Free Independent Contractor Invoice Template

Choose an Independent Contractor Invoice Layout

Find a layout for the work you completed. These previews can help you plan an hourly bill, a project fee or an ongoing service invoice before you create your own.

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  Sample Independent Contractor Invoice Template

  Create Free Invoice
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  Free Independent Contractor Invoice Template

  Create Free Invoice
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  Printable Independent Contractor Invoice Template

  Create Free Invoice

See the other six independent contractor invoice previews below.

Bill the Hiring Business for the Agreed Work

An independent contractor invoice asks the hiring business to pay for your services. Name the project and the work period so its billing team can match the invoice to your agreement.

Use the billing method you agreed with the hiring business, whether the job involves construction, consulting or creative work. List approved materials and travel costs separately from your fee.

How to Create an Independent Contractor Invoice

Keep your agreement and work record nearby. Use them to check the project details as you fill in the invoice.

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1. Identify Your Business: Enter the name and billing details the hiring business knows.
2. Add Your Logo: Use your own logo to make the invoice easy to recognize.
3. Check the Hiring Business: Choose the customer and confirm the billing contact.
4. Set the Number and Dates: Check your invoice number, issue date and agreed due date.
5. Describe the Completed Work: Name the project and each completed task. Show the hours and rate or the agreed fixed fee.
6. Review Prices and Tax: Enter any tax or discount. Docelf updates the total.
7. Add Payment Instructions: Enter how to pay and any required purchase order reference in Terms and Conditions. Review, then email or download a PDF.

How to Fill In Independent Contractor Invoice Line Items

Write descriptions the hiring business can compare with your agreement. For hourly work, show the hours and rate. For work billed at a fixed fee, use a quantity of one and name what the fee covers.

This fictional client portal project uses USD. It combines hourly work with a fixed fee for a setup guide. All three services are taxable at 8% in this example only.

The guide fee does not cover the setup or walkthrough hours in this example. These prices are examples, not recommended rates. Check whether your work needs tax and use the rate that applies.

What to Include in Independent Contractor Invoice Terms

Use Terms and Conditions to refer to your agreement and explain when and how to pay. Add the project reference so the billing team can identify the work.

State what this invoice covers rather than repeating the whole contract. For ongoing work, name the billing period. Use only agreed terms and replace the placeholders in this example.

Use the Billing Method in Your Agreement

Hours Worked

List each task and its hours at the agreed rate. Attach a short timesheet when the billing team needs one. Do not turn a fixed project fee into an hourly bill after the work is complete.

A Completed Project or Stage

Name the completed project or stage you are charging for. Put separately approved work on its own line. Check that none of those extras are already included in the project fee.

Ongoing Services

Show the dates covered and what the service fee includes. For the next period, duplicate the invoice and update the dates and charges. You review and send each new draft yourself.

Give the Billing Team What It Needs

Ask where to send the invoice. Check whether the billing team needs a purchase order or project reference. The person who approves your work may not be the person who processes payment.

Attach an agreed work summary or expense record when it helps explain the charge. Docelf accepts PDF, JPG, GIF, PNG and WebP attachments up to 5 MB each. Check the files before sending.

Use your logo, fonts and colors so the invoice matches your other documents. Put your billing contact details in the footer.

You can add an industry name before “Invoice”. Choose from USD, EUR, GBP, CAD or AUD to match the currency agreed for the job.

More Independent Contractor Invoice Layouts

Browse the remaining six previews. Each opens the invoice editor, where you can add your own business details and charges.

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  Blank Independent Contractor Invoice Template

  Create Free Invoice
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  Simple Independent Contractor Invoice Template

  Create Free Invoice
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  Standard Independent Contractor Invoice Template

  Create Free Invoice
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  Itemized Independent Contractor Invoice Template

  Create Free Invoice
• 

  Basic Independent Contractor Invoice Template

  Create Free Invoice
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  Hourly Independent Contractor Invoice Template

  Create Free Invoice

Follow the Invoice Through to Payment

After you email the invoice from Docelf, check whether it was delivered and opened. An opened invoice does not mean you have been paid. Use the due date to decide when to follow up.

Record the payment amount and date when the hiring business pays. Docelf keeps any remaining balance with the invoice. Create a receipt after recording the payment.

Prefer to Send an Invoice From a File?

Use a general Word or Google Docs template for a short project bill. Excel and Google Sheets are useful when you want to enter hours and rates in a spreadsheet.

• Word Invoice Template
• Google Docs Invoice Template
• Excel Invoice Template
• Google Sheets Invoice Template

Choose a More Specific Way to Bill

Choose the hourly template for time-based work or the contract template for charges tied to an agreement. Use a deposit invoice to request an agreed payment before work begins.

• Hourly Invoice Template
• Contract Invoice Template
• Deposit Invoice Template
• Self-Employed Invoice Template

Independent Contractor Invoice FAQs

• What should an independent contractor invoice include?

  Identify your business and the hiring business. Name the project and work period. Describe the completed work and show the agreed fees. Add your invoice number, dates and payment instructions. Include a purchase order reference when the customer needs one.

• Can I bill hourly work and a fixed fee on one invoice?

  Yes. Say which lines are hourly and which have a fixed fee. The descriptions should show that the charges cover different work. Do not add hours for a task already included in a fixed price.

• How should I invoice approved travel or materials?

  Give each agreed expense a separate line with a clear description. Use the amount or rate in your agreement. Attach the relevant expense record when needed. Leave out expenses the hiring business is paying directly.

• Do I need a purchase order number on the invoice?

  Ask the hiring business. Its billing team may use the number to match your invoice to the order. Add the reference when requested; Docelf does not automatically link a purchase order to the invoice.

• Can I start from an estimate or quote I already sent?

  Yes. Docelf can create an invoice from an estimate or quote and copy the relevant details. Check the actual work, prices and due date before sending the new invoice.

• Can I reuse an invoice for regular contract work?

  Yes. Duplicate the previous invoice, then update the billing period and work details. Docelf creates a new draft with a new document number. You review and send it yourself.

Ready to Invoice the Hiring Business?

Finish the bill while the project details are still fresh in your mind.

• Identify the project or billing period
• Show the agreed work and fees
• Send it to the right billing contact

Create Free Invoice