# How to Write a Plumbing Invoice: What It Must Include

Canonical URL: https://www.simplywise.com/blog/plumbing-invoice/
Plain text: https://www.simplywise.com/blog/plumbing-invoice/llms.txt
Publisher: SimplyWise, Inc. (https://www.simplywise.com)
Published: October 13, 2026
Updated: October 13, 2026
Category: Business & Growth
Summary: How to write a plumbing invoice: the parts, labor, permit, trip fee, disposal, warranty, and payment lines it needs, plus when to send it and how it differs from an estimate.

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## How to Write a Plumbing Invoice: What It Must Include

A plumbing invoice has to carry more than a total. Here is every line it needs and when to send it.

Plumbing invoice, at a glance

1. A plumbing invoice needs parts by part number, labor, the trip fee, permit, disposal, warranty, and payment terms as separate lines.
2. Texas requires the plumber’s license number on the first page of every invoice. In at least twelve-point font (22 TAC §367.10).
3. Texas also requires an invoice or completed contract document at job completion, fee charged or not (22 TAC §367.3).
4. California requires a contractor’s license number on construction contracts, subcontracts, and bids. Covering licensed plumbing contractors (Business and Professions Code §7030.5).
5. It bills completed work; the estimate before it only proposed a price.
6. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters earn a $34.70 mean, $30.67 median hourly wage nationally (BLS, May 2025). Only part of a billed labor rate.

## What has to be on a plumbing invoice?

A plumbing invoice has to prove the work happened. It lets the client pay without calling to ask what a line means. Every part needs its own part number, labor and the trip fee stay separate. A permit line shows up when one applied.

| Line item | What it has to show |
| --- | --- |
| Parts. | Manufacturer and part number for the fixture, valve, or water heater, not just “part”. |
| Labor | Hours at an hourly rate or a flat charge, separate from parts markup. |
| Trip or diagnostic fee | Its own line, noted if waived or rolled into the repair. |
| Permit or inspection | The permit or inspection fee, when your city or county required one for the job. |
| Disposal | Hauling an old water heater, fixture, or run of pipe to disposal, when it applies. |
| Warranty terms | Manufacturer parts warranty and your own labor warranty, stated separately. |
| Payment terms | Amount due, due date, and accepted methods. |

Seven lines, one plumbing invoice.

Honest note: rules vary by state and license class. Check your own board first.

## Does a plumbing invoice need a license number?

In Texas, yes. The board’s rules require that “the first page of each written or electronic proposal, invoice or contract for plumbing services includes, in at least twelve-point font” the plumber’s name and license number. The same page must also carry the phrase “regulated by the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners,” plus the board’s mailing address, phone number, and website.

Every licensee must also “give the customer an invoice or completed contract document on completion of the plumbing job, regardless of whether he or she charged a fee for performing the services,” under board rule.

## Do other states add anything to a plumbing invoice?

Some do. California requires that “every person licensed pursuant to this chapter shall include his license number in: (a) all construction contracts; (b) subcontracts and calls for bid; and (c) all forms of advertising,” a rule reaching licensed plumbing contractors under the state’s contractor board. It does not name invoices, so carrying the license number on the invoice too is the safer habit. Rules vary by state; confirm your own board.

## How to build a plumbing invoice, step by step

1. List every part by part number No generic “fixture” or “valve” line. Name the manufacturer and part number.
2. Break out labor and the trip or diagnostic fee Labor gets its own line, separate from parts markup. The trip fee gets its own line too, noted if waived.
3. Add the permit, inspection, and disposal lines Add the permit fee if one applied, and a disposal line for anything hauled off site.
4. Close with warranty, license number, and payment terms State warranty terms separately, add your license number where required, then give amount due and payment method.

## How is a plumbing invoice different from a plumbing estimate?

An estimate proposes a price before work starts. The invoice bills work already done, matching what happened on site. Keep them separate. Our plumbing estimate template (https://www.simplywise.com/blog/plumbing-estimate-template/) covers the proposal side.

## When should you send a plumbing invoice?

Send the plumbing invoice the same day the job closes, before the client’s attention moves on. For a multi-day job, invoice on completion unless a signed deposit schedule says otherwise.

## What plumbing labor costs on top of the invoice

Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters earn a $34.70 mean and $30.67 median hourly wage nationally (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is wage paid, not the rate you bill. Overhead, insurance, and margin ride on top, per our contractor hourly labor rates by trade (https://www.simplywise.com/blog/contractor-hourly-labor-rates-by-trade/) page.

| Measure | Hourly | Annual | Captured |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Mean wage | $34.70 | $72,170 | BLS OEWS May 2025, Sept 25, 2026. |
| Median wage | $30.67 | $63,800 | BLS OEWS May 2025, Sept 25, 2026 |

That is SOC 47-2152, national.

## SimplyWise Cost Estimator for plumbing invoices

SimplyWise Cost Estimator turns a job-site photo into an itemized estimate in about 6 seconds, then carries the line items into the invoice. Add permit and warranty lines, then send a branded quote the client signs. It is $29.99/mo or $239.99/yr, about $20/mo on annual, with a 7-day free trial.

## Keep reading

- Plumbing Estimate Template (https://www.simplywise.com/blog/plumbing-estimate-template/): the proposal side.
- Contractor Invoice Template (https://www.simplywise.com/blog/contractor-invoice-template/): the general structure.
- Plumbing Service Pricing Guide (https://www.simplywise.com/blog/plumbing-service-pricing-guide/): what to charge.

## Sources

### State license and invoice rules

- Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners, Administrative Rules (https://tsbpe.texas.gov/wp-content/uploads/documents/TSBPE_AdministrativeRules_March2026.pdf), 22 TAC §367.10 and §367.3, captured 2026-09-25.
- California Business and Professions Code §7030.5 (https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=7030.5.&lawCode=BPC), captured 2026-09-25.

### Labor cost

- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 national estimates (https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip), SOC 47-2152, captured 2026-09-25.

### SimplyWise

- SimplyWise Cost Estimator on the App Store (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simplywise-cost-estimator/id6670619664), 4.8 rating, verified 2026-09-25.

## Frequently asked questions about plumbing invoices

### The required lines

**What has to be on a plumbing invoice?**

Parts by part number, labor and the trip or diagnostic fee as separate lines, a permit line if one applied. A disposal line where it applies, warranty terms, and payment terms.

**Does a plumbing invoice have to show a license number?**

In Texas, yes. The first page of every plumbing invoice must carry the plumber’s license number in at least twelve-point font. Under 22 TAC §367.10. Other states set their own rules.

### License number and state rules

**Does California require anything on a plumbing invoice?**

California requires a contractor’s license number on construction contracts, subcontracts, and calls for bid, covering licensed plumbing contractors. It does not name invoices, so carrying the number on the invoice too is the safer habit.

### Estimating and invoicing

**What is the difference between a plumbing invoice and a plumbing estimate?**

An estimate proposes a price before work starts. A plumbing invoice bills work already done, with numbers that match what happened on site. Keep them separate.

**Can I measure a job with my phone camera instead of a tape measure?**

Tape or wheel the job site and enter the dimensions. SimplyWise Cost Estimator then turns a job-site photo into an itemized estimate in about 6 seconds. It carries those lines into the invoice. On a Pro iPhone, the room scan uses LiDAR.

**Does SimplyWise Cost Estimator create plumbing invoices?**

It builds material, labor, and fee line items and carries them from estimate to invoice. Add your permit, disposal, and warranty lines, then send a branded quote the client signs. Pricing is $29.99/mo or $239.99/yr, with a 7-day free trial.

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## About SimplyWise

SimplyWise, Inc. (New York, NY) builds mobile apps for contractors, tradespeople, and small business owners. The SimplyWise Cost Estimator turns a job site photo into an itemized estimate with labor and material costs in about 6 seconds, and the client signs the branded quote to approve it. It is rated 4.8 on the App Store. It is free to try with a 7-day free trial, then $29.99 per month or $239.99 per year (about $20 per month on the annual plan), and one subscription includes every app in the SimplyWise suite.

- Download: https://www.simplywise.com/download
- App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simplywise-cost-estimator/id6670619664
- Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.simplywise.costestimator
- Every SimplyWise page as plain text: https://www.simplywise.com/blog/llms.txt