How to Invoice as an Electrician
A step-by-step guide to electrician invoices: what goes on the estimate, how to show parts, labor and trip charges, what to do when the job grows, and how to get paid before you leave.
An electrician's invoice is clearest when the customer can see what each part of the job cost. That means the trip or service-call charge, your labor by the hour or at a flat price, and each part with its rating or model number on separate lines. Permit and inspection rules depend on where the job is, so check your state's and city's rules before you quote.
In Billed, a written quote can be an estimate. Billed's help article on estimates says: "You can make an estimate and then send it to your client. Your client can approve it to proceed further." After the work, the help center's article on converting estimates says: "You can add and edit any information here." That's where you add anything found during the job, once the customer has agreed to it.
Worked example, with sample figures before any tax: a service call to replace two kitchen outlets has a trip charge of 89.00, labor of 1.5 hours at 110.00 = 165.00, and two GFCI outlets at 24.00 = 48.00. The invoice total is 89.00 + 165.00 + 48.00 = 302.00, and the customer pays by card before you leave.
Step-by-step invoicing guide
- 1
Give a written estimate before you start
List the parts, the labor and any permit fee you'll pass on, so the customer approves a price before the work begins.
- 2
Put the trip charge on its own line
A service-call or trip charge covers getting to the job and finding the fault. Showing it as a separate line keeps it apart from the repair itself.
- 3
Describe each part
Write the breaker rating, wire gauge or fixture model with the quantity and price. Billed's estimating page says you can "customize units and quantities for each product".
- 4
Get approval before the job grows
If you open a wall and find more work, stop and get the customer's agreement to the extra price before you do it, then add it to the invoice.
- 5
Record permits and inspections
Note the permit number and the inspection date on the invoice for jobs that needed them. Billed's estimating page says you can "Add comments and important notes in your estimates for your client."
- 6
Take payment on site or set a due date
Billed's mobile app page says: "Build a professional invoice from your phone the moment a job wraps." For customers who pay later, Billed's invoice software page says: "Set a due date on each invoice so your client knows when to pay."
Tips for electrician invoicing
- Save your most common parts and labor rates. On Billed's invoice software page, you can "save the products and services you sell so you can pull them into an invoice instead of retyping them."
- Write your labor warranty on the invoice, so the customer has it with the receipt.
- For a larger job billed in stages, the payment schedules article in Billed's help center says: "A payment schedule lets you add a payment plan to the invoices."
- Keep photos of the panel or wiring before and after the work. Billed's invoice software page says: "Add files to your invoices and estimates."
- For a business customer, ask for their purchase order number before you start, and put it on the invoice.
Common invoicing mistakes to avoid
- Starting work before the customer has approved a price
- Folding the trip charge into the labor, so the customer can't see it
- Writing one materials line instead of listing the parts
- Doing extra work found on the job without written approval
- Leaving permit and inspection details off jobs that required them
How this works in Billed
Estimates the customer approves
Billed's help article on estimates says: "Your client can approve it to proceed further." Next, Billed's invoice software page explains how to "convert an approved estimate into an invoice".
Saved parts and labor
On Billed's invoice software page, you can "save the products and services you sell so you can pull them into an invoice instead of retyping them."
Invoices from the job site
Billed's mobile app page says: "Build a professional invoice from your phone the moment a job wraps." It also says: "Add line items, your logo, and tax, then send by email or share a link before you leave the site."
Payments in stages
The payment schedules article in Billed's help center says: "A payment schedule lets you add a payment plan to the invoices."
Card, PayPal, cash and checks
Billed's invoice software page says: "Connect your Stripe account and every invoice you send gets a pay button, so clients can pay by card." It also says: "When a client pays by check or cash, record it as an offline payment so all your income is in one place."
Frequently asked questions
Start Invoicing With Billed
Set up your account and send your first invoice with Billed.
At a glance
| On the job | On the invoice |
|---|---|
| Getting to the job | Trip charge, its own line |
| Work done | Labor by the hour or a flat price |
| Parts | One line per part, with rating or model |
| Extra work found | New lines, after the customer agrees |
| Permit jobs | Permit number and inspection date |
When this isn't for you
If your employer or a general contractor bills the customer for your work, you won't send these invoices yourself.