What should an electrician invoice include?
Your company name, address and phone number, the customer's name and the service address, a unique invoice number, the date of the work, and one line per charge: labor (electrician hours × rate, or a flat price for the job), each major device such as a breaker, panel, fixture or receptacle, cable with the length in the Qty column, and any service-call or after-hours charge. Then the subtotal, sales tax where it applies, the total due, how to pay and your warranty terms. In Texas every proposal, invoice and written contract from an electrical contractor must also carry the contractor's license number and the TDLR "Regulated by" statement (16 TAC §73.51(f)).
Line items electricians actually bill
- Labor that says what was done: "Run new 240 V / 50 A circuit from main panel to garage, mount NEMA 14-50 receptacle" with hours in Qty tells the customer more than "Electrical work, 4.5 h". For flat-rate work, one line at the quoted price.
- Breakers, panels and devices with their rating: amps, poles and type (GFCI, AFCI, dual function), or the panel size, so a later warranty claim or inspection question can be matched to the invoice.
- Cable and conduit by the foot: 45 ft of 6/3 NM-B as Qty 45 at the per-foot price shows the run length the customer is paying for.
- Boxes, covers, connectors and staples grouped on one line, unless the customer asks for every piece.
- Service-call, diagnostic and after-hours charges as separate lines, so they are not buried in the hourly rate.
- Permit fees, if you pull the permit for the customer, on their own line with the permit number in the description.
- Warranty and payment terms in the notes, with the date the work was done.
Texas: the TDLR notice and the sales tax split
License number and TDLR statement. Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation rule 16 TAC §73.51(f) reads: "The electrical contractor's name, address, phone number, and license number shall appear on all proposals, invoices, and written contracts from the contractor. The following information: 'Regulated by The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, P.O. Box 12157, Austin, Texas 78711, 1-800-803-9202, 512-463-6599; website: www.tdlr.texas.gov' shall be listed on all proposals, invoices, and written contracts." (official Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 73, linked from TDLR's Electricians laws and rules page). Section 73.51(d) has the contractor's license number preceded by "TECL" on its vehicles, and TDLR's Electricians compliance guide lists the same four items for invoices (name, address, phone number, license number). Its copy of the statement ends with www.tdlr.texas.gov/complaints, while the rule text says www.tdlr.texas.gov. The TDLR penalty schedule for electricians lists "Failed to include name, address, phone number and license number of contractor on all proposals, invoices, and written contracts" and "Failed to include Department information on all proposals, invoices and written contracts" as Class A violations, with a penalty range of $500 to $2,000.
Type the license line and the statement into the License field above and InvoiceSnap prints them directly under your address. The example uses a placeholder, TECL 00000; put your real contractor license number there. Electrical sign contractors (§73.52(f)) and residential appliance installation contractors (§73.54(e)) have the same invoice requirement under their own sections.
Sales tax. The Texas Comptroller says labor to repair, remodel or restore residential real property (houses, apartments, condos, nursing homes and retirement homes, but not hotels or rentals of less than 30 days) is not taxable. On a lump-sum residential job you pay tax on materials when you buy them and do not charge the customer tax. On a separated contract you give suppliers a resale certificate and collect state and local sales tax from the customer on the materials charge, which must be at least what you paid; the labor stays untaxed. Repairing or remodeling nonresidential property such as offices, restaurants and retail shops is taxable on the total charge (Texas Comptroller publication 94-116, Real Property Repair and Remodeling). The example is a separated residential job, so it taxes the $383 of materials and not the $540 of labor. Texas state tax is 6.25% and local jurisdictions can add up to 2%, for a maximum combined rate of 8.25% (Texas Sales and Use Tax). Houston addresses in Harris County are listed at that 8.25% total in the Comptroller city rate table (1% city tax plus 1% in local add-ons, usually the Houston MTA). Check the rate for the job address before you bill.
Other states set their own license-display and sales-tax rules. This is a summary of the published Texas rules and guidance, not legal or tax advice, so confirm with TDLR, the Comptroller or your accountant.
FAQ
How do I write an electrical invoice?
Start with the service address and the date of the work, then describe the job on the labor line in plain words ("run new 240 V / 50 A circuit from main panel to garage, mount NEMA 14-50 receptacle") and put the hours in Qty; decimals such as 4.5 are fine. Put the breaker or other major device on its own line with its rating, bill cable by the foot (Qty 45, Unit price $3.80), and group boxes, covers, connectors and staples on one line. Add tax if it applies, write your warranty and payment terms in the notes, and set a due date. In InvoiceSnap the totals calculate as you type and the free preview PDF shows the finished layout.
What has to be on an electrical contractor's invoice in Texas?
Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation rule 16 TAC §73.51(f) says the electrical contractor's name, address, phone number and license number must appear on all proposals, invoices and written contracts, along with this statement: "Regulated by The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, P.O. Box 12157, Austin, Texas 78711, 1-800-803-9202, 512-463-6599; website: www.tdlr.texas.gov". Electrical contractor license numbers carry the TECL prefix (for example TECL 12345). TDLR's penalty schedule lists leaving the license number or the department information off a proposal, invoice or contract as a Class A violation, with a penalty range of $500 to $2,000. Type both into the License field and InvoiceSnap prints them under your address.
Do electricians charge sales tax in Texas?
On residential repair and remodeling work, not on the labor. The Texas Comptroller says labor to repair, remodel or restore residential real property is not taxable. Materials depend on the contract. On a lump-sum job (one price for everything) you pay tax when you buy the materials and don't charge the customer tax. On a separated contract (materials and labor billed separately) you buy materials with a resale certificate and collect state and local sales tax on the materials charge only, which must be at least what you paid for them. Repair or remodeling of nonresidential property, such as an office, restaurant or retail shop, is taxable on the total charge (Texas Comptroller publication 94-116). Other states have their own rules.
How do I charge sales tax on materials only in InvoiceSnap?
InvoiceSnap applies its Tax % field to the whole subtotal, so for a separated residential job leave Tax % at 0 and add the tax as its own line, as in the example: "TX sales tax on materials only: 8.25% of $383.00", Qty 1, Unit price $31.60. The materials are $148 + 45 ft × $3.80 ($171) + $64 = $383, and 8.25% of that is $31.5975, which rounds to $31.60. With 4.5 hours of labor at $120 ($540), the total is $954.60. For a commercial job, where the whole charge is taxable in Texas, put the rate in the Tax % field instead.
Should I bill a service call or trip charge separately?
Yes. Put the service-call, diagnostic or after-hours charge on its own line with Qty 1, so it is not hidden in the hourly rate and the customer can see what they paid just to have someone come out. If you credit it toward the repair when the customer goes ahead, show the credit in the Discount field relabelled "Service call credited", or simply bill the net labor.
Is InvoiceSnap free?
Yes. You can fill in the invoice and download a watermarked preview PDF free with no signup. A clean PDF is $4 one-time for 7 days of unlimited invoices (USDC; card coming soon).
Is my data uploaded?
No. The PDF is generated in your browser; your client and pricing details are not sent to a server.
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