Welder invoice template

How do welders usually invoice?

Welders and fabricators quote per item for gates, railings and brackets from a drawing with a deposit of around 30% to cover steel, and charge by the hour plus materials for mobile repair work paid on the day. Site fitting is listed separately from workshop fabrication because fitting for a contractor falls under CIS while fabrication does not. Agricultural and haulage customers are invoiced monthly on 14 day terms.

Welders in this example give the customer 14 days to pay, after a 30% deposit taken before the work starts. Hourly rates run from £35 to £60. A full day is typically £280 to £450.

What should a welder put on an invoice?

Beyond the legal basics, welders should:

• Separate workshop fabrication from site fitting; only fitting is caught by CIS when a contractor pays.
• Reference the drawing and state the steel section, finish (galvanised, powder coated) and dimensions.
• Charge mobile repairs by the hour plus materials and take payment on the day.
• State the welding standard or coding where the customer requires 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 welders charge VAT?

Fabrication and welding are standard rated at 20% once you are VAT registered, which is compulsory above £90,000 turnover. Structural steelwork fitted on a construction site for a contractor is a construction operation under CIS, with 20% deducted from labour, and the VAT reverse charge applies between registered businesses; workshop fabrication delivered without fitting is outside CIS. Below the threshold you charge no VAT.

On the Flat Rate Scheme the sector for welders is usually “Manufacturing fabricated metal products” at 10.5% 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.