Question 1

How do I invoice for a progress payment or stage payment?

Accepted Answer

Give the invoice a progress claim number and billing period (e.g. "Progress claim 3 — 1–30 Jun 2026"), bill only the work completed in that period or to that percentage of contract, and add a negative "less previously claimed" line for amounts already invoiced so the customer only pays the new balance.

Question 2

What is retention on a construction invoice and how do I show 5% retention?

Accepted Answer

Retention (commonly 5–10%, e.g. 5% under UK JCT contracts or capped at 5% by French law 71-584) is an amount the customer holds back from each claim until practical completion or the end of a defects period, as security that the work will be finished properly. Enter the retention amount in the discount field so VAT is calculated on the amount actually being claimed now, and use the "Retention withheld" field to record the percentage, amount and release terms. You'll typically issue a separate retention-release invoice later when it's paid.

Question 3

How do I show a CIS deduction on my invoice?

Accepted Answer

Under the UK Construction Industry Scheme, split labour and materials onto separate lines, show your UTR, and note the CIS deduction rate that applies (20% registered, 30% unregistered, or 0% under gross payment status) — the deduction is calculated on the labour element only, and is deducted by the contractor when they pay you, not something you subtract from your own invoice total.

Question 4

When must I use the VAT domestic reverse charge on a construction invoice?

Accepted Answer

When you're subcontracting to another VAT-registered construction business that isn't the end user, most of our European markets (and the UK) require you to charge 0% VAT and print a statutory reverse-charge notice instead — for example "Reverse charge: VAT Act 1994 Section 55A applies" in the UK, "Steuerschuldnerschaft des Leistungsempfängers" under Germany's §13b UStG, or "Autoliquidation" under France's article 283-2 nonies CGI. Invoices to the end customer (the property owner) are usually unaffected and carry normal VAT.

Question 5

Do I charge VAT or sales tax on materials and labour?

Accepted Answer

In most VAT/GST markets, both are taxable at the standard rate unless a reverse charge or reduced rate applies. In the US it depends on the contract type: under a lump-sum contract the contractor is usually treated as the consumer of materials (tax already paid at purchase, nothing added to the invoice), while time-and-materials contracts in many states make separately-stated materials taxable retail sales with labour exempt — check your state's rule.

Question 6

What VAT rate applies to renovation of a house?

Accepted Answer

Several markets reduce the rate for renovating an existing residential dwelling: France applies 10% (or 5.5% for energy-efficiency work) on homes over two years old, Belgium applies 6% on dwellings ten years or older, Italy applies 10% IVA agevolata, Spain applies 10%, Poland applies 8% within its social-housing programme, and Cyprus applies 5%. New builds and commercial work are normally standard-rated. Check your market's eligibility conditions before applying a reduced rate.

Question 7

How do I invoice for variations or change orders?

Accepted Answer

Add the variation as its own line item referencing its number and approval date (e.g. "Variation VO-002 — additional waterproofing, approved 12 May"), so the customer can trace it back to the written approval. Don't fold variation value silently into an existing line.

Question 8

What's the difference between an invoice and a payment claim or application for payment?

Accepted Answer

In some markets — Australia under state Security of Payment legislation is the clearest example — a progress invoice doubles as a formal "payment claim" and needs specific statutory wording plus a reference date, because it triggers statutory adjudication rights if unpaid. Elsewhere the terms are used more loosely and an invoice is simply the bill for a completed stage of work.

Question 9

What must a construction invoice legally include?

Accepted Answer

Requirements vary by market, but on top of the standard invoice basics (invoice number, date, business and customer details) construction invoices typically need the site/project address, a reference back to the contract or quote, and — where they apply — the correct reverse-charge or withholding wording. Check this guide's country-specific notes for your market's exact requirements.

Question 10

Can I invoice before the work is finished?

Accepted Answer

Yes — deposit or advance invoices (called "facture d'acompte" in France, "Abschlagsrechnung" in Germany) are common practice before work starts or at defined milestones. Mark it clearly as a deposit/advance invoice and deduct it as a negative "less previously claimed" or "less deposit paid" line on the final invoice.

Question 11

Why are materials and labour listed separately?

Accepted Answer

It's tax-relevant in several markets, not just good practice: UK CIS deductions apply to labour only, Germany's §35a EStG lets private customers claim back 20% of labour costs (capped) but only if labour is shown separately from materials, and Malaysia's construction service tax applies only to the services portion when materials are itemized on a separate line — an invoice that doesn't split them can lose the customer a deduction or cost you more tax than necessary.

Omschrijving	Aantal	Tarief	Bedrag
Site preparation & set-out — labour, 1 day	1	€0.00	€0.00
Materials — timber, fixings & consumables (supply)	1	€0.00	€0.00
Labour — carpentry & installation, 24 hrs @ hourly rate	24	€0.00	€0.00
Plant & equipment hire — mini excavator, 2 days	2	€0.00	€0.00
Subcontract works — electrical rough-in	1	€0.00	€0.00
Variation VO-002 — additional waterproofing (approved — add date)	1	€0.00	€0.00
Waste removal & final site clean	1	€0.00	€0.00
Less previously claimed — claims 1–2	1	€0.00	€0.00

Subtotaal	€0.00
Reverse charge — btw verlegd (onderaanneming) (21%)	€0.00

Totaal	€0.00

Construction Invoice Generator

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Free construction invoice generator & template

What should a construction invoice include?

Reverse charge, withholding and retention — the three mechanisms that layer on construction invoices

Progress billing and variations

FAQs about construction invoices