Carpenter Invoice Template AustraliaFree, ATO-Compliant & Ready to Use
A free invoice template for Australian carpenters and chippies - day rate or hourly labour, timber and hardware at cost plus your markup, ABN and 10% GST, with a licence field that may or may not apply depending on your state. Or skip the template and use Invio to invoice from the ute.
No credit card • GST calculated automatically • Send from your phone
The template
A filled-in carpenter invoice, shown at A4 widthExample figures, not a real jobACoburg Carpentry Co Pty Ltd
14 Fern Street
Coburg VIC 3058
0421 774 936
ABN: 47 620 158 933
TAX INVOICE
BINV-0067
Issue: 20 Sep 2026
Due: 04 Oct 2026
Sent
Bill To
Marcus Iversen
21 Rennie Street
Coburg VIC 3058
| CDescription | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day rate - deck framing and joists, 2 days2 x A$520.00 | 2 | A$520.00 | A$1,040.00 |
| Merbau decking boards, 90x19mm. Supply42 x A$14.50 | 42 | A$14.50 | A$609.00 |
| Fixings, joist hangers, bearers. Supply1 x A$185.00 | 1 | A$185.00 | A$185.00 |
| Site cleanup and offcut removal1 x A$60.00 | 1 | A$60.00 | A$60.00 |
BPayment Details
Please use the following details to make a payment.
Bank: NAB
Account name: Coburg Carpentry Co Pty Ltd
Account: 2960 7714
BSB: 083-276
Reference: INV-0067
Notes
Deck framing and Merbau decking, rear yard. Supply and install - timber supplied by Coburg Carpentry Co.
Thank you for your business!
What this invoice should carry
Fourteen fields, in four groups, keyed to the letters on the sample invoice above. Where a value is shown, it is the one you can read off it.
Your business details
Business name or trading name
On the sample: Coburg Carpentry Co Pty Ltd
ABN, required on every tax invoice
On the sample: 47 620 158 933
Licence number where your state requires one for the job value - in some states there is none to add
Phone number and email
On the sample: 0421 774 936
Physical or postal address
On the sample: 14 Fern Street, Coburg VIC 3058
Invoice identifiers
Invoice number, sequential for your records
On the sample: INV-0067
Invoice date
On the sample: 20 Sep 2026
Payment due date
On the sample: 4 Oct 2026
BSB and bank account for payment
On the sample: BSB 083-276, Acc 2960 7714
Job and line items
Whether you are billing day rate or hourly, stated clearly and matching what was agreed
On the sample: Day rate - deck framing and joists, 2 days x $520.00
Timber and materials, if you supplied them, listed separately at your sell price
On the sample: Merbau decking boards, 42m, $609.00
Fixings and hardware, listed separately
On the sample: $185.00
Site cleanup and offcut removal, if you did it
On the sample: $60.00
GST breakdown
Subtotal, GST at 10%, and the GST-inclusive total, as three separate lines
On the sample: $1,894.00 / $189.40 / $2,083.40
Customer's identity - name and address, or their ABN - required for invoices of A$1,000 or more
On the sample: Applies here - Marcus's name and address, shown in Billed To, satisfy it
Carpentry licensing, state by state
Most states license carpentry under the same general building-work threshold as any other trade - the ACT is the genuine exception. Every figure below was checked directly against that state's own regulator on 28 September 2026.
State
Licence needed above
Mechanism
NSW
A$5,000
labour + materials, incl. GST - the same general threshold as any other trade, not "no minimum"
Contractor licence, NSW Fair Trading, under the Home Building Act 1989 (nsw.gov.au, checked 28 Sep 2026)
QLD
A$3,300
labour + materials, incl. GST
Building licence, Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) (qbcc.qld.gov.au, checked 28 Sep 2026)
VIC
A$10,000
domestic building work generally, labour + materials + GST
Registered building practitioner, Building and Plumbing Commission (formerly the Victorian Building Authority) (consumer.vic.gov.au, checked 28 Sep 2026)
SA
A$20,000
the same general threshold as any other trade, not "regardless of value" - raised from A$12,000 on 10 Nov 2025
Building work contractor's licence, Consumer and Business Services (CBS) (cbs.sa.gov.au, checked 28 Sep 2026)
WA
A$20,000
general threshold, same as builder-licensed work in WA
Registered building contractor, Building and Energy (wa.gov.au, checked 28 Sep 2026)
ACT
No licence
the genuine exception on this table - carpentry itself currently needs no trade licence in the ACT, even for higher-value jobs
"Trades like carpenters and bricklayers do not currently need a licence in the ACT" - Construction Occupations regulation (planning.act.gov.au, checked 28 Sep 2026)
NT
A$12,000
"prescribed building work" needing registration, the same general figure as builder-licensed work
Registration, NT Building Practitioners Board (nt.gov.au, checked 28 Sep 2026)
TAS
No simple dollar figure
a licence is required unless the work is minor "Category 1" work or eligible owner-builder work
Building Services Provider licence, Consumer, Building and Occupational Services (CBOS) (cbos.tas.gov.au, checked 28 Sep 2026)
Check your own state before deciding whether a licence field even applies to you - the combined value of labour and materials is usually what matters, not labour alone, so a modest deck can still trip a state's threshold once materials are added.
How to fill out a carpenter invoice
Follow these steps after every job to get paid faster and stay on the right side of the ATO.
1
Fill in your business details
Add your trading name, ABN, licence number where your state requires one, address, phone, and email at the top. If you trade as Coburg Carpentry Co Pty Ltd, use that - not your personal name.
2
Set the invoice number and dates
Use a sequential number - INV-0067 after INV-0066. The invoice date is today. Set a due date (14 days is standard). Consistent numbering helps if you ever need to prove payment history.
3
Add the customer details
For invoices A$1,000 or more you must include the customer's identity - name and address is the simplest way to satisfy this. Even a modest deck or fit-out job often crosses that threshold once materials are included.
4
State day rate or hourly, matching what was agreed
Show clearly whether you are billing day rate or hourly, and match the invoice to what was agreed in the quote - not a mix of both, and not a full day rate for a shorter day without saying so.
5
List timber and hardware separately from labour
If you supplied the timber, list it as its own line at your sell price, separate from fixings and hardware. This lets a client see your material cost separately from your work, useful if they query the total.
6
Calculate GST and show it clearly
Multiply your subtotal by 0.10 to get the GST amount. Show subtotal, GST, and total as three separate lines - never just a single total. Use the free Invio GST calculator at /gst-calculator-au if you want a quick check before sending.
7
Add your BSB and bank details, then send
Include your BSB and account number, and ask the customer to use your invoice number as the payment reference. Send it once the job is finished and the site is clean.
Common carpenter invoice mistakes
These mistakes slow payment, create disputes, or put you offside with the ATO. Easy to fix once you know them.
Quoting a day rate, then invoicing the same amount for a shorter day
e.g. A day quoted at $520 invoiced in full after a 5-hour job
If the job ran shorter than a full day, say so on the invoice. A client who feels overcharged on hours is slower to pay next time and less likely to rebook.
Materials and labour on one line
e.g. "Deck build - $1,894" with no breakdown
Splitting supply from labour lets a client see your timber cost separately from your work - useful if they query the total, and easier for you to reprice the next job accurately.
No mention of who supplied the timber
e.g. Invoice silent on whether timber was supplied by the carpenter or the client
"Supply and install" vs "install only" changes what you can charge and what you are liable for if the material is faulty - say which one this job was.
Missing a licence field where your state actually requires one
e.g. A $2,000 deck job treated as licence-exempt without checking the combined value
Even a modest job can trip a state's threshold once labour and materials are added together - check the combined value, not just labour, against your own state's figure.
Assuming the ACT's "no licence" rule for carpentry applies to builder-licensed work too
e.g. Treating a larger structural job in the ACT as licence-free because carpentry itself needs none
Carpentry as a trade needs no licence in the ACT, but structural building work still needs SOME builder licence class. The two are different questions - check which one your job actually is.
What goes on the lines, and what it usually costs
The lines a carpentry invoice tends to have, in the two groups they fall into.
Labour
Day rate or hourly, agreed before the job
Day rate
Per day
A$450 - $650
Common for framing, decking, and larger fit-out jobs.
Hourly
Per hour
A$65 - $95/hr
Common for smaller repair or install jobs.
Materials and travel
At cost plus your markup, or folded into the day rate
Materials markup
On top of supplier cost
Cost + 15 - 25%
Covers handling and supplier runs.
Travel/callout
Per job
A$0 - $80
Many chippies fold this into the day rate for local jobs.
Indicative GST-exclusive ranges for 2026, to sanity-check a quote you have not priced before, not a price guide - rates vary by region and job complexity. GST itself is 10% on top of the subtotal once you are registered - use the free GST calculator to check.
Why Invio beats Word and Excel for chippies
Templates are a fine starting point. But most carpenters move to proper software once they are running several jobs a week.
Invoice from the ute once the job is done
Fill in day rate or hours, timber, and hardware before you pack up. No paperwork to reconstruct at the end of the week.
Before you pack up
GST calculated automatically
Invio does the 10% for you across labour and materials - no spreadsheet formula to accidentally break.
10% on every line
Saved clients and rates
Store your repeat customers and standard day rate or hourly rate. Next job on the same street? Two taps and the invoice is half-filled already.
Two taps
Payment reminders built in
Invio Pro sends automatic follow-ups when invoices go overdue - so you are not the one making awkward calls.
Automatic follow-ups
ATO-compliant every time
Every Invio invoice has the right fields: ABN, GST breakdown, date, customer identity when required. You can't accidentally send a non-compliant invoice.
Every required field
PDF ready to email or print
Send the invoice by email directly from Invio, or download a clean PDF if the customer prefers paper.
One click
What a carpenter's invoice carries that the others do not
Every AU trade invoice needs the same GST and ABN basics. Past that, the paperwork splits by trade - here is what is specific to carpentry work.
No licence, or A$3,300 - $20,000
The widest licensing spread of any trade in this batch
Most states license carpentry under the same general threshold as builder-licensed work. The ACT is the exception - no licence for carpentry itself, even though the ACT licenses builders for structural work.
Day rate or hourly
The one trade that regularly bills by the day
Agree which one applies before the job starts, then match the invoice exactly - the biggest single cause of a slow-paying client on carpentry work.
2 lines, not 1
Timber and hardware, split from labour
Splitting supply from labour shows a client your material cost separately from your work - useful if they query the total, and it protects you if a material turns out faulty.
Supply or install-only
Who provided the timber changes your liability
Stating "supply and install" vs "install only" on every invoice removes any ambiguity if a batch of timber turns out to be defective.
Carpenter Invoice FAQs
Common questions from Australian carpenters about invoicing, licensing, and getting paid.
Do I need a licence to do carpentry work in Australia?
Should I charge a day rate or an hourly rate?
Do I invoice separately for timber I supply?
What's the combined-value threshold my state uses - labour only, or labour plus materials?
Do I need to add GST to my carpentry invoice?
What's the minimum information a carpenter invoice needs in Australia?
Invoice every carpentry job correctly, from the ute
Invio is free for sole traders. Set up your day rate or hourly rate once, send GST-compliant tax invoices with your ABN and BSB saved, and let automatic reminders handle the chase.
Free to start • GST calculated automatically • No credit card required