How to Invoice as a Moving Company
What a moving invoice should show, from the crew and the truck to boxes and extra services, how to handle the booking deposit, and how to collect the balance once the truck is unloaded.
On its page for hand laborers and material movers, last modified August 27, 2026, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics says "Hand laborers and material movers manually move freight, stock, or other materials." A moving company sells that labor along with a truck, packing supplies and extra services, and a good invoice shows each of them.
For household moves that cross state lines, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's Protect Your Move page (US, checked October 30, 2026) says "movers are required to give you the Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move booklet and FMCSA's Ready to Move brochure". Check the federal and state rules that apply to the moves you take on. This guide covers the invoice itself: the estimate, labor, truck and travel, materials, extras, the deposit and the balance.
An example using sample prices, before any tax: a local move is quoted at a flat $1,250.00 for loading, transport and unloading, plus 24 medium boxes at $3.00 each, 24 × $3.00 = $72.00, for a total of $1,250.00 + $72.00 = $1,322.00. The invoice carries two scheduled payments, a $250.00 deposit at booking and a $1,072.00 balance on moving day, and $250.00 + $1,072.00 = $1,322.00.
Step-by-step invoicing guide
- 1
Get the estimate approved before moving day
Send an estimate with the addresses, the date, the crew, the truck, the pricing method and any extra services. 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 approval, Billed's invoice software page explains how to "convert an approved estimate into an invoice".
- 2
Price the labor by the hour or as one flat price
For an hourly move, show the number of movers, the start and finish times, the hours and the crew rate. For a flat-rate move, use one line that says what the price includes. Billed's mobile app page says you can "Add line items, your logo, and tax, then send by email or share a link before you leave the site."
- 3
Show truck and travel time separately
Put travel time between your depot and the two addresses, and any mileage, on lines of their own, so the customer can see what getting the truck there cost.
- 4
Charge materials and extras by quantity
Price boxes, paper and tape by the unit, and give a piano, a stair carry or furniture assembly a line each. On its invoice software page, Billed says you can "save the products and services you sell so you can pull them into an invoice instead of retyping them."
- 5
Take the deposit and collect the balance
Billed's help article on scheduled payments says: "You can let your clients pay the amount in installments through this option." It tells you to "Add a percentage or flat amount and the due date for each installment." On moving day, Billed's mobile app page says: "Build a professional invoice from your phone the moment a job wraps." For a check or cash at the door, Billed's invoice software page says: "When a client pays by check or cash, record it as an offline payment so all your income is in one place."
Tips for moving company invoicing
- Quote the estimate number on the final bill, letting the customer compare the two side by side.
- Print your labor terms, such as a minimum number of hours, on the estimate and again on the invoice.
- Before the crew handles anything that wasn't on the estimate, get the customer to accept the price.
- Split packing supplies into those dropped off ahead of the move and those used on the day.
- Even on a flat-rate move, list how many movers came and which truck, because they explain the price.
Common invoicing mistakes to avoid
- Starting a job without an approved estimate and arguing over the bill afterward.
- Billing a whole move as one lump sum, which hides the hours, the truck and the materials.
- Adding a piano or extra rooms on the day without settling a price first.
- Leaving the deposit off the final paperwork, so the customer can't see what's still owed.
How this works in Billed
Estimates the customer approves
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."
Deposit and balance on one invoice
Billed's help article on scheduled payments says: "You can let your clients pay the amount in installments through this option." It also says "the sum of all installments should be equal to the total balance of the invoice."
Invoices from the truck
"Build a professional invoice from your phone the moment a job wraps." (Billed's mobile app page).
Saved services and materials
On its invoice software page, Billed says you can "save the products and services you sell so you can pull them into an invoice instead of retyping them."
Check and cash payments
Billed's invoice software page says: "When a client pays by check or cash, record it as an offline payment so all your income is in one place." It adds: "After a client pays, you can send them a payment receipt."
Card and PayPal payments
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." Its payments page says: "Add your Paypal account to Billed to start accepting payments via Paypal on your invoices."
Frequently asked questions
Start Invoicing With Billed
Set up your account and send your first invoice with Billed.
At a glance
| Charge | How to show it |
|---|---|
| Labor | Crew hours × rate, or one flat price |
| Truck and travel | Separate lines |
| Packing materials | Quantity × unit price |
| Piano, stairs, assembly | A line each |
| Deposit and balance | Two scheduled payments |
When this isn't for you
Meant for movers who bill households and businesses themselves. If a van line or a broker books the job and bills the customer, its invoicing process applies.