What goes on an electrician’s invoice
- •Your business name and contact details, and your license number if your state requires it on invoices.
- •The customer’s name and the job address.
- •A plain-language description of the work: “Replaced 20-amp breaker and tested circuit”, not “electrical repairs”.
- •Labor, materials, and any service-call, permit or inspection fee, each on its own line.
- •An invoice number, a date, a real due date and how the customer can pay.
Labor and materials
Bill labor by the hour (hours as the quantity, your rate as the price) or per task with a quantity of 1. List materials separately with quantities and prices — breakers, wire, boxes, devices, fixtures — and keep receipts for anything you bought for the customer. If the customer supplied a fixture or device, note it, so it’s clear you didn’t provide or warrant it.
Permits, inspections and service calls
Give permit and inspection fees their own lines, and say which permit they belong to. If you pulled the permit for the customer, make it clear the charge is a cost you passed through, not part of your labor. A service-call fee also gets its own line, and works best when you mentioned it at booking.
Getting paid
Invoice the same day, while the customer has working power and a clear memory of what changed. If an invoice slips, these payment reminder email templates help, or set up automatic invoice reminders. Not sure how to set your rate? Read flat rate or hourly: how electricians should charge.
Frequently asked questions
What should an electrician’s invoice include?
Your business name, contact details and license number if required; the customer’s name and job address; an invoice number and date; a description of the work; labor; materials with quantities and prices; any service-call, permit or inspection fee; the total; a due date; and how the customer can pay.
How do I show permit and inspection fees?
Put each on its own line, with the permit or inspection it relates to. If you pulled the permit on the customer’s behalf, say so, so the charge is clearly a pass-through cost and not part of your labor.
Should I bill electrical work flat rate or hourly?
Flat rate suits defined jobs like installing a fixture or replacing a panel, where you can estimate the work. Hourly suits troubleshooting or open-ended work. Whichever you use, agree it before starting and use the same layout on the invoice.
How do I bill materials on an electrical job?
List materials on their own lines, apart from labor, with quantities and prices — breakers, wire, boxes, fixtures. Keep receipts for anything you bought for the customer, and note any material the customer supplied themselves.
Can I include a workmanship warranty on the invoice?
Yes. State what your workmanship guarantee covers and for how long in the notes, along with any manufacturer warranty on installed equipment. Match the wording to what you actually offer.