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Carpenter Invoice Template

A carpentry invoice has to show two things a homeowner or builder will check: how the hours split between shop work and on-site installation, and exactly what wood went into the job, by species, grade and quantity, because hardwood prices vary widely and clients compare them. This template is for carpenters and small joinery or cabinet shops billing custom built-ins, cabinetry, trim and door installation, decks and repairs. For larger jobs, bill a materials deposit or stages on separate invoices and carry the running total in the notes, so each invoice stays simple and the client can see what is left to pay. The download is an editable HTML file with the usual invoice header, line table and totals, plus fields for the project type, job address and room, estimate or contract reference, hours by task, lumber and sheet goods, hardware, finish, delivery and installation, change orders, earlier invoices on the job and your license number. Fill it in your browser, then print it or save it as PDF.

Draft this invoice
Preview this editable document

Download the HTML file to edit its fields, then print or save as PDF. Totals are entered manually.

What This Template Includes

  • Project type (custom build, installation, repair)
  • Job address and room or location
  • Estimate or contract reference
  • Labor hours by task (shop fabrication, on-site installation) and rate
  • Lumber by species, grade and board feet
  • Sheet goods by type and number of sheets
  • Hardware and fasteners
  • Finish (stain, paint or clear coat) and number of coats
  • Delivery, haul-away and installation charges
  • Approved change orders
  • Earlier deposit or stage invoices on this job, and amounts paid
  • Contractor license number, if you hold one

How to Create Your Carpenter 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

Small repairs and installs are usually billed on completion, due on receipt or within 7 to 14 days. Custom work where you buy expensive lumber first is usually billed in stages: a materials deposit when the contract is signed, sometimes a progress invoice when shop fabrication is done, and a final invoice after installation and walkthrough. Check your state's limits before setting the deposit. California, for example, caps the down payment on a home improvement contract at $1,000 or 10% of the contract price, whichever is less, and forbids collecting payment ahead of work done or materials delivered (Contractors State License Board, Industry Bulletin 22-14). Put the stage schedule, what triggers each payment and how change orders are priced in the contract, and repeat the schedule on each invoice.

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

Tax Information

Sales tax on carpentry depends on the state and on how the work is classified. Some states treat custom cabinetry or furniture sold and delivered as a sale of goods, others treat built-in work affixed to a home as a construction contract where the carpenter pays tax on materials when buying them, and repair labor is taxed in some states and not in others. Check your state revenue department's guidance for contractors before adding tax, and keep your purchase receipts. InvoiceQuickly applies one tax percentage to the whole invoice and copies your saved tax ID to new invoice PDFs; add professional licence details in notes, so if materials and labor are taxed differently, put them on separate invoices and add your numbers in the notes. This is not tax advice; check with your tax authority or an adviser.

Industry context (2026)

Two official rules affect how carpenters in the US bill and schedule work. First, lead paint: the US Environmental Protection Agency's Renovation, Repair and Painting rule requires firms paid to disturb paint in housing and child-occupied facilities built before 1978 to be certified, and the EPA names carpenters among the special trade contractors covered. Minor work that disturbs 6 square feet or less of painted surface per room inside, or 20 square feet or less outside, is excluded, but window replacement and demolition of painted surfaces are always covered (EPA, page updated 31 March 2026). Certified work takes extra setup, containment and cleanup time, which belongs on the estimate and invoice as its own line. Second, payment schedules: in California, a home improvement contract's down payment may not exceed $1,000 or 10% of the contract price, whichever is less, and payments may not run ahead of work performed or materials delivered (Contractors State License Board, Industry Bulletin 22-14, 22 November 2022). Other states set their own rules. We give no market rates for carpentry because we have no traceable source for them; price from your own costs.

Worked example

Oakline Joinery builds a white oak built-in bookcase for a homeowner under estimate EST-0127 ($3,800 estimated, hourly labor at $70.00 plus materials at cost). When the contract is signed on 2 October 2026, it issues invoice INV-0130 for the special-order materials only: 62 board feet of 4/4 FAS white oak at $11.50 = $713.00 and 4 sheets of 3/4-inch white oak plywood at $128.00 = $512.00, total $1,225.00, due on receipt. The client pays it on 3 October. After installation on 23 October, the final invoice INV-0136 bills what is left. Line 1: Shop fabrication, design, milling and assembly, 26 hours x $70.00 = $1,820.00. Line 2: On-site installation, scribing and fitting, 8 hours x $70.00 = $560.00. Line 3: Hardware, shelf pins, concealed hinges and fasteners, $86.40. Line 4: Finish, water-based clear coat, three coats, materials $64.00. Total $1,820.00 + $560.00 + $86.40 + $64.00 = $2,530.40, due in 7 days. No sales tax is shown in this example; check how your state treats built-in carpentry. The notes say: 'Job total $3,755.40: materials $1,225.00 billed on INV-0130 (paid 3 Oct) plus $2,530.40 on this invoice. Estimate EST-0127: $3,800.00.' The client sees the job came in $44.60 under the estimate, and no line on either invoice needs a negative amount.

Common mistakes to avoid

One lump sum for materials

'Materials: $1,225' invites the client to wonder what was bought. List species, grade and board feet for lumber and the sheet count for plywood; keep supplier receipts in case the client asks.

Subtracting a deposit as a negative line

Many invoicing tools, including InvoiceQuickly, do not allow negative line amounts, and a deposit subtracted from a full-price total confuses the tax and the balance. Bill the deposit as its own invoice and show the running job total in the notes.

Billing change orders without a signed change

Switching from poplar to walnut doubles the material line. Without a signed change order, the client can dispute the difference. Get the change in writing and reference it on the invoice.

Taking more upfront than your state allows

Deposit caps and rules against billing ahead of the work apply to home improvement contracts in some states, California among them. Check before you send the first invoice.

Ignoring lead-safe work rules in older homes

Removing painted trim or replacing windows in a pre-1978 home can be covered work under the EPA rule. Uncertified work risks penalties, and lead-safe setup time is real cost that belongs on the invoice.

Invoicing Tips

  • 1Split labor into shop hours and on-site hours. Clients accept shop time more easily when they can see it next to installation time instead of in one large figure.
  • 2Describe lumber the way you bought it: species, grade and board feet (for example '62 bd ft white oak, 4/4 FAS'). A board foot is 144 cubic inches, such as a piece 12 inches by 12 inches by 1 inch thick.
  • 3If the client chose the species or finish after the estimate, bill the difference as a change order line with the change order number, not by quietly raising the material line.
  • 4Bill a materials deposit as its own invoice that names the materials it pays for. The final invoice then bills only what is left, and the notes show the job total.
  • 5In homes built before 1978, check whether the work disturbs painted surfaces. Under the US EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting rule, carpenters doing covered work must be RRP-certified, and window replacement is always covered.
  • 6Keep off-cuts and leftover stock out of the client's bill unless the contract says the client owns them; if you credit unused materials, show the credit on the next invoice or a credit note.

Related Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

What should a carpenter's invoice include?

Your business name, contact details and license number if you hold one, the client and job address, an invoice number and dates, the project type and estimate reference, labor hours by task with your rate, lumber by species, grade and quantity, sheet goods, hardware, finish, delivery or installation charges, approved change orders, earlier invoices on the job, the total and payment instructions.

Should carpenters charge by the hour or by the job?

Fixed prices suit work you can measure precisely, such as a set length of trim or a standard door hang. Hourly billing plus materials suits repairs and custom pieces where the hours are uncertain. Many carpenters quote a fixed price for the build and bill extra hours only through signed change orders.

How do I bill materials on a carpentry invoice?

List each material on its own line: species, grade and board feet for lumber, type and count for sheet goods, and hardware by item or as one hardware line. Whether you bill at cost or with a markup is up to your contract; whichever you choose, apply it consistently and keep the supplier receipts.

How much deposit can a carpenter ask for?

It depends on the state and on whether the job is a home improvement contract. In California the down payment is limited to $1,000 or 10% of the contract price, whichever is less. Elsewhere it is set by your contract and local law, and many carpenters ask for enough to cover special-order lumber. Check your state's contractor board or consumer protection office.

Do I need to show my contractor license number on the invoice?

Requirements differ by state and are usually about contracts, bids and advertising rather than invoices. Showing the number on invoices too is a simple way to reassure clients. Check your state licensing board for the exact rule.

Can InvoiceQuickly create a carpenter invoice?

Yes. Describe the job, for example 26 shop hours and 8 install hours at your rate, white oak and plywood, and the hardware, and InvoiceQuickly drafts an editable invoice you review before saving. Line amounts cannot be negative and there is no deposit field, so bill a deposit or stage as its own invoice and write the running total in the notes.