In one line
One row on a document: what it is, how many, at what rate, and what that comes to.
Also called an invoice line, a row, or a service line.
What it means in practice
A good line names the work in the client's language, carries the quantity in the unit the trade actually bills in, and shows the rate. Anything vague enough to argue about belongs on two lines instead of one.
Keep pass-through costs, such as permit fees or ad spend, on their own lines at cost. Folding them into your labour makes your rate look higher than it is.
Covered in full in the guide to make an invoice.
Example. "Door hanging, 3 doors at $85" rather than "carpentry work".
Where it shows up on the paperwork
One row in the table: description, quantity, unit, rate, and the line total. Discounts and tax can sit per line or on the total, depending on how your trade prices.
What goes wrong
- Writing descriptions in your language rather than the client's.
- Folding pass-through costs, such as permit fees or ad spend, into your own rate.
- Leaving the unit off, so three doors and three hours look the same on the page.
The tools for this
Related terms
- Itemised invoiceAn invoice that lists the work as separate lines with quantities and rates rather than one total.
- Unit priceThe price of one of something: one door, one metre, one hour, one visit.
- SubtotalThe total of the lines before tax, discounts or payments already made.
Common questions
How many line items should an invoice have?
As many as the client would want to check, and no more. Two or three named lines beat one vague line and beat fifteen fragments.
Can I add a discount to a single line?
Yes, and it is often clearer than discounting the total, because it shows exactly which piece of work you moved on.