Guides and templates for contractors

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Getting paid, pricing and estimates

• Construction invoicing for small contractors: When a small contractor can bill with a simple invoice and pay link, when a GC or owner will require AIA-style pay applications with retainage, and what software to use for each.
• Estimate vs invoice: Estimate vs invoice for contractors: one is a price before the work, the other is a bill after it. What each includes, when to send them, and how to turn one into the other.
• Estimate vs. quote vs. bid: what's the difference?: Plain definitions of estimate, quote and bid, when a contractor should use each, and wording that prevents price disputes.
• Flat-rate pricing for plumbers and HVAC techs: How solo plumbers and HVAC techs set flat-rate prices from their hourly rate, average task time and parts markup, with a worked four-line price book and how to keep it current.
• Free invoice apps for contractors, and the catch in each: Eight free invoice apps for contractors compared on the real catch: document caps, client caps, card fees and branding, from each company's own pages.
• From first call to signed job: a contractor's sales process: Seven steps a solo contractor can use to turn a call into a signed job: response time, phone qualifying, site visit, same-day estimate, follow-up, written approval and deposit.
• How contractor invoice app prices changed, 2022 to 2026: A timeline of Joist, Housecall Pro and Jobber list prices from 2022 to 2026, read from archived copies of their pricing pages, with links to every snapshot and the method's limits.
• How long should an estimate be valid?: How long to keep a contractor estimate valid (30 days by default, 7 to 14 when materials are volatile), how to word it, and what to do when a customer comes back late.
• How to add payment options to a contractor estimate: Which payment methods to offer on a contractor estimate, what each one costs on a $1,200 job, the risks of each, and the exact wording to put on the estimate.
• How to calculate your hourly rate as a contractor: The formula for a solo contractor's hourly rate (pay plus overhead, divided by billable hours, plus margin), with a worked example and the mistakes that make rates too low.
• How to follow up on an estimate: How and when to follow up on a contractor estimate: two or three days after sending, then a week, then a close-out message, with four texts to copy.
• How to get paid faster as a contractor: Eight practical ways for solo contractors to get paid faster, from invoicing on the spot to deposits and easy payment links.
• How to give a price over the phone: How to give customers a phone ballpark that saves wasted trips: the questions to ask, how to word a range, when to refuse a phone price, and how to follow with a written estimate.
• How to number your invoices: How a contractor should number invoices and estimates: a single running sequence with a prefix, never reused, with examples and what to do when you void one.
• How to price a handyman job: A simple method for pricing handyman jobs: an hourly rate that covers overhead, a trip minimum, materials markup, and flat prices for repeat jobs, with worked examples.
• How to raise your prices as a contractor: Signs a contractor is undercharging, how to raise prices for new and repeat customers, what to do with open estimates, and a copy-paste price increase message.
• How to send an estimate or invoice by text: How to text an estimate or invoice from an iPhone: PDF versus link, what the message should say, getting approval in writing, and following up.
• How to write a contractor estimate: What goes in a contractor estimate, a worked example, common mistakes, and how to write one quickly from the job site.
• How to write a scope of work: How to write a scope of work for a small contractor job: included work, exclusions, materials, assumptions and changes, with a worked example you can copy.
• Invoice payment terms for contractors: Which payment terms to put on a contractor invoice (due on receipt, net 7, net 30), how to word them, late fees, and why a pay link matters more than the terms.
• Markup vs margin for contractors: Markup vs margin explained for contractors: formulas, a conversion table, a worked $1,000 example, and why confusing the two underprices jobs.
• Payment reminder texts for contractors: Five payment reminder text messages for contractors (due today, a few days late, two weeks late, final notice, partial payment), when to send each, and what to avoid.
• Progress billing for small contractors: How to set up progress billing on a small job: milestones, the payment schedule on the estimate, invoicing each stage, and state rules like California's limit on payments ahead of work.
• Should you charge for estimates?: When free estimates make sense, when to charge a trip or design fee, how to credit it back, and the wording to use on the phone.
• Voice estimate apps for contractors, compared: How voice-to-estimate apps work, what to say into them, and a sourced comparison of Settle, Staxen and QuoteIQ on price, pricing method, sending and payments.
• What contractors complain about in invoice apps: An analysis of 842 recent written App Store reviews of six contractor invoice apps, counting which problems the 1- and 2-star reviews mention for each app, with the method and its limits.
• What to do when a customer won't pay: A step-by-step escalation for an unpaid contractor invoice, from reminder texts to final notice, payment plans, liens and small claims, and how to prevent it next time.
• Why invoice apps hold your money, and what to do about it: Why contractor payments get held or delayed, what triggers a review, and how paying straight to your own Stripe account changes who decides.

Deposits, licensing and state rules

• California home improvement contract requirements: A checklist of what California's CSLB says a home improvement contract must include: when a written contract is required, payment schedule and down payment limits, dates, permits, change orders and contractor identification.
• Can a contractor charge a credit card fee?: When a contractor can pass card fees to customers: Visa's 3% credit-only cap and notice rule, state bans in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Maine, Colorado's 2% cap, New York's price-posting rule, and simpler alternatives.
• Handyman license limits by state: How big a job a handyman can take without a contractor's license in California, Nevada, Arizona, Florida and Utah, what counts toward the limit, and the permit, employee and advertising rules, from each state's own sources.
• How much deposit should a contractor ask for?: How big a deposit to ask for, the state laws that cap contractor deposits (California, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada pools and spas), and how to write it on the estimate.
• The 3-day right to cancel, for contractors: How the FTC Cooling-Off Rule applies to contractors who sign customers at their home: the $25 threshold, 3 business days to cancel, the notice you must give, refunds within 10 business days, and the exceptions.
• Where you have to show your contractor license number: State rules for putting your license number on bids, estimates, contracts and advertising in California, Florida, Arizona and Nevada, with the exceptions, from primary sources.

Free templates

• Appliance repair estimate template: A free appliance repair estimate template (PDF and text) with a worked example job, trade-specific exclusions and terms.
• Auto detailing estimate template: A free auto detailing estimate template (PDF and text) with a worked example job, trade-specific exclusions and terms.
• Carpet cleaning estimate template: A free carpet cleaning estimate template (PDF and text) with a worked example job, trade-specific exclusions and terms.
• Chimney sweep estimate template: A free chimney sweep estimate template (PDF and text) with a worked example job, trade-specific exclusions and terms.
• Christmas light installation estimate template: A free Christmas light installation estimate template (PDF and text) with a worked example job, trade-specific exclusions and terms.
• Concrete estimate template: A free concrete estimate template (PDF and text) with a worked example job, trade-specific exclusions and terms.
• Contractor invoice template: what to include: A copyable contractor invoice template, the fields every invoice needs, and payment terms that get you paid on time.
• Contractor receipt template: What a contractor payment receipt needs (payer, amount, date, method, job, invoice number, balance), a text template to copy, and how receipts differ from invoices.
• Deck estimate template: A free deck estimate template (PDF and text) with a worked example job, trade-specific exclusions and terms.
• Dryer vent cleaning estimate template: A free dryer vent cleaning estimate template (PDF and text) with a worked example job, trade-specific exclusions and terms.
• Drywall repair estimate template: A free drywall repair estimate template (PDF and text) with a worked example job, trade-specific exclusions and terms.
• Electrical estimate template: A free electrical estimate template (PDF and text) with a worked example job, trade-specific exclusions and terms.
• Fence estimate template: A free fence estimate template (PDF and text) with a worked example job, trade-specific exclusions and terms.
• Flooring estimate template: A free flooring estimate template (PDF and text) with a worked example job, trade-specific exclusions and terms.
• Free change order template for contractors: A free one-page change order template (PDF), the fields it needs, when to write one, and how to get the customer's approval before doing extra work.
• Free contractor estimate template: A free printable estimate template (PDF and text), what every contractor estimate must include, and the terms that prevent disputes.
• Garage door repair estimate template: A free garage door repair estimate template (PDF and text) with a worked example job, trade-specific exclusions and terms.
• Gutter cleaning estimate template: A free gutter cleaning estimate template (PDF and text) with a worked example job, trade-specific exclusions and terms.
• Handyman estimate template: A free handyman estimate template (PDF and text) with a worked example job, trade-specific exclusions and terms.
• HVAC estimate template: A free HVAC estimate template (PDF and text) with a worked example job, trade-specific exclusions and terms.
• Invoice email template for contractors: Invoice email templates for contractors: subject lines, a short body with amount, due date and pay link, and three examples (job done today, deposit, and commercial client).
• Junk removal estimate template: A free junk removal estimate template (PDF and text) with a worked example job, trade-specific exclusions and terms.
• Landscaping estimate template: A free landscaping estimate template (PDF and text) with a worked example job, trade-specific exclusions and terms.
• Painting estimate template: A free painting estimate template (PDF and text) with a worked example job, trade-specific exclusions and terms.
• Pest control estimate template: A free pest control estimate template (PDF and text) with a worked example job, trade-specific exclusions and terms.
• Plumbing estimate template: A free plumbing estimate template (PDF and text) with a worked example job, trade-specific exclusions and terms.
• Pool service estimate template: A free pool service estimate template (PDF and text) with a worked example job, trade-specific exclusions and terms.
• Pressure washing estimate template: A free pressure washing estimate template (PDF and text) with a worked example job, trade-specific exclusions and terms.
• Roofing estimate template: A free roofing estimate template (PDF and text) with a worked example job, trade-specific exclusions and terms.
• Snow removal estimate template: A free snow removal estimate template (PDF and text) with a worked example job, trade-specific exclusions and terms.
• Solar panel cleaning estimate template: A free solar panel cleaning estimate template (PDF and text) with a worked example job, trade-specific exclusions and terms.
• Sprinkler repair estimate template: A free sprinkler repair estimate template (PDF and text) with a worked example job, trade-specific exclusions and terms.
• Tile estimate template: A free tile estimate template (PDF and text) with a worked example job, trade-specific exclusions and terms.
• Tree service estimate template: A free tree service estimate template (PDF and text) with a worked example job, trade-specific exclusions and terms.
• Window cleaning estimate template: A free window cleaning estimate template (PDF and text) with a worked example job, trade-specific exclusions and terms.

What invoice apps cost

Try Settle on your next job.

Free on iPhone. Unlimited estimates and invoices. 7 days of Pro to try the voice drafts, and you cancel in two taps.

Download on the App Store

iPhone, iOS 17 or later. Questions? Text Nina: (818) 945-9686