A plumbing invoice has three natural lines: the service call (which covers showing up and diagnosing), labor at your hourly or flat rate, and parts. This template is prefilled that way — $95 call-out and $115/hr are placeholders in the range most US markets bill; set your own numbers once and they persist.
Due-on-completion is the industry norm for residential service work, and the prefilled terms say so. For repipes, remodels and other multi-day jobs, switch to the contractor structure with a deposit and progress draws.
Flat-rate vs time-and-materials billing
Flat-rate (a fixed price per task, quoted upfront) wins on customer trust and lets you keep efficiency gains; time-and-materials protects you on unpredictable diagnostics. Whichever you use, the invoice should still show the work performed specifically — “Replaced 40-gal gas water heater, hauled old unit” — because specific invoices get challenged less and referenced more.
If the service call fee is waived when the customer proceeds with the repair, show it at $0 with “waived with repair” in the description rather than deleting the line — the customer sees the value, and your records show the visit.
Parts, markup and warranty language
Marking up parts 25–100% over trade cost is standard and legitimate — you sourced, stocked, transported and warranted them. List parts by name and size so a second plumber (or a home warranty company) can verify the scope from the invoice alone.
Warranty language belongs on every service invoice: labor warranty period (90 days–1 year is common), and a pointer to the manufacturer’s parts warranty. It reduces callbacks-as-disputes and is a genuine selling point in reviews.
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Frequently asked questions
Do plumbers charge sales tax on labor?
Depends on the state: many exempt repair labor but tax parts; some tax the whole bill. Common practice is separate labor and parts lines, taxing only what your state taxes — confirm your state rule once and set the tax field accordingly.
What payment terms should a plumber use?
Due on completion for service calls — collect on-site by card if you can. Net 7 to net 14 for property managers and repeat commercial accounts. Deposits for jobs requiring special-order fixtures.
Should I itemize every part?
Itemize significant parts (fixtures, valves, heaters) individually and roll consumables into one “fittings & consumables” line. Full itemization on major parts is what insurance and warranty claims will ask for.
How do I bill emergency or after-hours work?
A separate line — “After-hours emergency call-out” — at your premium (1.5×–2× standard is typical), disclosed on the phone before rolling. Never bury the premium inside the labor rate.