Plumber invoice template

How do plumbers usually invoice?

Plumbers invoice per job with labour and parts on separate lines, because customers compare the parts price against what they could buy at a merchant. Emergency and out-of-hours work carries a higher call-out fee that is usually charged whether or not the fault is fixed on the first visit. Bathroom and full heating jobs over about £500 are normally split into a deposit and a completion payment.

Plumbers in this example give the customer 14 days to pay, after a 25% deposit taken before the work starts. Hourly rates run from £45 to £80. A full day is typically £280 to £450.

What should a plumber put on an invoice?

Beyond the legal basics, plumbers should:

• List each part with its own price and keep the merchant receipt in case the customer queries the mark-up.
• State whether the call-out fee covers the first hour or is charged on top of it.
• Put the boiler make, model and serial number on the invoice for warranty claims.
• Mention that the customer is responsible for any making good of tiles or flooring unless you quoted for it.

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 plumbers 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 plumbers is usually “Labour-only building or construction services” at 14.5% 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.