Estimate vs invoice
An estimate comes before the work and says what you plan to do and what it should cost. An invoice comes after the work and says what was done and what is owed. Many people call an estimate a quote.
Side by side
| Estimate | Invoice | |
|---|---|---|
| When | Before the work | After the work, or at a stage of it |
| What it lists | The work you plan and the parts you expect to use | The work done and the parts used |
| The number at the bottom | The price you expect | The amount owed |
| A date on it | How long the price holds | When payment is due |
| A deposit | What you ask for to start | What was already paid, taken off the balance |
| What the customer does | Says yes, asks for changes or says no | Pays |
When an estimate is worth writing
- The job is more than a quick fix.
- A part has to be ordered before you can do the work.
- The customer wants to compare two ways of doing it, such as a repair and a replacement.
- Someone else is paying, such as a landlord, and has to say yes first.
For a small repair done on the spot, many people agree the price out loud and go straight to the invoice. Some kinds of work have their own rules on written estimates, so check what applies to yours.
How an estimate becomes an invoice
When the customer says yes and the work is done, the lines of the estimate become the lines of the invoice. What changed along the way is added as its own lines, and a deposit paid at the start is shown and taken off the balance. The repair invoice template shows a finished invoice with the diagnosis, the labor and the parts on their own lines, and the contractor invoice template covers a job invoiced in stages.
If the job grows while you are doing it, send a new estimate for the added work and get a yes before you go on. It is easier than explaining a larger invoice afterwards.
What this page does not cover
This page is about the paperwork. What an estimate or an invoice commits you or your customer to depends on what the two of you agreed and on where you work, so check what applies in your state. This is general information, not tax or legal advice.
Make one now
The free estimate maker and the free invoice maker work in your browser and give you a PDF with no sign-up. There are filled-in samples for each trade in the estimate templates and the invoice templates. For the steps, read how to make an invoice.
Samples by trade: plumbing invoice template, HVAC invoice template, handyman invoice template. All invoice templates and all estimate templates.
More guides: how to make an invoice, invoice example, how to send an invoice. All guides.
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