Electrical invoices need to look like licensed work. Customers and inspectors expect a diagnosis line, hourly labour, and a materials list (wire, breakers, devices) — not a single “electrical $645.”
This template opens with a service call, three hours of wiring, and a materials line. Terms already say the work meets local code. Add your license number under the business details so it prints on every PDF.
Describe the circuit or issue: “replaced 20A kitchen GFCI, added dedicated fridge circuit, labelled panel.” Permit and inspection fees should be their own lines when you pull them — they are pass-throughs, not profit you want buried.
Emergency or after-hours work gets a multiplier or a flat dispatch fee. Write it down before you roll. Insurance jobs need the claim number and adjuster name in the notes.
A typical service-plus-install visit.
| Line item | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service call & diagnosis | 1 | $120 | $120 |
| Labour — wiring & installation | 3 hrs | $95 | $285 |
| Materials (wire, breakers, outlets) | 1 | $240 | $240 |
| Sales tax (7%) | — | — | on materials / as required |
Service calls are due on completion. Panel upgrades, rewires, and EV charger installs take a 30–50% deposit for materials, then progress or completion billing. Commercial accounts: Net 15 or Net 30 against a work order.
If the visit is diagnostic only, still invoice the service call. “Looked at it, they will think about it” is unpaid time unless you bill it.
Most electricians pass them through at cost and show them as their own line. Markup on permits looks bad in a dispute.
Many jurisdictions require it. Put it in your business details so it is on every document.
Materials + labour + permit as separate lines, 50% deposit before you order the panel. Do not start on a handshake.
Bill it. Diagnosis is skilled labour. Cap it (“first 30 minutes included in service call”) if you want the quote to feel fair.
Estimate any job you cannot finish in one visit. Invoice the service call the same day you diagnose.
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