FREE INVOICE TEMPLATE
Free invoice template for any business
One clean invoice: your details, the customer, a number and a due date, every charge on its own line, tax, any deposit and the balance due in bold. Free in Word and PDF, open it in Google Docs in five steps — and a trade-specific version for plumbing, cleaning, construction, towing and 13 more.
Word and PDF · Free · No email, no sign-up
The short answer
An invoice needs your business name and contact details, the customer, an invoice number, the date and the due date, and every charge on its own line — the work, the materials, the fees — with a subtotal, tax where it applies, any deposit already paid and the balance due.
Then the two lines that get it paid: how to pay — card, bank transfer, check — and when, in words the customer can act on. An invoice with no due date is a suggestion.
Pick the version for your trade below, or use the general template on this page for anything else — it downloads as Word and PDF, and opens in Google Docs if that's where you work.
FREE TEMPLATE · WORD AND PDF
The invoice template, filled in
Below is the template filled in for Oakline Fencing, a fictional business, so you can see every line in use. The downloads are the same invoice with [bracketed] lines to replace — free, no email address, no sign-up.
![Free Invoice Template — the blank fill-in invoice as it downloads, with [bracketed] lines to replace](/invoice-templates/free-invoice-template-preview.png)
Example · fictional business
Oakline Fencing Madison, WI (608) 555-0122 · hello@oaklinefencing.example | INVOICE |
Bill to Sam Kowalski 2615 Monroe St Madison, WI | Job Repair rear fence: replace three panels, re-hang gate Same address · Oct 13, 2026 Per estimate #E-1032, approved Oct 6 |
| Description | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labor — replace three fence panels Remove damaged panels, set two new posts in concrete, fit panels | 1 | $360.00 | $360.00 |
| Materials — panels, posts, concrete, hardware 3 cedar panels, 2 posts, 4 bags concrete, brackets and screws | 1 | $412.00 | $412.00 |
| Re-hang gate and replace latch New self-closing hinges and latch | 1 | $85.00 | $85.00 |
| Haul away old panels | 1 | $45.00 | $45.00 |
| Subtotal | $902.00 | ||
| Sales tax, 5.5% on materials (example) | $22.66 | ||
| Total | $924.66 | ||
| Deposit received | −$200.00 | ||
| Balance due | $724.66 | ||
Payment
Due within 14 days. Pay by card, check or bank transfer. Thank you for your business.
Notes
Old panels hauled away. Cedar will silver naturally; a stain in spring keeps the color.
Every figure on the example is an example, not a price guide — use your own rates. The Word file is a standard .docx you can edit in Word or any app that opens Word documents; the PDF prints as-is if you'd rather fill it in by hand.
Invoices and a website, one place
Start your business website — invoicing is built in
Add your business name and your town, and Zarla builds your business website from this one line. The same dashboard sends invoices like this one, with a pay-now button once you're on a paid plan.
Already have a website? Bring it across →Zarla keeps your old page addresses where it can and redirects the ones that change, helping you keep the Google standing you've built.
WHICH ONE?
Invoice, receipt, estimate or quote
Four documents that look alike and mean different things. Say which one yours is in the title.
| Document | What it says | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Invoice | The bill for work done: what was done, what each part cost, what's owed and how to pay. | After the job, or at a milestone. The estimate or quote becomes the invoice line for line, with the deposit taken off — this page. |
| Receipt | Proof that the invoice — or a sale — was paid: what was paid for, how and when, and the balance remaining. | The moment money changes hands: a card at the door, cash on the tailgate, a transfer that cleared. Our free receipt template is linked below. |
| Estimate | Your best calculation of what the job will cost, from what you can see today. The final price can move if the work turns out different. | Before the job, when there are unknowns — what's behind the wall, what's in the garage. The free estimate template is linked below. |
| Quote (fixed price) | The price you will charge for the work described. It stands once the customer says yes; a change to the work is a change order. | Before the job, when you can see all of it — a repaint, a water heater, a deck. The quote becomes the invoice when the work is done. |
The invoice template in Google Docs
Google Docs opens Word files, so the template on this page is the Google Docs invoice template too — no separate download, no sign-in, no add-on. Five steps:
- Download the Word template (the button above). It's a standard .docx file.
- Go to Google Drive, choose New, then File upload, and pick the file. Drive keeps it as a Word file at first.
- Open it. Google Docs shows it in Word-compatibility mode; choose File, then Save as Google Docs, and it becomes an ordinary Google Doc with the table layout intact.
- Replace every [bracketed] line with your details, then File, then Make a copy for each new invoice — or keep one Doc and change the number, the date and the lines.
- To send it, choose File, then Download, then PDF, and attach the PDF to your email — or share the Doc with the customer as view-only.
Two things to know. Google Docs keeps the table, the fonts and the bold balance-due row, but it doesn't do the arithmetic — type the amounts and the total yourself, or move the line items into Google Sheets if you want it added up for you. And a Doc you share as “anyone with the link” is public to anyone who has it; share it with the customer's email, or send the PDF.
Invoice templates by trade
Each trade's page has the same free template shaped for that trade — the lines its customers expect, the example filled in for a fictional business, and the rules that apply to it — plus the Word and PDF downloads.
- Junk removal invoice template — the load by truck volume, item fees, disposal, labor extras and where it all went.
- Car detailing invoice template — the vehicle and its condition noted, the package, add-ons like ceramic coating and a mobile fee.
- Pressure washing invoice template — each surface by the square foot with the method named, gutters by the foot, a before-and-after line.
- Cleaning invoice template — each visit by date, the type of clean, add-ons, recurring billing and the recurring discount.
- Construction invoice template — progress draws against the contract, change orders, allowance adjustments and retainage.
- Handyman invoice template — one line per task, flat or hourly, materials, a trip charge and a job minimum.
- Plumbing invoice template — parts and labor apart, the service call, the permit, the haul-away and your license number.
- Pet sitting invoice template — each visit or overnight by date, every pet named, add-on walks and holiday rates.
- Towing invoice template — hook-up, loaded mileage, after-hours and winch fees, storage by the day, plus a tow receipt for the release.
- Daycare invoice template — monthly tuition per child, late pickup and extra days, and the tax ID parents need for the child-care credit.
- Moving invoice template — crew hours, travel time, packing materials, specialty items and your USDOT number.
- Notary invoice template — notarial acts at the state fee, travel, printing and the signing-agent fee kept apart, your commission number.
- Electrician invoice template — permit and inspection first, parts and labor apart, the panel named, your license number on every page.
- Tree service invoice template — each tree on its own line with size and method, stump grinding, the permit, cleanup and what was left on site.
- Consulting invoice template — hours or retainer against the engagement, expenses at cost, the PO number and the W-9 details business clients need.
- HVAC invoice template — diagnostic, labor and equipment apart, the unit named with its rating, refrigerant by the pound, the permit.
- Painting invoice template — prep on its own line, walls and ceilings by the square foot with coats stated, trim by the piece, paint as materials, colors recorded.
Billing before the job? The free estimate template has the same shape for the estimate, with versions for ten trades. Pricing the job itself? Our trade pricing guides — pressure washing, house cleaning, plumbing, handyman, junk removal, car detailing — carry the US rates and a free calculator.
LINE BY LINE
What goes on an invoice
Every line on the template, in order, and what to write on it.
| The line | What to put there |
|---|---|
| Business name and contact | Your trading name, phone, email and address — and your license or registration number if your trade has one where you work. Customers check, and some states require it on the paperwork. |
| Invoice number, date and due date | A number that never repeats (1001, 1002… or 2026-041), the date you send it, and the date payment is due — 14 days is common for homeowners, 30 for businesses. The due date is the line that gets you paid. |
| Bill to and job address | Who pays and where the work happened, when they're different — a landlord for a tenant's address, a company for a site. |
| The job in one line | What you did, where and when, and the estimate it matches if there was one. The customer should recognize it instantly. |
| One line per charge | Labor as a flat price or hours × rate, materials as a line or itemized, then any service call, permit, disposal or add-on on its own line. Five lines that add up get paid; one lump sum gets a question. |
| Subtotal, tax, deposit and balance due | The lines added up, sales tax on the lines your state taxes, any deposit the customer already paid taken off, and the balance due in bold at the bottom. |
| How to pay | Card, bank transfer or check, and when — in words the customer can act on. |
| Notes | Anything the customer needs to know: care instructions, what was left on site, when to book again, a thank-you. |
STEP BY STEP
How to fill out the invoice template
Five minutes the day the work is done — the invoice sent on the day is the one paid on time.
Put your details at the top
Business name, phone, email, address and any license number. Save the file once with these filled in so every invoice starts ready.
Number and date it, set the due date
The next number in your series, today's date, and a due date the customer can see — 14 days for homeowners, 30 for businesses.
Fill in who pays and the job
The customer's name and address, the job address if different, what you did in one line, the date, and the estimate it matches.
List every charge on its own line
Labor, materials, fees, add-ons — one line each with a quantity and a rate, so the amounts add up in front of the customer.
Add tax, subtract the deposit, show the balance
Sales tax on the lines your state taxes, the deposit already paid taken off, and the balance due in bold.
Write how to pay and send it the same day
Card, bank transfer or check, and the due date. Email the PDF, or print it and hand it over. Invoices sent the day of the job get paid sooner than ones sent on Friday.
How to get an invoice paid faster
Send it the same day. The customer is happiest about the job the day it's done; the invoice that arrives then is paid in a week, and the one that arrives in ten days is paid in a month. Send it before you leave, or from the van.
Put a due date on it, in days. “Due within 14 days” or “Due Oct 28” gets paid; “Due on receipt” gets ignored and “Net 30” confuses homeowners. Follow up the day after it's due, politely, every time.
Make paying easy. A card link or your bank details on the invoice removes the one step customers put off — finding the checkbook. The fewer things a customer has to do, the sooner the money lands.
Take a deposit on jobs with materials. If you buy expensive parts or block out days before you earn, a deposit covers them — and shows on the final invoice as “deposit received”, so the balance is clear.
Match the estimate. The customer has your estimate in their hand; an invoice that uses the same lines and the same words gets paid at a glance. Anything new on the invoice needs a reason the customer already knows.
Tax depends on the state. In the US, whether sales tax applies to your work — and whether it falls on the materials, the labor, both or neither — depends on your state and your trade, so keep materials and labor on separate lines and check your state's revenue department or your accountant.
Outside the US. The invoice itself has rules: in Australia a GST-registered business issues a tax invoice showing its ABN, in New Zealand a GST-registered business shows its GST number, and in the UK and EU a VAT-registered business shows its VAT number and the VAT charged. Confirm the details with your accountant.
Send it from Zarla and get paid online
A Word template is a fine way to start. The catch is everything after you hit send: chasing the payment, remembering who's paid, and typing the same customer and the same line items again next month.
If you build your website with Zarla, the invoice tool is in the same dashboard. Pick the customer, add the job's lines, and send it. On a paid plan, with your Stripe account connected, the invoice carries a pay-now button: your customer pays online by card, and the invoice marks itself paid when the money arrives. Customers you've invoiced are saved, so next time is two taps.
The whole paper trail of a job, step by step: the free estimate template, then how to write a quote, then how to write an invoice, then how to write a receipt — with a free receipt template. Either side of it, two more free templates in Word and PDF: a price list template for the services you sell and a work order template for the crew.
Heading into the holidays? Our free gift certificate template covers the customers who want to give your work as a gift, and the holiday hours sign template covers the door, your website and your Google profile.
Invoices: common questions
Your business name and contact details (and license number where your trade has one); the customer and the job address; an invoice number, the date and the due date; the job in one line; every charge on its own line with a quantity and a rate; subtotal, sales tax where it applies, any deposit paid and the balance due; and how to pay and when.
Yes — Google Docs opens the Word file. Download the Word template, upload it to Google Drive, open it, and choose File, then Save as Google Docs; the table layout carries across and you can edit, copy and share it from there. The steps are on this page. No sign-in on our side, no email address.
An estimate is your best calculation of the cost before the job and can change; a quote is a fixed price that stands once the customer accepts it; an invoice is the bill for work done, with what's owed and how to pay; a receipt is proof the invoice was paid. The table on this page sets the four side by side, and each has its own free template here.
Any series that never repeats: 1001, 1002, 1003, or the year and a counter (2026-041). Never reuse a number and never skip one deliberately — a tax auditor reads gaps as missing income. Your first invoice can start at 1001 so it doesn't announce itself as your first.
Whenever you say it is — and you should say it, in days or as a date. 14 days is common for homeowners, 30 days for businesses; many trades invoice on completion and take payment on the spot. The due date goes at the top of the invoice, not in the small print.
In the US it depends on your state and your trade: most states tax materials and goods you sell, many don't tax labor or services, and some tax both — so keep them on separate lines and check your state's revenue department. Elsewhere the invoice has its own rules: in Australia and New Zealand a GST-registered business issues a tax invoice with its GST details, and in the UK and EU a VAT-registered business shows its VAT number and the VAT charged. Confirm the details with your accountant.
Yes. The invoice template on this page downloads free as a Word document and a PDF — no email address, no sign-up. Edit it in Word or any app that opens Word documents, or print the PDF and fill it in by hand.
Not from a Word file — your customer still has to pay you some other way. To take the payment on the invoice itself, send it from invoicing software. If your website is on Zarla, the invoice tool is in the same dashboard: on a paid plan, with Stripe connected, each invoice carries a pay-now button and marks itself paid when the customer pays by card.
Send invoices from your own website
Add what you do, your town and your business name, and Zarla builds the site from that one line — with invoices, quotes and receipts in the same dashboard.
Already have a website? Bring it across →Zarla keeps your old page addresses where it can and redirects the ones that change, helping you keep the Google standing you've built.