Construction Invoice Template
A free, contractor-grade construction invoice template with 12+ line-item categories (framing, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, roofing, finishes) and built-in progress billing and retainage fields. Download as PDF or Excel -- no signup required.
A construction invoice template is a pre-built document that lists the work completed, materials used, labor hours, and payment terms for a construction project. BuildStackHub's free construction invoice template includes line-item pricing for 12+ construction categories (framing, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, roofing, finishes), progress billing support, and automated totals. Download free as PDF or Excel. Professional templates range from $0 (basic) to $50 (specialized construction formats).
What's Included on a Construction Invoice Template
The BuildStackHub free template covers every field a contractor needs to bill residential and light commercial work. Here are the 12+ line-item categories the template ships with:
Beyond the line items, the template includes these progress billing / retainage fields so contractors can run monthly draw requests on larger projects:
Retainage % -- typically 10%, withheld until final punch list. Scheduled value -- total contract amount per line item. Prior billed -- sum invoiced through last cycle. Current bill -- work completed this period. Total completed -- prior billed + current bill. Balance to finish -- scheduled value minus total completed.
What the Template Looks Like
Each line shows category, description, quantity, unit rate, and total. Here's a sample for a kitchen addition project:
| Category | Description | Qty | Rate | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Framing | 2×6 wall framing labor + materials | 96 lf | $8.50/lf | $816 |
| Electrical | 200A panel upgrade + rough-in | 1 ea | $2,800 | $2,800 |
| Plumbing | Kitchen supply + drain rough-in | 1 ea | $1,950 | $1,950 |
| HVAC | Extend supply and return ducts | 28 lf | $22/lf | $616 |
| Drywall | Hang + tape + mud 5/8" Type X | 640 sq ft | $1.85/sf | $1,184 |
How BuildStackHub Stacks Up Against Other Invoice Options
The most common ways contractors create invoices today -- free templates vs. paid software vs. built-in job costing platforms:
| Product | Format | Price | Construction Fields | Progress Billing | QuickBooks Export |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BuildStackHub | PDF + Excel + Word | Free | 12+ trade categories, retainage, scheduled values | Yes -- monthly draw layout | Excel headers match QB import format |
| QuickBooks | Web + mobile app | $0-$90/mo | Basic; QB Contractor Edition adds job cost | Yes -- QB Contractor Edition only ($90/mo) | Native (it is QuickBooks) |
| FreshBooks | Web + mobile app | $0-$79/mo | Generic invoice fields | No -- single billing per project | QBO sync |
| Smartsheet | Excel/Sheets template | Free (template) / $9-$32/mo (platform) | Generic line items | Manual via sheets | Manual export |
| Eforms | PDF + Word (download) | Free (basic) / $9.99 (premium) | Generic contractor fields | No manual retainage field | Manual re-entry |
| JobTread | Web app (subscription) | Included in subscription | Construction-native + job costing | Yes -- AIA G702/G703 support | QuickBooks sync add-on |
For most residential GCs and remodelers (under 20 invoices/month), the BuildStackHub free template + QuickBooks Simple Start ($30/mo) covers the same core workflow as the $90/mo Contractor Edition. Larger commercial contractors doing AIA G702/G703 progress billing on monthly draws benefit most from JobTread's $199/mo subscription.
How Progress Billing Works on a Construction Invoice
Progress billing breaks the contract total into a schedule of values (a list of line items with a dollar value per item), then invoices a percentage of each line item as the work is completed in the field. The standard forms for this are AIA G702 (Application and Certificate for Payment) and AIA G703 (Continuation Sheet) -- the construction industry's default format for monthly draw requests on commercial and custom home projects.
The key fields on a progress billing invoice are:
Scheduled value -- the contract value for that line item. % complete this period -- how much of that work was completed between draw cycles. Materials stored on site -- materials paid for but not yet installed (billable in most contracts). Retainage -- typically 10% withheld from each draw, released after final punch list. Balance to finish -- remaining value not yet billed.
Progress billing is the standard on jobs over $100K because it lets the contractor recover material and labor costs monthly instead of financing the entire project out-of-pocket. Residential jobs under $50K typically use a single invoice at completion.
How to Use This Template with QuickBooks
Two common ways to bring a BuildStackHub invoice into QuickBooks:
Method 1 -- Manual entry (best for one-off invoices): In QuickBooks Online, click the Plus (+) button, choose Invoice, then transcribe each line item from your PDF into QB's invoice screen. Takes about 5 minutes per invoice.
Method 2 -- Excel import (best for 5+ invoices/month): In QuickBooks Online, go to Settings → Import Data → Invoices, and upload the .xlsx file from BuildStackHub. QB's column mapping reads the construction invoice template's headers directly. Takes about 2 minutes per batch of invoices.
For contractors doing 20+ invoices per month with progress billing, QuickBooks Contractor Edition ($90/mo) lets you build invoices natively without the import step. See our QuickBooks construction comparison for a full breakdown of QB Simple Start vs QB Contractor vs JobTread.
No Signup.
The BuildStackHub construction invoice template is free for commercial use. Includes 12+ trade categories, progress billing, retainage, and QuickBooks-compatible Excel headers.