How to Invoice as a Web Developer
A step-by-step guide to web developer invoices: how to split a build into milestone payments, what to do with change requests and third-party costs, and how to bill maintenance after launch.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics page on web developers and digital designers (last modified August 27, 2026) notes that web developers "are also responsible for the site's technical aspects, such as its performance and capacity, which are measures of a website's speed and how much traffic the site can handle." That work carries on after launch, so a web developer's invoices cover two things: the build, paid in milestones, and the site's upkeep, billed monthly.
In Billed, the build can be scoped on an estimate. Billed's features page says "your clients can approve or reject your estimates online." Billed's invoice software page then explains how to "convert an approved estimate into an invoice". A payment schedule splits the fee into milestones. Billed's help article on payment schedules says: "A payment schedule lets you add a payment plan to the invoices." The steps include: "Choose a suitable option among percentage or flat amount." and "Fill out the payment amount and due date of each payment." For upkeep after launch, Billed's invoice software page says: "For clients you bill on a schedule, set up a recurring profile once. Choose the billing frequency (daily, weekly, monthly or yearly) and how many invoices to send, or keep sending until you stop."
Worked example, using sample figures and leaving out tax: a site build at 8,000.00 is split 40% (3,200.00) at kickoff, 40% (3,200.00) when the client approves the staging site and 20% (1,600.00) at launch. The 79.00 theme license is the client's expense and is billed with the first 150.00 maintenance invoice, which totals 150.00 + 79.00 = 229.00.
Step-by-step invoicing guide
- 1
Scope the build on an estimate
List the pages, features and integrations, and attach the sitemap or spec. Billed's estimating software page says: "Attach important files and images with your estimates."
- 2
Split the build fee into milestones
Use a payment schedule with a payment for each milestone, such as kickoff, staging approval and launch.
- 3
Quote change requests separately
A feature that wasn't in the scope gets its own estimate. Billed's features page says "your clients can approve or reject your estimates online."
- 4
Pass on third-party costs
Record domains, theme or plugin licenses and paid services you buy for the client as the client's expenses. Billed's help article on creating an invoice says: "If there are any unbilled expenses of a particular client, you can add these expenses to the client's next invoice. The expense will appear as a line item in the invoice."
- 5
Bill maintenance on a recurring invoice
Write what the monthly plan includes, such as updates and backups, then bill it on a schedule. Billed's invoice software page says: "For clients you bill on a schedule, set up a recurring profile once. Choose the billing frequency (daily, weekly, monthly or yearly) and how many invoices to send, or keep sending until you stop."
- 6
Bill support outside the plan by the hour
Log work the plan doesn't cover. Billed's time tracking page says: "Create an hourly rate project, set its hourly rate, and Billed tracks the charge for each task as you log it." It adds: "From the project dashboard you can invoice one task or several at once."
Tips for web developer invoicing
- Name the milestone each payment is for, such as staging approval or launch.
- Say in the estimate whose name the domain and hosting accounts will be in.
- Save your build packages, plan and hourly rate as items. Billed's help article on items and services says: "You can use these items and services to bill your clients."
- Check a maintenance invoice before it goes out. Billed's invoice software page says: "You can choose to send them automatically or save them as drafts to check first."
- Keep receipts for licenses and services you buy for a client with their expense record.
Common invoicing mistakes to avoid
- Taking the whole build fee at launch
- Building change requests without a new estimate
- Paying for plugins or licenses and not billing them
- A maintenance plan with no written list of what it covers
- Mixing milestone payments and monthly maintenance on one invoice
How this works in Billed
Estimates the client approves
Billed's features page says "your clients can approve or reject your estimates online." Billed's invoice software page then explains how to "convert an approved estimate into an invoice".
Milestone payments
Billed's help article on payment schedules says: "A payment schedule lets you add a payment plan to the invoices." The steps include: "Choose a suitable option among percentage or flat amount." and "Fill out the payment amount and due date of each payment."
Third-party costs on the next invoice
Billed's help article on creating an invoice says: "If there are any unbilled expenses of a particular client, you can add these expenses to the client's next invoice. The expense will appear as a line item in the invoice."
Maintenance on a schedule
Billed's invoice software page says: "For clients you bill on a schedule, set up a recurring profile once. Choose the billing frequency (daily, weekly, monthly or yearly) and how many invoices to send, or keep sending until you stop."
Hourly support
Billed's time tracking page says: "Create an hourly rate project, set its hourly rate, and Billed tracks the charge for each task as you log it." It adds: "From the project dashboard you can invoice one task or several at once."
Frequently asked questions
Start Invoicing With Billed
Set up your account and send your first invoice with Billed.
At a glance
| Stage | On the invoice |
|---|---|
| Kickoff | First milestone payment |
| Staging approval | Second milestone payment |
| Launch | Final milestone payment |
| Plugins and licenses | Client expenses on the next invoice |
| After launch | Monthly maintenance, recurring |
When this isn't for you
If you build sites as an employee of a studio that bills the client, the studio sends these invoices.