Excavation/Grading invoice template
Earthwork is billed by volume and machine hours, and what happens to the spoil is a major cost. Build one below — prefilled excavation/grading services, payment terms, PDF download, and a public payment link.
How excavation/grading invoicing actually works
Cut and fill volumes, haul-off, and import of suitable material are the real numbers. A site that balances — where the cut fills the low ground — is a fundamentally cheaper job than one where thousands of cubic yards leave on trucks or arrive on them. Show volumes and haul separately so the customer can see which situation they are in.
Unknowns are the trade's defining risk: rock, groundwater, buried debris, unsuitable soils. Price them as unit rates in the contract and invoice actual quantities. And record the utility locate — every excavator's worst day starts with a line that was not marked.
What belongs on a excavation/grading invoice
Beyond the universals — your details, the customer's details, a unique invoice number, dates, totals and payment terms — these are the lines that matter in this trade.
- Cut and fill volumes in cubic yards
- With whether the site balanced or required haul-off or import.
- Machine and operator time by equipment class
- Excavator, dozer, skid steer, compactor — different rates.
- Haul-off and import, with trucking
- Loads, destination and tipping fees; or source and material for import.
- Unforeseen conditions at contract unit rates
- Rock, groundwater, buried debris, unsuitable soil — actual quantities against agreed rates.
Line items this template starts with
These are the prefilled starting values in the BillingDone excavation/grading template — a starting point to edit, not a survey of market rates. Set your own prices once and they save for next time.
| Service | Unit | Starting price |
|---|---|---|
| Operator labor hourly | Hour | $125.00 |
| Site grading | Project | $950.00 |
| Trenching | Project | $650.00 |
| Drainage swale | Project | $850.00 |
| Dirt hauling | Project | $450.00 |
| Equipment mobilization | Each | $350.00 |
| Dump fee | Each | $175.00 |
| Small grading package | Project | $1,800.00 |
Getting paid as a excavation/grading
- Mobilisation should be its own payment. Moving machines to site is a real cost before a bucket touches ground.
- Invoice unforeseen-condition work as it is encountered and approved, never as an end-of-job surprise.
- Record the utility locate reference on the paperwork. It is your evidence as much as it is a compliance step.
Example invoice wording: Completed grading work, moved material, and cleaned access area.
Excavation/Grading invoicing questions
What should a excavation/grading invoice include?
A excavation/grading invoice should include your business details, the customer's contact information, itemized services, materials or fees, taxes, payment terms, a due date, and a clear total due.
Can excavation and grading contractors send invoices from a phone?
Yes. BillingDone is designed for fast mobile invoice creation so you can create, send, and collect payment while you are still on site.
Can I save common services?
Yes. Start with the built-in Quick Add Invoice Library, then save custom services, prices, and descriptions for your own repeat work.
How is excavation work priced?
By volume in cubic yards for cut and fill, plus machine and operator time by equipment class, plus haul-off or import of material. Whether the site balances is often the largest single factor in the total.
How should unexpected rock or groundwater be billed?
At unit rates agreed in the contract, invoiced at the actual quantity encountered. Fixed-price earthwork either prices in a contingency the customer resents or leaves the contractor absorbing a cost nobody could see.
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Summary
- Subtotal
- $0.00
- Tax
- $0.00
- Total due
- $0.00