Painter and decorator invoice wording and payment terms

Copy-and-paste blocks

• Preparation line

  Copy

  Preparation — filling, sanding, caulking, masking and protection of floors and furnishings throughout the areas decorated.

• Painting labour line

  Copy

  Internal painting labour (per day) — walls, ceilings and woodwork, two coats applied throughout unless otherwise stated.

• Materials line

  Copy

  Paint and sundries — trade emulsion, eggshell, primer, filler, abrasives, tape and dust sheets as required for the work above.

• Payment terms

  Copy

  Payment due within 14 days of the invoice date. For works over five days a 40% stage payment is due at the halfway point.

• Finish wording

  Copy

  Two full coats have been applied over prepared surfaces. Touch-up paint has been left on site labelled by room.

Getting the terms to stick

Decorating customers are usually living in the house and pay quickly. Where a landlord or developer is paying, expect 30 days and get a purchase order number.

If you don't state a payment period, the statutory default of 30 days applies — and you can charge statutory interest plus a fixed recovery cost on a commercial debt once it is late. Putting your terms on every invoice is what makes them enforceable without argument.

Common questions

Should preparation be a separate line on a decorating invoice?

Yes. Preparation is often a third of the labour, and customers who only see "painting" assume they are paying purely for the time a roller was moving.

Do I charge paint at cost or with a markup?

Either is fine as long as you say which on the invoice. Silent markups are the main reason decorating bills get argued over after the event.

How many coats should I state on the invoice?

Whatever you actually applied — normally two over prepared surfaces. Writing it down protects you if the customer later claims coverage is thin.