. Write the fixture make and model so nobody assumes the builder-grade version, and name the code upgrades a modern install triggers — expansion tank, pan and drain, seismic strapping — before the inspector does. A homeowner who reads those on your estimate understands why the cheap bid is cheap.

A plumbing invoice should record the model installed and the date, because fixture warranties run from installation and the homeowner will not have kept the box. If you replaced a water heater, the invoice is also the document a home inspector will ask for at resale.

• Fixture make, model and finish — "toilet" and "comfort-height elongated, brushed nickel trim" are different bids
• Code upgrades the install triggers: expansion tank, pressure-reducing valve, pan and drain line
• Access notes — whether the price assumes an accessible shutoff and a workable clearance
• Whether drywall, tile or finish carpentry repair is included, since it usually is not
• Permit and inspection, which most jurisdictions require for water heaters and repipes

And what every invoice needs

Send it the day the work is finished. Invoices sent within 24 hours get paid materially faster than ones that go out at the end of the month.

• A due date, not just terms — "Net 14" means less to a homeowner than a date
• Any deposit already paid, credited on the page so the balance is unarguable
• Payment instructions the customer can act on without calling you
• The estimate number it came from, so the customer can reconcile the two

Plumbing line items included in this template

These load into the builder ready to edit. Prices are starting points, not our opinion of what you should charge — set your own and they save to your price book.

Rates are illustrative US figures and vary widely by market. Price your own work.

How plumbers price this work

Residential plumbing splits between flat-rate task pricing and hourly service work. Flat-rate is the norm for known jobs — a water heater swap, a toilet install — because the customer wants a number before you start. Hourly with a service-call minimum fits diagnostics and anything behind a wall. The honest middle ground is a flat price with a stated allowance for what you cannot see.

Questions

Should a plumbing estimate include drywall repair?

Only if you are actually doing it — and say so either way. "Access holes cut as required; drywall repair and paint by others" on the estimate prevents the most common plumbing dispute there is, which is a customer expecting to get their wall back finished.

How do I price a job when I cannot see the pipe?

Quote the visible scope as a fixed price and carry an allowance with a stated unit rate for what is behind the wall — for example, so many feet of replacement at a per-foot price. The customer gets a real number and you are not absorbing a discovery you had no way to price.

Do I need a permit for a water heater replacement?

In most US jurisdictions, yes, and it is inspected. Put the permit on the estimate as its own line rather than burying it in labor: it shows the customer why a permitted install costs more than the handyman quote they also received.

What has to be on an invoice?

At minimum: your business name and contact details, the customer, an invoice number, the date, an itemised description of what was done, the amount due, and how to pay. Trades that carry a license usually put the license number on it too, and in some jurisdictions that is required.

How soon should I invoice after finishing a job?

Same day where you can. The gap between finishing and invoicing is the single easiest lever on how fast you get paid, and it costs nothing to close.

Can I charge a late fee?

Usually, if you stated it before the work — commonly 1 to 1.5% per month. It has to be on the estimate or your terms, not introduced for the first time on an overdue invoice, and some states cap the rate. Check your own state before relying on it.