Send Standalone Invoices
Bill for additional work or materials beyond your tracked hours. Create and send professional invoices in seconds.
Invoice #001
Bill To
Sarah Johnson
123 Main St, Auckland
Plumbing Services
8h × $75
$600
Materials
$150
$150
Subtotal
$750
Total
$750
Professional Invoicing for Tradesmen and Contractors
For tradesmen, contractors, and small teams, professional invoicing is essential for getting paid quickly and maintaining good client relationships. Timewire makes it easy to create and send professional invoices that clearly show work performed, time spent, and costs incurred. Whether you charge day rates, hourly rates, or location-based fees, Timewire helps you create invoices that are clear, accurate, and professional.
You can create invoices from your tracked time entries, add material costs from scanned receipts, or create standalone invoices for work beyond your regular time tracking. This flexibility makes Timewire suitable for various billing scenarios that tradesmen and contractors encounter.
Creating Invoices from Tracked Time
The most common way to create invoices in Timewire is from your tracked time entries. This method automatically includes all your time entries with descriptions, making invoice creation quick and accurate:
- Select Time Period: In the Timesheet section, select the time period you want to invoice. You can choose a specific date range, a week, or all entries for a particular client or location.
- Review Time Entries: Review all selected time entries to ensure they're accurate. You can edit descriptions, adjust times, or remove entries if needed before creating the invoice.
- Add Material Costs (Optional): If you've scanned material invoices, you can add those line items to the invoice. This combines labor costs (from time tracking) with material costs for a complete project invoice.
- Set Invoice Details: Add invoice number, due date, payment terms, and any additional notes. Timewire automatically calculates totals based on your time entries and rates.
- Preview and Send: Preview the invoice to ensure everything looks correct, then send it directly to the client via email. Timewire generates a professional PDF invoice that you can also print or share via other methods.
Creating Standalone Invoices
Sometimes you need to create invoices for work that wasn't tracked through Timewire's automatic tracking. This is common for:
- Emergency callouts that happened outside normal work hours
- Extra charges or change orders not included in original estimates
- One-off projects where automatic tracking wasn't used
- Material-only invoices when you're not charging for labor
To create a standalone invoice, select "Create New Invoice" and manually add line items. You can still use scanned material receipts and add custom line items for labor or other charges.
Invoice Formatting and Professional Presentation
Timewire generates professional PDF invoices that include:
Header Information
Your business name, contact information, and logo (if added). This creates a professional appearance and helps clients identify your invoices.
Client Details
Client name, address, and contact information automatically pulled from location settings. This ensures accurate billing information.
Detailed Line Items
Each time entry or material item appears as a line item with description, date, hours (if applicable), rate, and total. This transparency helps clients understand your billing.
Totals and Payment Information
Clear subtotals, tax (if applicable), and grand total. Payment terms, due date, and payment methods are also included to make it easy for clients to pay.
Billing Methods: Day Rates, Hourly Rates, and Location-Based
Timewire supports various billing methods commonly used by tradesmen and contractors:
Day Rate Billing
Charge a fixed daily rate for full-day jobs. Day rate billing is configured per Work Site location (not globally), allowing you to use day rates for some locations and hourly rates for others. To set up day rate billing, enable it when adding or editing a work site location.
When day rate billing is enabled for a location, you set both a day rate amount (e.g., $500/day) and a minimum hours threshold (e.g., 4 hours). If you work the minimum hours or more on a given day, Timewire bills at the full day rate. If you work fewer hours than the threshold, Timewire automatically falls back to hourly billing using your hourly rate for that location.
Day rates are ideal for tradesmen who consistently work full days at construction sites or long-term projects. Each day is calculated separately, so you can have some days at day rate and others at hourly rate within the same week. For detailed setup instructions, see the Add Locations guide.
Hourly Rate Billing
Charge based on actual hours worked. Timewire automatically calculates hours from your time entries and applies the hourly rate set for each location. This provides precise billing based on actual work performed.
Location-Based Billing
Charge a fixed amount per location visit, regardless of time spent. Useful for service calls or quick jobs where time varies but the service charge is fixed. Each location visit creates a separate invoice line item.
Best Practices for Professional Invoicing
Invoice Promptly
Send invoices as soon as work is completed or at regular intervals (weekly or bi-weekly). Prompt invoicing leads to faster payment and better cash flow.
Include Clear Descriptions
Use the work descriptions you added to time entries. Clear descriptions help clients understand what they're paying for and reduce questions or disputes.
Set Clear Payment Terms
Specify payment due dates and accepted payment methods. Common terms include "Net 30" (payment due in 30 days) or "Due on receipt" for smaller projects.
Follow Up on Overdue Invoices
Track which invoices are paid and follow up on overdue payments. Timewire helps you see invoice status so you can manage your accounts receivable effectively.
Common Questions About Invoicing
Can I customize invoice appearance?
Timewire generates professional PDF invoices with a standard format. You can add your business logo and customize some elements, but the core format is designed to be clear and professional for all tradesmen and contractors.
How do I track which invoices are paid?
Timewire shows invoice status (sent, viewed, paid) so you can track your accounts receivable. Mark invoices as paid when you receive payment to keep your records accurate.
Can I send invoices to multiple email addresses?
Yes, you can add multiple email addresses when sending invoices. This is useful if a client has both a primary contact and an accounts payable department that needs to receive invoices.
What file format are invoices sent in?
Invoices are sent as PDF attachments via email. PDFs are universally compatible and maintain formatting across all devices, making them ideal for professional invoicing.
Complete Your Timewire Workflow
Congratulations! You've now learned all the essential features of Timewire. From setting up locations and configuring settings to tracking time, adding descriptions, scanning receipts, creating estimates, and sending invoices, you have a complete workflow for managing your trades or contracting business.
For tradesmen, contractors, and small teams, Timewire provides everything you need to track time accurately, manage materials, and invoice clients professionally. Whether you charge day rates, hourly rates, or location-based fees, Timewire adapts to your billing method and helps you get paid faster.
Pro Tip
Perfect for emergency callouts or extra charges