You’ve trimmed the edges to perfection, and the lawn looks immaculate. But your job isn’t done until you’ve turned that sweat equity into cold, hard cash. 

Sending customers a professional-looking lawn care invoice isn’t just about creating paperwork that looks nice. Your invoice acts as a testament to the high-quality lawn care services you provide—right down to your lawn care company logo and the efficiency of your billing process.

Learn how to create lawn care invoices that show customers your landscaping business isn’t just a seasonal hustle—or use our landscaping invoice template as a shortcut. Plus, find out how GorillaDesk’s lawn care app can ensure you receive timely payments by automating your invoicing process.

Grab your free template: Get our free lawn care invoice template today.

How to write a lawn care invoice

Starting a lawn care business means not only securing customers and getting your hands dirty, but tackling paperwork like invoices, too.

Invoices are legal records that document what services you provided to each customer. Ideally, your lawn care invoice is transparent and clearly outlines important information for both your business and your customer. 

Here are the steps you should take to create helpful, professional lawn care invoices for your business:

1. Choose a template

GorillaDesk provides custom invoice templates that you can fill out and send on the go. (Source)

Starting with a template is a good way to provide customers with professional-looking invoices that cover all the required information. You can use a small business or service invoice template and customize it with your company logo and brand colors, or you can use an online invoice generator to get started. Most accounting platforms, like Wave and FreshBooks, also offer Microsoft Word, Google Sheets, PDF, and printable templates.

Lawn care business software like GorillaDesk also provides an editable invoice form that you can send to customers, even while you’re in the field.

2. Identify your company and customer

List your business name, mailing address, phone number, and email at the top of the invoice. Putting this information front and center helps customers easily contact you if they have questions.

Next, add your client’s name and their address. This ensures that your lawn service invoice reaches the right person.

3. Assign an invoice number

Each invoice needs a unique number for tracking and recordkeeping. This can be as simple as numbering each invoice in a sequential format, like 001, 002, etc. Or you can use one of the following methods, if you prefer:

• Chronological numbering that uses the invoice issue date (for example, you could number the first invoice, issued on September 18, 2024, as “2024-09-18-001”)
• Unique client or project codes that incorporate the customer’s name or company name (for example, if your customer is Ryan MacDonald, you could number the first invoice you send them as “R-MacDonald-001”)

You can also mix and match different methods. In the end, the most important part is that each invoice receives a unique number and you follow a consistent format. It may help to document the system you use for numbering invoices.

4. Specify relevant invoice dates

Your landscaping and mowing invoice should note the date you sent the document to your customer alongside the payment due date. This helps customers understand when they need to pay and can help you avoid future disputes if a payment is late but the customer argues that it’s not.

You can also note the date(s) when you provided landscaping services. This is especially helpful for documenting recurring lawn maintenance.

5. Describe the services you provided

Let customers know what you’re billing them for by describing what services you provided. List each service separately and include the following information:

• A short description of the service
• A quantity
• A unit price based on your lawn care pricing chart or in any lawn care contracts your customer signed
• A total price

Breaking each service and its price down into individual units helps customers understand what they’re paying for.

How to write short service descriptions

Follow these tips to write clear service descriptions without turning your invoice into a multi-page document:

• Aim to write one or two sentences max for each line item on your invoice
• Use clear and specific terms, like “lawn mowing” or “fertilizer application”
• Mention any helpful details where you performed the service (such as “front yard”) or chemical applications (for example, “Spectracide herbicide for crabgrass control, 128 oz bottle”)
• Quantify provided services or products, if you can (for example, “2 hours of lawn mowing”)
• List your services in a logical order, such as by the date you completed them
• Write your descriptions in a consistent format (for example, “Mowed front and back lawns, ensuring an even cut at a height of three inches” or “Power raked back lawn to remove thatch and applied slow-release fertilizer to promote healthy spring growth and color”)

Short and clear service descriptions not only help your customers understand your breakdown but also add to the professional quality of your invoices.

6. Calculate subtotals, taxes, fees, and discounts

Provide a subtotal for all the services on your invoice, then clearly identify any applicable taxes, discounts, or late fees. After that, provide customers with a grand total so they know exactly how much to pay.

7. Provide payment terms

Make it as easy as possible for customers to pay you. Provide instructions on how customers can make payments and list the payment methods you accept, such as credit cards, checks, or cash.

The US Small Business Administration recommends accepting payment methods that are cost-effective for you, secure, and easy for customers to use.

8. Get a signature

GorillaDesk’s mobile app lets you accept customer payments and signatures while in the field. (Source)

There’s no requirement for customer signatures on invoices, but getting a signature can benefit you in the event of a dispute.

A signed invoice acts as proof that both you and the customer agreed to the services rendered, amount due, and payment terms outlined in the invoice. This can protect you from losing out on payment if your dispute lands in court.

9. Say thank you

Most invoices have a spot for any additional notes, and this is the perfect place to thank your customer for their business. You can also recommend future services or highlight any special offers that might entice customers to hire you again in the future.

5 best practices for writing lawn care invoices

To create effective lawn care invoices that help you get paid on time and keep your customers informed, follow these best practices.

1. Send online invoices

Digital invoices are easier to track and store than paper copies. They also establish a record of when you created and sent the invoice, and they’re easily connected to your customer’s information so you can refer to past invoices and services, when needed.

2. Use automated reminders

Business software like GorillaDesk lets you set up and send automated due date reminders to customers. This ensures everyone is aware of outstanding payments and increases the likelihood of getting paid on time.

3. Offer multiple payment options

Make sure your invoice includes payment terms that clearly outline which payment methods, such as credit cards, cash, or check, that you accept.

If your business requires a deposit or allows customers to make partial payments, be sure to also clearly outline the terms. At a minimum, this should include payment amounts, due dates, and late fees.

4. Send invoices in a timely manner

Ideally, you’ll send your invoice within 48 hours of completing a job. This helps make sure your service is still top of mind for the customer and avoids potential confusion or delayed payments.

You can use software like GorillaDesk to stay on top of invoicing by automating your billing process and allowing customers to pay online.

5. Stay consistent

Use the same invoice format each time you complete a service. This helps customers know what to expect and where to find important information like payment due dates and totals.

A consistent invoice format also adds a sense of professionalism to your business, especially if it’s formatted and designed in a readable way. Your invoice doesn’t have to look fancy, but it should consistently include essential information like your company name and contact information, customer information, due dates, service descriptions, and payment terms.

What should a lawn care invoice include?

A sample lawn care invoice that shows helpful information business owners can include.

While some information is optional, all of your lawn care invoices need to include the following information:

• Business information: Your lawn care company name, address, phone number, and email

• Customer information: The homeowner’s name, address, and phone number

• Invoice details: A unique invoice number, the issue date of the invoice, and the date payment is due

• Description of services provided: A detailed list, including brief descriptions, of the services provided along with quantities, individual prices, and subtotals

• Invoice subtotal: The total cost of services excluding taxes and discounts

• Taxes and discounts: Applicable taxes and discounts or price adjustments

• Total amount due: The total amount including taxes and discounts

These elements clearly outline vital information such as the services you provided to your client, the amount they owe, and when payment is due.

When should you send a lawn care invoice?

Sending your invoices immediately after you complete a job is ideal. Doing this keeps your services fresh in your customer’s mind, which reduces potential confusion and chances of a late payment.

If you don’t send an invoice immediately after a job is done, aim to send one within 48 hours. Using invoice automation software helps you stay on top of prompt invoice delivery, even on your busiest days.

For recurring services, aim to send an invoice at a regular interval. Depending on how often you revisit a homeowner’s property to take care of weeding, edging, and other landscape services, you could send a monthly, bi-weekly, or quarterly invoice.

How to automate your entire billing process

Lawn care business software like GorillaDesk is an easy way to automate invoices and see to it that no payments slip through the cracks. (Source)

Automating your landscaping invoices clearly communicates to customers how much they owe and when it’s due. This keeps your cash flowing and reduces the chances that customers miss payment due dates.

Using invoicing software is an easy way to automate your invoice process without having to build reminders and reports from scratch. GorillaDesk’s field service software streamlines your invoicing process with the following features:

• Customizable invoice templates: Create professional invoices that provide clear payment details.
• Batch invoicing: Send invoices to all your clients with just a few clicks.
• Recurring invoices: Schedule invoices to automatically send to customers who signed up for recurring services.
• Invoice reminders: Flag completed jobs so you know which customers are awaiting an invoice.
• Mobile app: Create and send invoices while you’re on the road, at a job, or in the office.
• Online payments: Let your customers quickly see which invoices are due and pay online or save their payment information to auto-pay for recurring or follow-up services.
• QuickBooks Online integration: Connect GorillaDesk to QuickBooks Online so any outstanding or paid invoices automatically sync with your books.
• Payment integrations: Make it easier for customers to pay on time with GorillaDesk’s Stripe and Square integrations.
• Reports: Get a bird’s-eye view of all outstanding and paid invoices—including data on total unpaid invoice balances and how long payments have been outstanding.

If you’re feeling scrappy, GorillaDesk also integrates with Zapier so you can create custom automations that keep your business running, even while you’re on the job. 

Automating your invoices makes a huge impact on your business efficiency. Automation reduces the time and effort you spend manually creating and tracking invoices, minimizes the chance for errors, and helps customers pay on time.

Automate your lawn care invoices with GorillaDesk

PurLawn uses GorillaDesk to automate its lawn care invoices and easily scale its business. (Source)

Billing your customers is essential, but sending invoices can quickly become a headache. Set yourself up for success and make future growth easier by automating your lawn care invoices.

Florida lawn care company PurLawn experienced growing pains as its owners, Matt and Evan, tried to stay on top of billing customers.

“Ninety percent of our clients are on auto-pay, and it was very difficult to link the software with a [credit card] company platform that also could track all of the information efficiently and easily,” Matt says. 

PurLawn initially hired a third-party company to manage following up with customers and updating payment statuses inside the company’s customer relationship management (CRM) software. Eventually, the cost outweighed the benefit, and PurLawn knew it needed a different solution. Matt and Evan settled on GorillaDesk, which helped PurLawn grow to $245,000 in revenue over 10 months and 480 customers.

Want to see how GorillaDesk can make sending your invoices easier? Get your 14-day free trial today.