Bathroom fitter invoice template

How do bathroom fitters usually invoice?

Bathroom fitters quote a full refit as a package of labour and supplied materials, with a deposit of around 30% to cover sanitaryware ordered in advance, a second payment when first fix is complete and the balance on handover. Customers often buy the suite themselves, in which case the invoice is labour, tiling consumables and any electrics. Jobs run for one to two weeks, so stage invoices keep cash flow in step with spend.

Bathroom fitters in this example give the customer 7 days to pay, after a 30% deposit taken before the work starts. Hourly rates run from £30 to £50. A full day is typically £250 to £400.

What should a bathroom fitter put on an invoice?

Beyond the legal basics, bathroom fitters should:

• Separate supplied sanitaryware from labour; show the brand and model for warranties.
• Invoice the deposit when the suite is ordered, not when work starts.
• Show tiling and electrical work as their own lines, especially if subcontracted.
• State that removal of asbestos or rotten joists found during strip-out is extra and will be quoted separately.

Every UK invoice, whatever the trade, must also show:

• a unique, sequential invoice number
• your business name and address (and company number if you trade as a limited company)
• the client’s name and address
• the invoice date and, for VAT invoices, the date of supply if different
• a clear description of each item of work or goods
• the amount due and when it must be paid
• your VAT number, the VAT rate per line and the VAT total, if you are VAT registered

Do bathroom fitters charge VAT?

Construction work for a contractor falls under CIS: the contractor deducts 20% (30% if you are not CIS registered) from the labour element before paying you, so show labour and materials on separate lines. If you are VAT registered and the contractor is too, the domestic reverse charge applies and you charge no VAT; write "Reverse charge: customer to account for VAT" on the invoice. Work for private householders is outside both rules. Below the £90,000 registration threshold you charge no VAT at all.

On the Flat Rate Scheme the sector for bathroom fitters is usually “General building or construction services” at 9.5% of VAT-inclusive turnover, with a 1% discount in the first year of registration. If you spend little on goods you may be a limited cost trader and have to use 16.5% instead. The scheme suits businesses with few VAT-able costs; check it against the standard method with the VAT calculator before joining.