Carpenter Invoice Template NZ Free, GST-Compliant & Ready to Use
A free carpentry invoice template for NZ sole traders and small carpentry businesses. Covers labour hours, materials and hardware, on-site vs workshop time, and GST - with a place to reference a builder's job number if you subcontract. Or skip the template and use Invio to invoice straight from your phone.
No credit card • GST calculated automatically • Send from your phone
Example INV-0129
- B
Job reference
Job ref: PO-2291
Invoice identifiers
- C
Workshop hours
4.0 hrs x $75.00/hr
Job and line items
- C
On-site hours
14.0 hrs x $85.00/hr
Job and line items
- C
Disposal fee
$35.00
Job and line items
The template
A filled-in carpenter invoice, shown at A4 widthExample figures, not a real job6 Marina Place
Mount Maunganui, Tauranga 3116
022 719 340
GST: 121-556-098
TAX INVOICE
BINV-0129
Issue: 23 Jul 2026
Due: 06 Aug 2026
Sent
Bill To
Nathan & Priya Sood
21 Tui Grove
Papamoa, Tauranga 3118
| CDescription | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labour - workshop prefabrication. Pre-cut joists and bearers off-site4 x $75.00 | 4 | $75.00 | $300.00 |
| Labour - on-site build. Sub-frame, decking, and balustrade install14 x $85.00 | 14 | $85.00 | $1,190.00 |
| H3.2 treated decking boards & joists. Materials at cost + 15% margin1 x $980.00 | 1 | $980.00 | $980.00 |
| Stainless deck screws, joist hangers & post brackets. Hardware at cost + 15% margin1 x $165.00 | 1 | $165.00 | $165.00 |
| Disposal fee - offcuts & packaging. Transfer station drop-off1 x $35.00 | 1 | $35.00 | $35.00 |
BPayment Details
Please use the following details to make a payment.
Bank: BNZ
Account: 02-0356-0184921-00
Reference: INV-0129
Notes
Job ref: PO-2291 Build 12m² H3.2 timber deck - rear yard (deck height under 1.5m, no consent required)
Thank you for your business!
What this invoice should carry
Seventeen fields, in four groups, keyed to the letters on the sample invoice above. Where a value is shown, it is the one you can read off it.
Your business details
Business name or trading name
On the sample: Coastal Carpentry Ltd
GST number, if you're registered
On the sample: 121-556-098
LBP number, only if the job is Restricted Building Work
Phone number
On the sample: 022 719 340
Physical or postal address
On the sample: 6 Marina Place, Mount Maunganui, Tauranga 3116
Invoice identifiers
Invoice number, sequential for your records
On the sample: INV-0129
Invoice date
On the sample: 23 Jul 2026
Payment due date
On the sample: 6 Aug 2026
Bank account for payment
On the sample: 02-0356-0184921-00
Job or PO reference, when invoicing a builder as a subcontractor
On the sample: Job ref: PO-2291
Job and line items
Description of the work done - specific enough to identify it
On the sample: Build 12m² H3.2 timber deck - rear yard
Workshop prefabrication hours x your rate, on its own line
On the sample: 4.0 hrs x $75.00/hr
On-site labour hours x your rate, on its own line
On the sample: 14.0 hrs x $85.00/hr
Materials and hardware at cost plus your markup, listed separately from labour
On the sample: H3.2 treated decking boards & joists, $980.00
Disposal or offcuts fee, when relevant
On the sample: $35.00
GST breakdown
Subtotal, GST at 15%, and the GST-inclusive total, as three separate lines
On the sample: $2,670.00 / $400.50 / $3,070.50
Buyer's name and one identifying detail (address, phone number, email address, trading name, NZBN, or website) - only if the buyer is GST registered, for invoices $1,000+
On the sample: Doesn't apply below - the Soods aren't GST registered
How to fill out a carpenter invoice
Follow these steps after every job to get paid faster, whether you're billing a homeowner directly or a builder as a subcontractor.
Fill in your business details
Add your trading name, GST number, address, phone, and email at the top. Add your LBP number too, but only if this job is Restricted Building Work - most finish carpentry does not need one.
Set the invoice number and reference the job
Use a sequential number - INV-0129 after INV-0128. If you're subcontracting to a builder, include their job or PO number so they can match your invoice to their own costing without asking.
Add the customer details
If the buyer is GST registered, invoices of $1,000 or more need their name plus one identifying detail - address, phone number, email address, trading name, NZBN, or website. On a subcontract job, this may be the builder's business details instead of the homeowner's - check who you actually contracted with.
Split on-site and workshop hours if you bill them differently
If your workshop rate differs from your on-site rate, list them as separate lines - for example, "Labour - workshop prefabrication: 4.0 hrs" and "Labour - on-site build: 14.0 hrs". This is clearer for the client and easier for you to track against your own time.
List materials and hardware separately from labour
Don't lump timber, fixings, and labour into one number. Split materials (decking boards, framing timber) from hardware (screws, brackets, hangers) and from labour. Detailed line items get paid faster and reduce back-and-forth.
Calculate GST and show it clearly
Multiply your subtotal by 0.15 to get the GST amount. Show subtotal, GST, and total as three separate lines - never just a single figure. Use the free Invio GST calculator at /gst-calculator-nz if you want a quick check before sending.
Add your bank account details and send
Include your bank account number and ask the customer to use your invoice number as the payment reference. Send it the same day - if you use Invio, hit send from your phone before you pack up the van.
Common carpenter invoice mistakes
These mistakes slow payment, create disputes, or hold up a subcontract claim. Easy to fix once you know them.
Materials and labour lumped together
e.g. "Deck build - materials and labour: $2,670"
List materials, hardware, and labour hours as separate lines. It shows the customer exactly what they paid for and protects you if there is a warranty question later.
No split between on-site and workshop hours
e.g. "Labour: 18 hrs - $1,490" with no breakdown
If you bill on-site and workshop time at different rates, show them as separate lines. Otherwise the total looks arbitrary and invites questions.
Missing job or PO reference on subcontract invoices
e.g. Invoice sent to a builder with no job reference at all
Add the builder's job number or PO reference. Without it, your invoice can sit in someone's inbox waiting to be matched to a job - and payment waits with it.
Missing LBP number on structural work
e.g. Framing subcontract invoice with no licence reference
Add your LBP number if the job is Restricted Building Work, such as structural framing. Most finish carpentry does not need this - only add it when it actually applies.
Vague job description
e.g. "Carpentry work - $650"
Describe what you actually did: "Fit skirting and architraves - lounge and hallway, 6.5 hrs labour + materials". Vague descriptions invite disputes and slow approval.
Sending the invoice weeks after the job
e.g. Invoice sent a fortnight after the deck was finished
Send it the same day wherever possible. If you're in a subcontractor chain, late invoices push your payment behind the builder's own claim cycle. See our guide on chasing overdue invoices at /chase-overdue-invoices-nz if it's already late.
What goes on the lines, and what it usually costs
The lines a carpentry invoice tends to have, in the three groups they fall into.
Labour and time
Priced per hour, on site or in the workshop
Standard labour rate (on-site)
Per hour, on site
$65 - $95/hr
Ex GST. Auckland and main centres run higher; regional NZ lower.
Workshop / prefabrication rate
Per hour, off site
$55 - $85/hr
Some chippies charge the same rate everywhere - state clearly either way.
Subcontract carpentry
Billed against a builder's job or PO number
Hourly, or fixed price per job
Agree the pricing basis before you start.
Materials and hardware
At cost plus your markup
Materials & hardware markup
On top of supplier cost
Cost + 10 - 20%
Covers handling and supplier runs. List materials at your sell price - you don't need to show your cost.
Disposal
Offcuts and job-site waste
Disposal / offcuts fee
Per job, when relevant
$20 - $40
For removing timber offcuts, packaging, and job-site waste.
Indicative GST-exclusive ranges for 2026, to sanity-check a line you have not priced before. GST itself is 15% on top of the subtotal once you are registered - use the free GST calculator to check. They are not a price guide and not advice on what to charge: rates vary by region, by job, and by how much of it is prefabricated in the workshop versus built on site.
Why Invio beats Word and Excel for chippies
Templates are a fine starting point. But most carpenters move to proper software once they are juggling several jobs and a subcontract or two.
Invoice from site or the workshop
Fill in labour hours, materials, and hardware before you pack up. No paperwork to chase at the end of the week, and the invoice goes out while the job is still fresh.
Before you pack up
GST calculated automatically
Invio does the 15% for you on every taxable line item and shows subtotal, GST, and total correctly - no spreadsheet formula to accidentally break.
INV-0129Sent
Subtotal$2,670.00
GST (15%)$400.50
Total$3,070.50
15% on each taxable line
Saved clients and builders
Store repeat homeowners and the builders you subcontract to, along with your standard rates. Next job for the Soods? Two taps and the invoice is half-filled already.
Two taps
Payment reminders built in
Invio sends automatic follow-ups on their own when an invoice goes overdue, and stops the moment it is paid - so you are not the one making awkward calls, especially up a subcontractor chain.
Automatic reminders
Overdue: Invoice INV-0129 is outstanding - $3,070.503 days after the due date
Paid. Reminders stop.
Automatic follow-ups
IRD-compliant every time
Every Invio invoice has the right fields: GST number, date, breakdown, customer address when required. You can't accidentally send a non-compliant invoice.
INV-0129Example
HeadingTAX INVOICE
GST121-556-098
Issue23 Jul 2026
Due06 Aug 2026
Every required field
PDF ready to email or print
Send the invoice by email directly from Invio, or download a clean PDF if the client or builder prefers paper.
Example e-mail
Invoice INV-0129 from Coastal Carpentry Ltd
Here's your invoice from Coastal Carpentry Ltd - a PDF copy is attached, and you can also view it online anytime.
Invoice-INV-0129.pdfOne click
What a carpenter's invoice carries that the others do not
Every NZ trade invoice needs the same GST basics. Past that, the paperwork splits by trade - here is what is specific to carpentry work.
LBP, only if it applies
A shared licence, a different default
Electricians carry an EWRB number, and builders carry an LBP number on every invoice or progress claim by default, for carrying out or supervising Restricted Building Work. Carpentry shares the same licensing scheme, but not the same default: an LBP number belongs on this invoice only when the job itself is Restricted Building Work - most finish carpentry (skirting, architraves, doors, decks built-in cabinetry) needs none at all. Decks are the exception worth checking: the 1.5m figure is about consent, not licensing. Plumbers are registered with the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board, and painters and landscapers have no equivalent at all.
2 rates, not 1
On-site and workshop hours, split when priced differently
Workshop prefabrication and on-site build time are listed as their own lines when they carry different rates - clearer for the client, and easier for you to track against your own time.
Job ref: PO-2291
The builder's job or PO number, when you subcontract
Referencing the head contractor's own job number lets them match your invoice straight to their costing - the single biggest thing that speeds up payment on a subcontract job.
$35.00
The disposal fee, on its own line
Offcuts and job-site packaging are a real cost, not something to fold into labour where it reads as a markup nobody can see.
Carpenter Invoice FAQs
Common questions from NZ chippies about invoicing, GST, LBP, and getting paid.
Do I need to add GST to my carpenter invoice?
Do I need an LBP number to invoice for carpentry work?
How do I bill for on-site time versus workshop time?
How should I invoice a builder if I'm subcontracting?
What's the minimum information a carpenter invoice needs in NZ?
Do decks and fences need a building consent?
Can I send a carpentry invoice from my phone on site?
How quickly should I send the invoice after the job?
Do I need my client's address on the invoice?
Invoice every carpentry job correctly, from your phone
Invio is free for sole traders. Set up your rates and GST number once, send GST-compliant invoices from site or the workshop, and let automatic reminders handle the chase - free on your first 3 invoices, unlimited on Pro.
Free to start • GST calculated automatically • No credit card required