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Appliance Repair Invoice Template

An appliance repair invoice has to do more than ask for payment. It is the record of which machine you worked on (brand, model and serial number), what the customer said was wrong, what you found, what the customer approved, and what you did about it. The money side splits three ways: the diagnostic or service-call fee you quoted before the visit, the labor, and the parts. Keep labor and parts on separate lines with their own subtotals, because some states tax parts but not repair labor, others tax the whole repair, and a manufacturer warranty may cover one but not the other. California goes further: its repair-dealer regulations list what every invoice must show, including the dealer's registration number and whether any part is used or exchanged. This template has a field for each of those. The download is an editable HTML invoice with invoice number, dates, a line-item table and totals. Fill it in your browser and print it or save it as PDF.

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What This Template Includes

  • State repair-dealer registration number, if your state issues one
  • Appliance type, brand, model number and serial number
  • Service address, and repair location if the unit went to your shop
  • Customer's description of the problem
  • Diagnosis: what you found
  • Estimate total and how the customer approved it (written, or date and time of oral approval)
  • Additional work: revised total and approval
  • Diagnostic or service-call fee, as quoted before the visit
  • Labor: task, time and rate, or flat-rate repair price
  • Parts: description, part number, and new, used, rebuilt or exchanged
  • Work and parts covered by manufacturer warranty, with claim number
  • Labor subtotal and parts subtotal, shown separately
  • Old parts returned to the customer, or why they were kept
  • Your guarantee on parts and labor, and anything it does not cover
  • Technician name or employee number

How to Create Your Appliance Repair Invoice

  1. 01

    Describe your work

    Type a plain English description of the services you provided, the client, and the amount.

  2. 02

    AI generates your invoice

    InvoiceQuickly's AI drafts the client, line items, dates, and totals for you to review before saving.

  3. 03

    Review, download, and send

    Check every detail, download the PDF, or use Pro to email the PDF directly to your client.

Recommended Payment Terms

Most residential appliance repairs are paid on completion, before the technician leaves or when the customer collects a unit from the shop, so 'due on receipt' is the usual term. Quote the diagnostic or trip fee before the visit and say on the estimate whether it is credited against the repair if the customer goes ahead; in California a customer can be charged a diagnostic fee only if it was disclosed in writing beforehand. For parts on order, many shops take payment for the part when it is ordered and bill the labor at the return visit: issue the second invoice with the first one's number and amount in the notes. Property managers, landlords and commercial kitchens usually pay on account: agree net 15 or net 30, ask for a work order or purchase order number for every call, and put the unit's location (building, apartment or kitchen line) on each invoice so it can be matched.

Need help writing payment terms? Read our guide to invoice payment terms for best practices and templates.

Tax Information

Sales tax on appliance repair depends on the state, and the parts/labor split is where it matters. California: under CDTFA Regulation 1546, if the retail value of the parts is more than 10% of the total charge, or you charge for the parts separately, you are the retailer of the parts and tax applies to them; you must show the parts price separately from labor on the invoice. Separately stated repair labor is not taxed. If parts are 10% or less of the total and not charged separately, you pay tax when you buy the parts instead. The statewide base rate is 7.25% and most addresses add district taxes. Texas: appliance repair is a taxable service (Texas Comptroller Publication 96-259, Rule 3.292), so tax applies to the repair charge, labor included. Other states differ again, so check your state revenue department. InvoiceQuickly applies one tax percentage to the whole invoice. That works for a Texas-style repair; for a California-style invoice where only the parts are taxed, calculate the tax on the parts yourself and enter it as its own line with the invoice tax set to 0%. General information, not tax advice.

Industry context (2026)

Appliance repair paperwork is regulated at state level. California's Bureau of Household Goods and Services registers service dealers that repair major home appliances (refrigerators, freezers, washers, dryers, ovens) and consumer electronics. California Code of Regulations, Title 16, section 2725 says every customer gets a legible invoice showing, among other things, the dealer's registration number labelled as such, the item's make, model and serial number, a summary of the customer's description of the problem, each part installed with any part replaced under warranty noted, labor itemised with warranty labor noted, all other charges itemised, a statement identifying any used or exchanged parts, and the signature or employee number of the person who did the repair (Cornell Legal Information Institute copy, accessed 28 October 2026). The Bureau's consumer FAQ adds that a written estimate with the total price is required before the repair, that a diagnostic fee is owed only if disclosed in writing, and that old parts must be returned unless they are unsafe, rebuilt on exchange or the customer waives return (bhgs.dca.ca.gov, Internet Archive capture of 12 October 2025, accessed 28 October 2026). Tax rules for the same job differ by state: California taxes separately stated parts but not repair labor (CDTFA Regulation 1546), while Texas lists appliance repair as a taxable service (Comptroller Publication 96-259, January 2026). General information, not legal or tax advice.

Worked example

Worked example (illustrative rates, not market data): a registered California appliance repair dealer is called to a refrigerator that is not cooling. Estimate given on site: $345.06 including tax, approved in writing at 10:15 on 21 October 2026. Diagnosis: frost build-up on the evaporator; defrost heater open circuit. Invoice INV-0318, dated 21 October, due on receipt. Unit: Whirlpool side-by-side refrigerator, model and serial number from the rating plate. Line 1: diagnostic fee, quoted in writing when the visit was booked, 1 × $95.00. Line 2: labor, replace defrost heater and defrost thermostat, test defrost cycle, 1.25 hours × $120.00 = $150.00. Line 3: defrost heater, new, OEM part number, 1 × $68.40. Line 4: defrost thermostat, new, OEM part number, 1 × $24.90. Labor and fees $245.00 (not taxed); parts $93.30. Parts are 27.6% of the $338.30 charge, well over 10%, so under Regulation 1546 tax applies to the parts and they must be shown separately. Sales tax at the illustrative 7.25% statewide base rate on $93.30 = $6.76 (your address will usually add a district rate). Total $345.06. Notes: registration number; 'Old parts returned to customer'; '90-day guarantee on parts and labor'; technician employee number. In InvoiceQuickly the tax goes in as its own line, 'Sales tax 7.25% on parts $93.30', 1 × $6.76, with the invoice tax set to 0%. The same repair in Texas would be taxed on the whole $338.30 at the local combined rate, and there the single invoice tax rate fits.

Common mistakes to avoid

One lump sum for parts and labor

'Refrigerator repair: $338.30' hides the split that decides the tax and the warranty claim. In California a separate parts price is required once parts pass 10% of the charge.

No model or serial number

Without them the invoice cannot support a warranty claim, a recall check or a return visit, and California requires them on the invoice.

Surprise diagnostic fee

Charging a diagnostic fee the customer never heard about is the fastest route to a dispute. Quote it in writing before the visit and show it on its own line.

Extra work without a recorded approval

When the repair grows, record who approved the revised total and when, on the invoice. An unrecorded phone call is hard to rely on later.

Taxing the wrong lines

Applying one rate to the whole bill in a state that taxes only parts overcharges the customer; taxing only parts in a state that taxes the repair undercharges. Check your state before setting the rate.

Invoicing Tips

  • 1Write the model and serial number from the rating plate, not from memory. It is how a manufacturer, a home warranty company or the next technician identifies the unit, and California requires it on the invoice.
  • 2Put the diagnostic fee on its own line and, if you credit it against the repair, show the credit as a separate line too, so the customer sees it was honoured.
  • 3Give every part its part number and condition. 'Defrost heater, new, OEM part no.' with the number from the manufacturer's parts list answers both a warranty question and a tax question; 'parts: $93.30' answers neither.
  • 4Record warranty work at $0 with the manufacturer or home-warranty claim number, even when the customer pays nothing. It shows what was done and stops a second claim on the same failure.
  • 5If the customer approves extra work by phone, write the date, time and revised total on the invoice before you finish the job, not afterwards.
  • 6Say what happened to the old parts: returned to the customer, kept as an exchange core, or kept because they were unsafe or the customer waived return.

Related Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

What should an appliance repair invoice include?

Your business details and any state registration number, the customer's name and address, the appliance's brand, model and serial number, the problem reported and the diagnosis, the approved estimate, the diagnostic fee, labor and parts on separate lines with part numbers, any warranty work at $0 with the claim number, tax, the total and your guarantee.

Should parts and labor be listed separately on an appliance repair invoice?

Yes. Several states tax parts and repair labor differently, so a single lump sum can mean overcharging or undercharging tax. California requires parts to be shown separately when they are more than 10% of the charge or billed separately. Separate lines also make warranty claims and customer questions easier to settle.

Can I charge a diagnostic fee if the customer does not go ahead with the repair?

Usually, if you told the customer about it before you started. In California a customer is liable for a diagnostic fee only if it was disclosed in writing when the unit was brought in or before the estimate was given. Put the fee and whether it is credited against the repair on the estimate.

Is appliance repair taxable?

It depends on the state. In California, separately stated repair labor is not taxed, but parts usually are. In Texas, appliance repair is a taxable service, so tax applies to the repair charge. Check your state revenue department for the rate and what it applies to.

Do appliance repair technicians need a license to invoice customers?

Some states regulate repair dealers. California, for example, requires electronic and appliance service dealers to register with the Bureau of Household Goods and Services and to print the registration number on invoices. Other states and cities have their own rules, so check before you start trading.

How do I invoice a repair covered by a manufacturer warranty?

Bill the customer only for what the warranty does not cover, such as a trip fee, and list the covered parts and labor at $0 with the claim number. Claim the covered amount from the manufacturer or its service administrator through their own process, which usually has its own claim forms.

Can I make an appliance repair invoice in InvoiceQuickly?

Yes. Type or say what you did, for example 'Whirlpool fridge, diagnostic $95, 1.25 hours labor at $120, defrost heater $68.40', and InvoiceQuickly drafts an editable invoice you review before saving. It has one tax rate per invoice and no parts catalogue, dispatch or scheduling. Free covers 5 invoices in total; Pro is $9 a month.