RW Plumbing

What do you owners use for invoices. Do you use a template from a legal form source or something custom. How many of you list each individual task on the invoice: say replacing a water heater, adding a valve perhaps changing a flue pipe, or do you just say changing a water heater?

Also do you put any sort of legal talk on there : like if there check bounces, penalties and such. Any penalties for unpaid balance, lien notices? I know invoices are propriatary, and I don't expect anyone to share theirs( if you did it would be great) but any general suggestions would be great.

I'm trying to figure out ways to come across as more professional. I have owned my own company for a year and a half, and it isn't exactly going where I want it too. I am paying my bills, keeping my head above water but my wife and I currently are having our first child and boosting my income has become of great concern to me.

I have recently gotten rid of my unsightly old work van, and bought a new pickup and trailer. The 6x12 foot enclosed trailer houses far more tools and materials than my old van and I feel will help boost profits. I am also considering raising my labor rate as, I think i'm charging too little.

With raising rates however, I feel a certain level of professionalism and advertising needs to go with it to justify the rates. Any advice from you seasoned pros is greatly appreciated.

Titan Plumbing

Just charge your employees a little more.............

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Halito...Sa hohchifo ut Mike

RW Plumbing

HaHa good one. Way to be constructive. I guess a difference in opinion makes me evil.

Titan Plumbing

Do you feel evil??? I never said anything about you being evil...I was simply making fun of you.

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Halito...Sa hohchifo ut Mike

RW Plumbing

I'm getting flamed for a difference in opinion. It keeps getting brought up in any topic i'm involved in. Its pretty stupid I'm getting demonized for having a different opinion. I've been screwed by employees(showing up late/drunk, shotty work ect) I do have a good guy now but, I'm pretty much done going the extra mile.

I don't think it needs to be brought up with every single statement I make. It's getting a little tiring.

Phat Cat

RW - We print our own invoices and try to be very detailed on tasks. If you have a callback or the issue comes up again, you are covered. This has saved us a lot over the years. Customer will swear you rebuilt a toilet and when you look it up, you find out it was a different toilet. Also, somewhere I read that longer write-ups on invoices make the H.O. feel like they got something for their money. "Replaced water heater $900.00" That's $300.00 a word right there.

Typical water heater replacement would be written up like this:

Furnished and installed new 50 gallon electric XYZ water heater in garage complete with new expansion tank, 1/4 turn ball valve, and metal drain pan.
Haul away and dispose of old heater.
Model # Serial #

Sometimes we will add draining down old tank and anything out of the ordinary.

As for legal jargon - we don't have room on our invoices. We do have a place for the customer to sign which basically says the above work has been completed to my satisfaction and that we offer no warranty on customer supplied materials.

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All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. – Edmund Burke

rocksteady

I use generic invoices that I stamp with my company info. Custom ones are in the future for me but not right now. I list EVERYTHING I do on the call. I like to be very detailed for the reasons PC mentioned. Being wordy seems to help justify the work, plus I read it back to the customer when I collect. That way everything is covered then and in the future.






Paul

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Rocksteady Plumbing
Serving San Luis Obispo County
(805) 237-7625 (ROCK)
http://rocksteadyplumbing.com/

TheMaster

I created a letterhead with some art work and a border.Then a block with the customers name and address.
Date the work was done.
Next I have the Job location because the job location may be different that the billing address.
I have about 20 lines to list material and 10 lines or so to write a description of work.
My invoices are numbered.
Then at the bottom I have a block with the totals....Material total,Tax,labor and a block labeled "other" that I can write in anything I like such as extra charges for whatever comes up that you need a line that you can customize. Then the Total on the last line.

If I need more room to write out the materials or the description of work i just use the next numbered invoice in line.

They are two part carbonless full letter size invoices so I get a copy and the customer gets a copy.

Tommy plumber

RW- My wife created my invoices on our home computer with Microsoft Office graphics, some clip art, etc. I list the usual; name of cust. address, billing address(if not same). I too like to detail what I did and in what bathroom. Don't forget make, model & serial num. (even on food waste grinder). As for the legalese, I don't have any of it at all on my invoices. In like 10 yrs. I've been stiffed once by someone who filed bankruptcy after I did some work. Otherwise I am fortunate, everyone pays me. I don't need all the BS on the back of invoice about late fees, lawyer fees, blah blah blah that no one reads.

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Hire a licensed master plumber.

OldSchool

We have been using the same Invoices for about 40 years now,,,,,

A few things I found along the way was....

1. At first our invoices said work order..... I was wondering why we were not getting paid by an Industrial client and he said we pay invoices not work orders.... so we changed all paper work to say invoices instead.

2. Need lots of room on invoice to write description of work.

3. have a place to write purchase order number on invoice.

4. have a place to check off paid by.... CC...cash....check or account

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