Repair invoice template for mechanics and repair shops
Updated · Reviewed by Israel Margulies, founder and CEO of High Point GPS
An invoice for repair work on cars, trucks and machines: who the customer is, which vehicle or machine you worked on, every part and labor line, the totals and the payment terms, with room for the customer's signature.
A clear repair invoice gets paid faster and ends arguments before they start. It should show what was wrong, what you did, each part with its quantity and price, labor hours at your rate, and anything sent to an outside shop, so the customer can check every line.
Write the work order number and the odometer or hour meter reading on the invoice. Months later, that is what ties the bill to the repair history when the same problem comes back or a warranty question comes up. Sales tax and invoice rules vary by state, so check what yours requires.
Repair invoice
Fields: Shop name and address · Invoice no. · Date · Work order no. · Customer · Customer phone / email · Vehicle or machine (year, make, model) · VIN / serial no. · Odometer or hour meter · Complaint / reason for repair
Log columns: Part no. or labor · Description · Qty or hours · Unit price or rate · Amount
- Totals. Parts subtotal, labor subtotal, outside work, shop supplies, sales tax and total due.
- Payment terms. Due on receipt or within the days you agree (for example net 15 or net 30), and the payment methods you accept.
- Warranty. Your warranty on parts and labor, if you give one, and how long it lasts.
Fill it in the right way
- Fill in the shop, the customer and the vehicle or machine, including the VIN or serial number and the meter reading.
- Write the complaint in the customer's words and the work order number it belongs to.
- Add one line for each part (number, description, quantity, price) and one for each labor task (hours at your rate).
- Add outside work, shop supplies and sales tax, then the total due.
- Write your payment terms and any warranty, have the customer sign, and keep a copy with the work order.
Tips
- Get the customer's approval for the estimate before the work, and again if the job grows; it prevents disputes over the bill.
- List labor by task, not as one lump sum. Customers question a single big number far more than a few clear lines.
- Number invoices in order and never reuse a number; it keeps your books and your tax records clean.
- Keep old parts for the customer to see when they ask; some states require offering them.
Do it in FleetZap
- In FleetZap, each work order collects the parts, labor and outside work for the job as the technician goes.
- Finished work can be invoiced through QuickBooks Online, so you don't retype parts and labor into a separate invoice.
- Every invoice line stays on the machine's history, which builds its real cost over time.
- Customers and operators can report problems by scanning the machine's QR label, so the complaint is on the work order from the start.
FleetZap Maintenance
Work orders, PM, parts, compliance, assets and KPIs. Explore FleetZap Maintenance.
Frequently asked questions
What should a repair invoice include?
Your shop's details, an invoice number and date, the customer, the vehicle or machine with its VIN or serial and meter reading, each part and labor line with quantity and price, outside work, taxes, the total and your payment terms.
How do you write labor on a repair invoice?
One line per task with the hours and your hourly rate, or a flat rate if you price by the job. The mechanic labor rate calculator works out a rate that covers your costs.
Do I need to charge sales tax on repairs?
It depends on the state: some tax parts only, some tax parts and labor. Check your state's rules.
Is this the same as a work order?
No. A work order is the instruction and record for doing the repair; the invoice is the bill for it. Most shops number them so each invoice points to its work order.