An editable contractor invoice with hours from approved timesheets, rates, expenses, plus a filled-in example. Download it for Word, Excel or Google Docs without an email gate.
Word, Excel, Google Docs and PDF. No email required.
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INVOICETemplate preview · Example
01
Bill to
Elmstead Systems, with contact, address and PO reference.
02
Line item
Contract services: Weeks of 4 and 11 August. 72 hours at $85.00.
03
Total due
$7,236.00, due in 14 days.
04
How to pay
Bank transfer details or a card payment link, and your late payment terms.
What to include on a contractor invoice
A contractor invoice is a request for payment for work you’ve delivered. It needs to be clear enough that the client’s accounts team can approve it without coming back to you.
Field
Why it matters
Invoice number and date
Unique, sequential numbers make payments easy to match and keep tax records tidy.
Your details and the client’s
Business names, addresses and, if registered, your tax or VAT number.
Line items
What you did, how much and at what rate, in terms the client recognises from the agreement.
Due date and how to pay
An actual date, bank details or a payment link, and any late payment terms.
Timesheet reference
Links hours billed to the approved timesheet
Client PO number
Often required by the client’s accounts team
How independent contractors usually bill
Contractors usually bill an hourly or day rate against approved timesheets, with out-of-hours rates and expenses agreed up front.
Attach or reference approved timesheets for every period you bill.
Agree overtime and expense rates in writing before invoicing them.
Invoice on a fixed cycle, weekly or monthly, so clients can plan payment runs.
Example: billing a network upgrade support
Ridgeway Technical Services invoice fortnightly from approved timesheets: standard hours at the day-rate equivalent, the weekend cut-over at the agreed 1.5× rate, and mileage at the rate in the contract. Each invoice quotes the client’s PO and the timesheet reference.
The template
Invoice details
Invoice number: [INV-0001]
Invoice date: [Date]
Due date: [Date — e.g. 14 days after the invoice date]
Timesheet reference: [Timesheet reference]
Client PO number: [Client PO number]
From
Business name: [Your business name]
Address: [Address]
Email: [Email]
Tax or VAT number: [If registered]
Bill to
Client: [Client company]
Contact: [Name, email]
Address: [Address]
Client reference or PO: [If provided]
Line items
Item
Description
Qty / time
Rate
Amount
Contract services
[Weeks of 4 and 11 August]
[Qty]
[Rate]
[Amount]
Out-of-hours work
[Weekend cut-over, 1.5× rate]
[Qty]
[Rate]
[Amount]
Travel
[Mileage to client site, at agreed rate]
[Qty]
[Rate]
[Amount]
Totals
Subtotal: [Amount]
Discount: [If any]
Tax: [Rate and amount, if you’re registered]
Total due: [Amount and currency]
Payment
Payment terms: [e.g. 14 days]
How to pay: [Bank details or payment link]
Late payment: [Your late payment terms, if any]
Notes
[Anything the client needs to know, such as what the invoice covers, a reference to the approved quote or timesheet, or when final files will be released.]
How to fill it in
Add your business details and the client’s, including any purchase order or reference they gave you.
Give the invoice the next number in your sequence and set the invoice and due dates.
List each item of work using the same names as your quote or agreement, such as “Contract services”.
Show quantities, rates and amounts, then the subtotal, any discount, tax if you’re registered, and the total.
Fill in the timesheet reference and client po number, then add how to pay and your payment terms.
Check it against the agreement, attach what backs it up (for independent contractors, usually links hours billed to the approved timesheet), and send it as a PDF or payment link.
Use it in Word, Excel, Google Docs or PDF
Microsoft Word
Download the Word (.docx) file and open it. If Word opens it in Protected View, select Enable Editing.
Use Find (Ctrl+F or Cmd+F) and search for “[” to jump between the placeholders you need to replace.
Save a clean copy as a Word template (File → Save As → Word Template) so every new document starts from it.
Google Docs
Upload the .docx file to Google Drive.
Right-click it and choose Open with → Google Docs, then File → Save as Google Docs to keep an editable copy.
Use File → Make a copy for each new client so your master stays clean.
Excel and Google Sheets
Download the Excel (.xlsx) file. It has a blank sheet and a worked example.
Enter quantities, hours and rates: amounts, totals and tax calculate with built-in formulas.
To use Google Sheets, upload the file to Drive and choose Open with → Google Sheets; the formulas carry over.
PDF
Use Print or save as PDF in the template section above to print just the template, or fill it in Word or Google Docs first and export it (File → Save As → PDF in Word, File → Download → PDF document in Google Docs).
Example: Ridgeway Technical Services invoice for Elmstead Systems
A filled-in example for a network upgrade support. Both companies are fictional.
Invoice details
Invoice number: INV-0142
Invoice date: 3 June
Due date: 17 June
From: Ridgeway Technical Services
Bill to: Elmstead Systems
Line items
Item
Description
Qty / time
Rate
Amount
Contract services
Weeks of 4 and 11 August
72 hours
$85.00
$6,120.00
Out-of-hours work
Weekend cut-over, 1.5× rate
8 hours
$127.50
$1,020.00
Travel
Mileage to client site, at agreed rate
1 item
$96.00
$96.00
Totals
Subtotal: $7,236.00
Tax: Not charged in this example
Total due: $7,236.00
Payment terms: 14 days, by bank transfer or card link
Notes
Thank you for your business. Please quote the invoice number with your payment.
Send invoices from Angelwood
Angelwood’s invoicing creates invoices with line items, tax and discounts, can build an invoice from approved billable time, and lets clients view and pay through Stripe in their portal.
Name each line the way your quote or agreement did. If the client can match “Contract services” to what they approved, the invoice gets paid without questions.
02
Bill the way independent contractors get paid.
Attach or reference approved timesheets for every period you bill. Contractors usually bill an hourly or day rate against approved timesheets, with out-of-hours rates and expenses agreed up front.
03
Keep the evidence close.
Invoice on a fixed cycle, weekly or monthly, so clients can plan payment runs. Reference the approved quote, timesheet or report behind each invoice, so any query is answered in one message.
An invoice an independent contractor sends a client for services, usually based on hours or days from approved timesheets, plus agreed expenses. It shows the contractor is billing as a business rather than being paid as an employee.
Should contractors attach timesheets to invoices?+
Yes, or reference the approved timesheet. It’s the quickest way to get hours-based invoices approved and paid.
What payment terms should I put on an invoice?+
Fourteen or thirty days are the most common. Write the actual due date on the invoice as well as the terms, and include every way the client can pay.
Can I edit this template in Word or Google Docs?+
Yes. Download the Word (.docx) file and open it in Microsoft Word, or upload it to Google Drive and choose Open with → Google Docs. There’s also a Markdown version for any text editor. No account or email address is needed.
How do I save it as a PDF?+
Fill it in, then export it: File → Save As → PDF in Word, or File → Download → PDF document in Google Docs. On this page you can also print just the template or save it as a PDF from your browser’s print dialog.
Does the Excel version calculate totals?+
Yes. Enter quantities, hours and rates and the amounts, subtotal, tax and total calculate automatically. It also works in Google Sheets: upload it to Drive and open it with Google Sheets.