How to write a roofing invoice

Bill the squares, layers and decking you actually found, credit every payment whoever made it, and state what’s left and when it’s due.

Roofing invoice lines and units

Line	Unit	How it’s counted
Tear-off	square	Per layer removed
Shingle installation	square	Roof area installed
Architectural shingles	square	Squares of material
Underlayment	square	Area covered
Decking replaced	ea	Sheets, at the contract’s unit price
Drip edge and flashing	lin ft	Length installed
Disposal	job	Dumpster or haul-away
Permit	ea	Fee and permit number

A square is 100 square feet of roof. Bill tear-off by the layer, and replaced decking sheet by sheet at the unit price the contract set, keeping photos of what you replaced. Work beyond the contract, such as a layer nobody expected, goes on its own line, backed by the change order the owner signed.

Payments, materials and the final bill

Show the contract price, each payment received with its date and who paid it, and the balance. With round numbers, for illustration: on a $15,000 contract with $6,000 paid when the materials arrived, the completion invoice shows $15,000, $6,000 paid and $9,000 due. Some states shape when you may bill, for example:

• New York: a roofing contractor may not require a deposit; it may invoice the materials portion of the project once the materials are delivered to the owner, provided the material cost was disclosed to the owner in writing before payment, and may invoice the remainder on successful completion of all contracted work (GBL §771-b).
• Massachusetts: for residential contracting work over $1,000, meaning work on a pre-existing, owner-occupied building of one to four dwelling units, the final payment can’t be demanded before the contract is completed to the satisfaction of the parties (c.142A §2; §1).

Insurance-paid roofs and the deductible

On an insurance job, list the full price and then each payment as it arrives, from the claim proceeds or from the owner, so the owner’s share stays visible.

In Texas, don’t credit the deductible away without the insurer’s consent. A seller that knows the insured will pay with the proceeds of a property insurance claim commits an offense if, without the insurer’s consent, it pays, waives, absorbs or otherwise declines to charge or collect the insured’s deductible, or gives a rebate or credit that offsets any part of it; advertising or promising to do so in an insurance-paid sale is covered too (Tex. Bus. & Com. Code §27.02).

Texas also requires the insured to pay any deductible on a first-party claim, and an insurer with replacement cost coverage may refuse to pay withheld recoverable depreciation or a replacement cost holdback until it receives reasonable proof the policyholder paid it. That proof includes a canceled check, a money order receipt, a credit card statement, or a copy of a signed installment or financing contract requiring full payment of the deductible over time (Tex. Ins. Code ch. 707). A contractor’s invoice isn’t on that list, so don’t tell the owner yours proves the deductible was paid.

Due dates and payment terms

Put the due date on as a date, and agree before you start when each payment falls: on delivery of materials, on completion, or at the stages your contract sets. List the ways you accept payment, and when an insurer’s check is made out to the owner, say plainly that payment to you is still due by that date.

Sales tax on roofing invoices

Whether roofing labor and materials are taxable depends on the state, and a full replacement may be treated differently from a repair. Separate lines for labor and each material let your invoice follow your state’s rule. Add a tax line only if your state requires you to charge it, and read your state’s guide first.

Washington: the disclosure behind a lien

Washington ties your lien rights to a form you hand over before the job begins (RCW 18.27.114). When a project repairs, alters or constructs up to four residential units, or accessory structures on such property, and the bid or contract price totals $1,000 or more, the contractor owes the customer the “NOTICE TO CUSTOMER” disclosure statement, substantially in the statute’s form, before starting. Skip it, and you can’t bring or maintain a lien claim under chapter 60.04 RCW based on that contract, because the claim requires alleging and proving you gave it. Keep the signed copy for at least three years. The section doesn’t apply when you contract with another contractor.

Three mistakes that delay payment

1. Decking as a lump sum. “Replaced rotted decking” with one price and no sheet count is the first line an owner or insurer questions.
2. A surprise layer, billed without a signature. If you found a second layer, the tear-off for it needs the owner’s signed change order before it reaches the invoice.
3. Missing the paperwork the owner asked for. Leave off the permit number or the shingle warranty details, and the owner waits for them before paying.