Tiler invoice template

How do tilers usually invoice?

Tilers price per square metre with a higher rate for small-format, mosaic and large-format tiles, and invoice on completion once the grout has cured. Tiles are almost always chosen and bought by the customer, so the tiler's invoice is labour plus adhesive, grout and trims. Floor tiling on underfloor heating and wet-room tanking carry a premium and are quoted as separate lines.

Tilers in this example give the customer 7 days to pay, after a 20% deposit taken before the work starts. Hourly rates run from £25 to £45. A full day is typically £200 to £320.

What should a tiler put on an invoice?

Beyond the legal basics, tilers should:

• Quote the square metres per area (walls, floor, splashback) and the rate for each.
• Note that the customer supplied the tiles and that you are not liable for their quality or quantity.
• Charge separately for preparation such as levelling compound or removing old tiles.
• Keep adhesive and grout as a materials line so CIS deductions apply to labour only.

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 tilers 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 tilers 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.