Fill in the form and download a clean PDF invoice. Free, with no signup and no watermark — your data never leaves your browser.
How to create an invoice
Add your details
Enter your business name, your client’s details, and an invoice number. Clients save on your device for next time.
Add line items, tax & currency
List what you’re billing with quantity and rate. Pick a currency, add tax or discount — totals calculate automatically.
Download the PDF
Click Download PDF for a clean, print-ready invoice to send to your client. No account, no email gate, no watermark.
Contractor Invoice Generator — Free, No Signup
By Innvoic
A kitchen remodel doesn’t pay out in one check. It pays in four progress draws. A commercial job holds 10% until final inspection. And the homeowner adds a skylight mid-project that needs its own paper trail. Spreadsheet invoices buckle under this. This free contractor invoice generator is built for the way jobs actually run: milestone-based line items, change orders added without retyping, partial payments tracked against the contract total. You don’t need an account. It runs in your browser and the PDFs come out clean.
See what the finished PDF looks like: Download a sample contractor invoice (PDF). Sample invoice generated with the Innvoic tool using fictional details. Downloaded PDFs carry a one-line footer credit beginning “Generated free with Innvoic” — no watermark across the document.
Line items that match progress billing
Structure each invoice around the job’s milestones, not one lump sum. “Framing: Draw 2 of 4.” “Rough-in electrical.” “Tile and fixtures.” Materials and labor sit as separate lines so the client can see where the money went. Line items support quantity, hours, and days as units, so a real draw reads the way the job ran: “Crew: 3 days × $640/day” = $1,920; “Plywood: 40 sheets × $38” = $1,520, taxed per line at your rate. A negotiated allowance goes in as one invoice-level discount, shown underneath — the client sees the full cost and the break you gave them, not a quietly edited line. When the client adds scope mid-job, don’t touch history. Add the change order as a new line on the next draw and reference the original contract in the notes. That separation is what keeps a disputed “you never quoted this” from becoming a delayed payment.
Retention and partial payments, without the spreadsheet
Retention is where most free tools give up: a percentage held back until completion. Here you record each draw in the amount-paid field as it lands, and the balance due recomputes through every installment — no spreadsheet, no mental math at the tailgate. The client sees paid-to-date and what remains at a glance; when a GC holds retention, note the percentage in the terms so nothing about the final payout is a surprise later. Invoices save to history with statuses (draft, sent, paid, overdue), so you always know which draws are secured and which jobs are floating a balance. For repeat clients, the database stores their details once. The fifth invoice for the same builder takes thirty seconds to start. Export to CSV when tax season or an audit asks for the year’s draws.
Invoice from the trailer, not the office
Contractor admin happens at the job site, in the truck, and at the supply counter. The generator runs in the browser with a mobile layout and a sticky bottom bar. No app to install, no account to log into with dusty hands. Walk the finished phase with the client, add the change-order line they just approved, and email the draw request from the driveway through your own mail app. Or download the PDF and hand it over. Add a QR payment code to the on-screen preview (PayPal.Me, Venmo, or bank details) and progress draws clear faster. The downloaded PDF lists the payment method as text. The sooner the invoice follows the walkthrough, the less time it sits in someone’s inbox.
Two mistakes that slow down contractor payments
Billing the change order inside the original line. Fold a skylight into the framing line and the client disputes the whole draw. Give every change its own line, dated, and the original scope stays beyond argument.
Waiting until you’re back at a desk. Payment terms run from the day the client receives the invoice, not the day the phase finished. Send the draw from the driveway while the walkthrough is still fresh — the invoice lands the same hour the client saw the work.
How do I invoice for progress billing?
Split the contract total into one line item per draw, then record each draw as a partial payment. The balance-due line always shows what’s paid and what’s still outstanding on the job.
What should a contractor put on an invoice?
Milestone or phase descriptions, labor at hours × rate, materials as separate lines, change orders itemized apart from the original scope, your retention terms, and payment terms with a late-fee clause.
How do I handle change orders on an invoice?
Add them as new line items on the current draw, and reference the original contract in the notes. Never rewrite past invoices. That separation is what keeps a disputed change from becoming a late payment.
Can I invoice a client from the job site on my phone?
Yes. It runs in any mobile browser with no signup or install, sticky bottom bar for small screens. Email the draw request from the driveway or download the PDF and hand it over.
Related: how to create an invoice.
What a contractor invoice should include
A contractor invoice should reference the contract or project name, the billing period, and the progress milestone. For progress billing, show the percentage complete and the amount due for this period. List change orders as separate line items with their approval dates — never bury them in “miscellaneous.” Include your license number (commonly required depending on your location — check local rules), and note retention amounts if the contract withholds a percentage until completion.
Worked example: $4,800.00 progress billing (illustrative)
This is an illustrative example, not a market price. Progress billing on a $12,000 contract:
- Phase 2 work — 40% of $12,000 contract: $4,800.00
- Approved change order #3 (additional outlet): $480.00
- Subtotal: $5,280.00 ($4,800.00 + $480.00)
- Less 10% retention: -$528.00
- Amount due this period: $4,752.00
This is an illustrative example, not a market price. Retention terms vary by contract — check your agreement.
Contractor billing mistakes to avoid
- Undocumented change orders: Every change needs a written approval and a separate invoice line. Verbal “just do it” agreements lead to payment disputes.
- Vague progress milestones: “40% complete” means nothing without a definition. Tie each billing to a verifiable milestone: “framing complete, inspected.”
- Ignoring retention: If the contract holds 10% until final inspection, show it on every invoice. The client will — and they’ll short-pay if you don’t.
Related trades: electrician invoice generator, plumber invoice generator, HVAC invoice generator.