Plumbing Invoicing Software for Solo Plumbers and Small Shops
By Jeff Burt, founder of Invoice Goat. Published October 6, 2026.
A plumbing shop, from one truck to a small crew, needs invoicing software that does three things from a phone: send a quote the customer signs before you start, turn it into an invoice with the service call, labor and parts on separate lines, and take a card payment before you leave.
The short version
- Solo or with a crew, start with quotes the customer signs and invoices built from them.
- Pick a price that stays the same when you add a tech.
- Put the service call, labor and each part on their own lines.
- In Texas, the first page of every invoice needs your master plumber's name, license number and the Board's notice.
- Send the invoice with a pay link before you leave the job.
What a Plumbing Shop Needs From Invoicing Software
The Bureau of Labor Statistics counted about 510,600 plumber, pipefitter and steamfitter jobs in 2025, and 8% of these workers are self-employed.1 Whether you work alone or run a few techs, the paperwork on each job is the same: a quote the customer agrees to, an invoice that matches it, and a way to get paid before you leave.
- Quotes the customer signs on the spot. A signed quote settles the price before you open a wall, and the invoice should come straight from it so the numbers match.
- Line items you can read. The service call, labor and each part on their own lines, so the homeowner can see what they're paying for.
- A pay link. Card or bank transfer from the customer's phone, so you aren't driving back for a check.
- Saved prices. The valves, supply lines and flat rates you use every week, ready to drop in.
- A price you won't outgrow by accident. Plans priced per user or per technician get expensive when you add a helper.
Plumbers weigh this when they ask each other. In a February 2026 r/Plumbing thread, a solo owner-operator asked whether Jobber's Grow plan was worth paying for, and one reply put it simply: match the plan to the automation you'd actually use.2 In another thread, a solo plumber compared ServiceTitan to flying a 747 to fix a leaky faucet.3
Plumbing Invoicing Software Prices Compared
Prices as each company lists them on its own pricing page on October 6, 2026.10 For Jobber we show the one-user prices.
Invoicing software for plumbers, prices read October 6, 2026
| Software | Price | Free plan | On your phone | Built for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Invoice Goat | $79/month, or $69/month billed yearly | No. Free trial: one quote and one invoice, no card | Runs in any phone browser, nothing to install | Solo plumbers and small crews. Unlimited quotes, invoices and customers, one price for the whole business. |
| Jobber Core | $49/month, or $29/month billed yearly, 1 user | No. Free trial, no card | Not stated on its pricing page | Quotes, invoices and scheduling. QuickBooks sync and automatic follow-ups start on Connect, $139/month. |
| Housecall Pro Basic | $79/month, or $59/month billed yearly, 1 user | No. 14-day free trial | iOS and Android app | Includes scheduling and dispatch. Bigger plans add more users. |
| Joist | Basics $10/month on sale, normally $12 (5 documents a month); Pro $17/month | No. 14-day free trial | Mobile and web | Solo contractors. Scheduling only on its Run plan, $100/month. |
| Square Invoices | $0/month on Square Free, 3.3% + 30¢ per card payment on an invoice | Yes | Not stated on its pricing page | Any business. Deposits and automatic payment reminders in any plan. |
| Invoice Fly | $8.99/week, or $98.99/year | No. Card needed for the free trial | Mobile app | One business per account. |
| ServiceTitan | Request pricing (priced per technician) | No | Mobile app for techs | Dispatching, scheduling and call booking in every plan. |
Jobber Core and Housecall Pro Basic cover one user, and ServiceTitan prices per technician. Invoice Goat is one price for the whole business, with unlimited quotes, invoices and customers, while Joist's $10 Basics plan stops at 5 documents a month.
What Goes on a Plumbing Invoice
- Your business name, phone, address and license number, and the customer's name and the job address.
- An invoice number, the date and the quote it came from.
- The service call fee on its own line. It covers getting to the house4 and stays on the invoice whether or not the customer goes ahead with the repair.5 Housecall Pro's 2026 pricing guide puts it between $75 and $150 at most residential shops.4 Tell the customer before you arrive whether it gets credited toward the repair.
- Each repair, priced one of two ways. A flat rate folds parts, labor and markup into one price, and fits routine work like a faucet swap or a drain clearing. Time and materials lists the labor hours, then each part at your marked-up price on its own line.5
- Permits at cost, on their own line, with the permit number in the notes.5
- Sales tax the way your state charges it, the total, any payment already received, the balance and the due date.
- Your warranty on parts and labor, and how the customer can pay.
Some states want your license number on more than the invoice. California, for example, requires it on every construction contract, bid and ad.7 For the full walk-through on deposits and change orders, see how to invoice as a contractor.
The Texas Rule for Plumbing Invoices
Texas has a specific rule. The Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners requires the first page of every written or electronic proposal, invoice or contract for plumbing work to show, in at least 12-point type:6
- The first and last name of the Responsible Master Plumber of record.
- That plumber's license number.
- The phrase “regulated by the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners”.
- The Board's mailing address, phone number and website, tsbpe.texas.gov.
The rule counts written estimates, service invoices and receipts, so the quote you text a customer needs the same block as the final bill. Check one of your own PDFs against this list, including the type size.
A Worked Service Call Invoice in Texas
Here's an invoice for a common call in Texas: a leak under a kitchen sink in a family home. The plumber charges a service call, finds two corroded shutoff valves, and replaces both valves and both supply lines on time and materials. The prices, names and license number are an example, not a rate card.
Top of page one: Example Plumbing Co., Austin, Texas
Responsible Master Plumber: Dana Ruiz, License M-00000 (example)
Regulated by the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners
Board mailing address, phone number and website (tsbpe.texas.gov), copied from the Board's current notice
| Item | Qty | Price | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service call | 1 | $95.00 | $95.00 |
| Labor: replace both shutoff valves and supply lines under the kitchen sink | 1.5 | $120.00 | $180.00 |
| Quarter-turn angle stop valve (taxed) | 2 | $24.00 | $48.00 |
| Braided stainless supply line, 20 inch (taxed) | 2 | $16.00 | $32.00 |
| Subtotal | $355.00 | ||
| Sales tax, 8.25% on the parts ($80.00) | $6.60 | ||
| Balance due on receipt | $361.60 | ||
The math: labor is 1.5 hours at $120, which is $180. The parts are two valves at $24 and two supply lines at $16, which add up to $80. With the $95 service call, the subtotal is $355. The Texas Comptroller says labor to repair a home isn't taxable, and that on a contract listing materials separately the contractor collects sales tax on the materials. Under a lump-sum contract, the contractor pays the tax when buying materials and charges the customer none.8 At an example combined rate of 8.25%, the tax on $80 is $6.60, so the customer owes $361.60.
Two things would change this invoice. On a restaurant or an office instead of a home, Texas taxes the whole repair, labor included.8 In Washington, a contractor repairing a building for a consumer collects retail sales tax on the full contract price, labor included.9 And because this job is in Texas, the top of page one carries the notice block shown above the table.
Plumbing Invoices in Invoice Goat
Invoice Goat is a quote and invoice app for solo tradespeople and small crews that runs in any phone browser, with nothing to install. Many of its customers run several technicians on it.11 Here's how the invoice above gets made.
- Send the quote from the job. The customer approves it by signing on their own phone, and Convert to Invoice turns it into an invoice with the same lines.
- Keep your common parts and flat rates in the Price Book, then use Add from Price Book on any quote or invoice.
- Turn sales tax on, then switch it off line by line, so the service call and labor stay untaxed while parts are taxed.
- Attach photos or videos of the finished job to the invoice.
- Use one plan for the whole business. Your crew can share one login at no extra cost.
- Turn on online payments and customers pay by card or bank transfer from the invoice. Cash, check or Zelle can be recorded with Add Payment.
Across all accounts, 31% of invoices sent through Invoice Goat are paid in under 24 hours, and 64% of quotes are approved in under 24 hours, as of September 2026.12 Ben H., a plumber who works with several builders, puts it this way on our homepage: “I work with multiple builders and Invoice Goat keeps it all straight.”
There's no separate field for a license number yet, so put yours in the invoice notes. That works while the invoice fits on one page, and most jobs do. In Texas, the notes print smaller than the Board's 12-point minimum, so check the first-page block against the list above. Invoice Goat pricing is one plan with every feature.
Questions
What is the best invoice app for plumbers?
One that does the three jobs every service call needs: a quote the customer can sign, an invoice sent from your phone and a card payment. That holds for a solo plumber and for a shop with several techs. Invoice Goat does all three for one price, $79 a month, with unlimited quotes, invoices and customers, and your crew can share one login at no extra cost.
How do I create a plumbing invoice?
Start from the quote the customer approved. Put the service call fee on its own line, then each repair, either as a flat-rate price or as labor hours plus each part at your marked-up price. Add any permit at cost, apply sales tax the way your state requires, and send it with a pay link before you leave the house. In Texas, the first page must also carry your master plumber's name, license number and the Board's contact notice.
What is the best accounting software for plumbers?
Invoicing software and accounting software do different jobs. An invoicing app gets quotes signed and invoices paid; accounting software keeps your books and gets you ready for taxes. A common setup is to send invoices from one app and keep the books in QuickBooks or with a bookkeeper. Invoice Goat is invoicing software, not accounting software, and it doesn't sync with QuickBooks. You can export your data as a CSV for your bookkeeper.
Is there a totally free invoice app?
Square Invoices has a $0 plan. You pay a fee on each payment instead: 3.3% plus 30 cents when a customer pays an invoice by card on that plan. Invoice Goat has no free plan. Its free trial includes one quote and one invoice with every feature, no card needed, and it never expires.
Do plumbers charge sales tax on labor?
Only in some states. The Texas Comptroller says labor to repair a home isn't taxable, but repair work on a commercial building is. In Washington, a contractor repairing a building for a consumer collects retail sales tax on the full contract price, labor included. Check your state revenue department's guide for contractors.
Should a plumber charge a service call fee?
Many do. Housecall Pro's 2026 pricing guide puts most residential plumbing service call fees between $75 and $150, and says some shops build travel into the labor rate instead. If you charge one, put it on its own line, and tell the customer before you arrive whether it gets credited toward the repair.
What is the best plumbing estimating software?
For service and repair work, the estimate is a quote. Joist, Jobber, Housecall Pro and Invoice Goat all send quotes the customer can approve from their phone. Bids built from plan takeoffs for new construction need a dedicated estimating program, and Invoice Goat doesn't do takeoffs.
Sources and Dates
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters: about 510,600 jobs in 2025; median pay $63,800 in May 2025; 8% self-employed. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/plumbers-pipefitters-and-steamfitters.htm Read October 6, 2026.
- r/Plumbing thread, February 3, 2026: a solo owner-operator asks whether Jobber's Grow plan is worth paying for. https://www.reddit.com/r/Plumbing/comments/1qufi7a/what_app_for_invoicing/ Read October 6, 2026.
- r/Plumbing thread, March 11, 2026: plumbers describe the software they use; a solo plumber compares ServiceTitan to flying a 747 to fix a leaky faucet. https://www.reddit.com/r/Plumbing/comments/1rqe4dh/plumberswhat_appsoftware_do_you_use_to_handle/ Read October 6, 2026.
- Housecall Pro, Plumbing pricing guide 2026 (updated September 16, 2026): service call fees between $75 and $150 at most residential plumbing businesses, ranging from $50 to $200. https://www.housecallpro.com/resources/how-to-price-plumbing-jobs/ Read October 6, 2026.
- FieldPulse, plumbing invoice template (July 27, 2026): the service call fee appears on the invoice whether or not the repair goes ahead; flat-rate jobs fold markup into the price, time and materials jobs list each part at the marked-up price; permits at cost on their own line. https://www.fieldpulse.com/resources/blog/plumbing-invoice-template Read October 6, 2026.
- Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners, Administrative Rules (March 2026), 22 TAC section 367.10(b): the first page of each written or electronic proposal, invoice or contract for plumbing services must show, in at least twelve-point font, the name and license number of the Responsible Master Plumber of record, the phrase "regulated by the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners", and the Board's mailing address, phone number and website. Written estimates, service invoices and receipts count. https://tsbpe.texas.gov/wp-content/uploads/documents/TSBPE_AdministrativeRules_March2026.pdf Read October 6, 2026.
- California Business and Professions Code section 7030.5: a licensed contractor's license number goes on all construction contracts, subcontracts, calls for bid and advertising. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC§ionNum=7030.5 Read October 6, 2026.
- Texas Comptroller, publication 94-116, Real Property Repair and Remodeling: labor to repair residential real property is not taxable; on a separated contract the contractor collects tax on the materials; repair of nonresidential real property is taxable. https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/publications/94-116.php Read October 6, 2026.
- Washington Administrative Code 458-20-170: prime contractors constructing, repairing or improving buildings for consumers collect retail sales tax measured by the full contract price. https://app.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=458-20-170 Read October 6, 2026.
- Vendor pricing pages: Jobber (getjobber.com/pricing, one-user view), Housecall Pro (housecallpro.com/pricing), Joist (joist.com/pricing), Square Invoices (squareup.com/us/en/invoices/pricing), Invoice Fly (invoicefly.com/pricing) and ServiceTitan (servicetitan.com/pricing). Read October 6, 2026.
- Invoice Goat, founder Jeff Burt, as of October 2026: many Invoice Goat customers are past a one-person shop and run several technicians on it. Read October 7, 2026.
- Invoice Goat, figures given by founder Jeff Burt, as of September 2026: share of invoices sent through Invoice Goat paid in under 24 hours, and share of quotes approved in under 24 hours. Totals across all accounts. Read October 6, 2026.