There are no universal home repair invoice templates for a handyman that needs to be followed. No two repairs are exactly alike, and not two handymen are exactly alike either. Repairing a large kitchen appliance comes with different skills and issues than repairing a pipe that burst or dealing with unexpected flooding. When it comes to water damage in homes, you’ll find invoices become much more complicated.
Below, we’ll walk through what makes water damage repair invoices different from other construction or handyman-related invoices, what factors can affect costs, and recommend invoicing software to streamline the entire process.
What Makes Invoices for Water Damage Different?
If you’ve ever cleaned up a space or issued repairs following any sort of flooding or extreme water damage, you know the path back to normality is a long one. Water damage repair differs from more common services, like home AC repair services. When there is water damage, many more services are needed. These services and related materials are itemized on the invoices and can include disposal fees for removing molding or water-damaged property, carpet or flooring removal, and standing water extraction.
Factors that Affect Cost of Water Damage Repair
There are many factors that can affect the cost and needed work to deal with a water damage repair in a home that needs to be included on an invoice, such as the extent of the damage, the type of water, items and infrastructure damaged, and the gap of time between when the damage occurred and when repairs began.
Amount of Damage
Your final bill will be higher if the damage is extensive. One toilet overflowing in a cement basement will result in less damage compared to pipes that burst and flood an entire carpeted level of a home.
Type of Water
Different types of water result in different kinds of damage. There are three types of water that can damage a home:
- Black water: This water is extremely contaminated, typically containing sewage or dirty floodwater. In addition to removing the water and drying the area, all flooded areas must be treated with antimicrobial cleaning agents to ensure sanitary conditions. This cleanup may also require specialized equipment.
- Gray water: Gray water contains some contaminants that may not always be hazardous to your health. We see this type of water when there is run-off from appliances such as sinks and refrigerators. Fish tanks can also cause gray water damage. Clean this water quickly, because after forty-eight hours, gray water can become black water because bacteria can grow in the standing water.
- Clean water: This is the easiest water to clean up because it contains virtually no contaminants, chemical or otherwise. It comes from broken pipes, overflowing water appliances (tubs, toilets, etc), and rain or snow melt.
Items and Infrastructure Damage
The items and materials that are affected by the water damage can affect the price. Carpets are expensive to clean and replace in water damage situations. Items with fabrics typically need to be replaced depending on the water, and flooring or wallpaper will also need replacing depending on the scale of damage.
Time Between When Damages Occurred and When Repairs Began
If a lot of time has passed between when a water damage incident occurred and the repairs, it can be more expensive. Bacteria, water stains, and other damage can destroy your walls, flooring, and furniture. Remember, water left standing for too long can also affect the cost and repairs necessary. Leaving gray water standing for two days results in black water, which increases the amount of damage.
Formatting Your Invoice
With all of these factors in mind, it’s difficult to know how to format your invoice. We recommend being extremely thorough when inputting items and costs in your invoice. Labor hours, materials, and quantities used should all be included. Include the reasoning for unexpected costs in your invoice, so clients understand what they’re paying for and why.
Don’t Get Left High and Dry
A quick Google search for water damage invoice templates will tell you invoicing for these jobs is complicated. If you partner with Invoice Ninja, you lower the risk of being paid less for your labor or materials than you deserve. Invoice Ninja offers expertly designed invoicing templates and services to freelancers, independent contractors, and small businesses alike.
Get paid your worth and on time with Invoice Ninja. For more information on our invoice templates, check out our article on real estate photography invoice templates!
