Free General Contractor Invoice & Estimate Template (Word, Excel, PDF)

Yes — bill the share of that schedule line actually standing, and describe what is left rather than what is done. A kitchen remodel splits into demolition, framing, rough-in coordination, drywall, cabinets and finish, so a draw taken once the rough-ins pass closes demolition and framing at full, carries a partial on rough-in coordination, and shows drywall not started. Add material delivered but not installed on a line of its own, with the delivery ticket referenced, because that is the one category a lender treats differently. Then show billed to date, this application, retainage held and balance to finish, so the arithmetic closes without anybody rebuilding it.

Yes, as a separate line, held out of the approved total until the signature lands. A written direction to proceed is a contract instruction, but the revised contract sum is arithmetic and it only moves once the change order is executed — so directed work sits below the approved change orders on the application, priced against whatever the contract already gave you: a unit price it set, or receipted cost and hours where it set none. Name what triggered it — a beam pocket found crumbling, or an owner deciding at rough-in to move the laundry to the main floor. Then chase the signature inside the period it was worked. A directive that rides two draws unsigned stops being a price and becomes an argument about who authorized it.

Work in place that matches the schedule of values line for line. The inspector walks the site against your application, so keep the line names identical to the signed schedule — a line called framing on the schedule and rough carpentry on the invoice is a phone call and a week. Anything billed as delivered but not installed has to be visibly on site and secured, or it comes off this draw. Most construction lenders also want an open permit and the sign-offs for the phase being billed. And remember who the report goes to: the lender, not you and not the owner, so whatever is not visible on the day is simply not funded this period.

The punch list signed off rather than promised, unconditional waivers from every sub who touched the job, the closeout package of warranties and manuals for anything carrying a serial number, and the certificate of occupancy or final sign-off where the permit required one. A minority of states prescribe the waiver form itself; where yours does, use it. Show the retainage release on the invoice as a line of its own, because an amount nobody itemized is an amount nobody releases, and put the final clean and walkthrough down as completed rather than pending. A final invoice that arrives ahead of its paperwork gets set aside, and nothing on a desk moves until somebody has a reason to move it.