Consulting Invoice Template - Free Download for Consultants
Download free consulting invoice templates for business consulting, advisory services, and professional consulting. Includes fields for hourly rates, retainer fees, and project milestones. Available in Word, Excel, and PDF formats.
Professional consulting invoices help you bill clients accurately and maintain detailed records of your advisory work. Our templates include fields for hourly consulting rates, retainer agreements, project milestones, and expenses.
Whether you provide management consulting, IT consulting, financial advisory, or strategic planning services, these templates have everything you need to invoice clients professionally.
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What to Include on a Consulting Invoice
Consulting invoices need clear details about services provided, time invested, and payment expectations.
Consultant and client information
Include your consulting firm name or your name, business address, phone, and email. Add your business registration number if you operate as an LLC or corporation. List client name, company, billing address, and the name of your primary contact or project sponsor.
Invoice details and dates
Use a professional invoice numbering system like "CONS-2024-001" or your client code plus sequential numbers. Include invoice date, consulting period or project dates, and payment due date. For retainer work, note which month or period the invoice covers.
Description of consulting services
Be specific about the consulting services you provided. Instead of "consulting services," write "Market entry strategy development for European expansion - competitive analysis, regulatory review, go-to-market recommendations." Detailed descriptions show the value of your expertise and justify your fees.
Billing structure
Show how you're billing for this engagement. For hourly consulting, list date or task, hours worked, hourly rate, and total. For retainer agreements, show the monthly retainer fee and note any hours included. For project-based consulting, list deliverables or milestones with their fees. Many consultants use blended approaches.
Expenses and travel costs
Consultants often incur client-related expenses. List travel costs (flights, hotels, meals), research materials, software tools, or subcontractor fees. Be clear about what's billable per your agreement. Some consultants bill expenses at cost, others add a small markup for administrative handling.
Retainer credits and balances
If working on retainer, show the retainer amount, hours or services used, remaining balance, and any overage charges. This transparency helps clients track their retainer investment and plan future work.
Subtotal, taxes, and total
Calculate your consulting fees and expenses for the subtotal. Add applicable taxes if required in your jurisdiction. Show the total amount due prominently. For retainer clients, clearly show what's already paid versus additional charges.
Payment terms and late fees
State payment terms clearly. Management consultants often use Net 30, though some use Net 15 for smaller engagements. Note accepted payment methods. Many consultants include a late payment fee (typically 1.5% monthly) to encourage timely payment, especially for corporate clients.
Download Free Consulting Invoice Template
Download our consulting invoice template designed for business consultants, advisors, and professional service providers. Includes all the fields you need for hourly billing, retainers, and project fees.
Download in your preferred format:
What's included:
- Your firm and consultant information
- Client and engagement details
- Hourly rate or project fee sections
- Retainer tracking fields
- Expense and travel cost breakdown
- Subtotal, tax, and total calculations
- Payment terms and methods
- Professional consulting layout
Excel version includes automatic calculations for hours, rates, expenses, retainer balances, and totals.
Managing multiple consulting clients? Save time with invoicing software - track billable hours per client, monitor retainer balances, generate reports for tax time.
Get started free →How to Fill Out Your Consulting Invoice
Follow these steps to create professional consulting invoices
Add your consulting business details
Include your consulting firm name or personal name if you're an independent consultant. Add your business address, phone, email, and website. If you have a business entity (LLC, Inc.), use that legal name. Professional consultants often include credentials after their name (MBA, CPA, etc.).
Enter client and engagement information
Add client company name, billing contact, and address. Include invoice number using your consistent system, invoice date, and consulting period covered. Reference the engagement letter or SOW number if applicable - this helps clients match invoices to approved projects.
Detail your consulting work
For hourly consulting, break down time by date, task, or deliverable with hours and rates. For project consulting, list each deliverable or milestone with its fee. For retainer work, show the monthly fee and note any additional hours or services. Be specific enough that clients understand what they're paying for.
Add expenses and calculate totals
List any billable expenses with descriptions and receipts if required. Calculate subtotal, add any applicable taxes, and show total due. For retainer clients, clearly show retainer credit applied and any additional balance due.
Consulting Invoicing Tips
Invoice on a regular schedule
Bill retainer clients on the same day each month. For project work, invoice when you hit milestones or monthly for ongoing engagements. Consistent billing schedules help clients budget and improve your cash flow predictability.
Track time in real-time
Don't estimate hours at the end of the week. Track consulting time as you work, noting the specific task or deliverable. Real-time tracking is more accurate and easier to justify if clients question hours. Most consultants track in 15-minute or 30-minute increments.
Be detailed but concise
Balance detail with readability. "Conducted 3 stakeholder interviews (5 hours), analyzed competitive positioning data (4 hours), drafted strategic recommendations report (6 hours)" is better than just "consulting work - 15 hours." But don't write paragraph descriptions for each line item.
Reference your engagement agreement
Note your engagement letter, statement of work, or contract number on invoices. This connects the invoice to approved scope and rates. For large consulting firms or corporate clients, this reference is often required for accounts payable processing.
Handle retainers transparently
Always show retainer clients how their retainer is being used. Display retainer amount, services consumed, remaining balance, and any overage. This transparency builds trust and makes retainer renewals easier.
Separate strategy from implementation
If you provide both strategic consulting and implementation work, consider showing these separately on invoices. Different rates often apply, and clients appreciate seeing how time is allocated between high-level strategy and execution work.
Stop Manually Calculating Consulting Hours
Use our invoicing software to track time per client and project, manage retainer balances, and send professional invoices automatically. Perfect for consultants managing multiple engagements.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Contact UsWhat's the standard payment term for consulting invoices?
Net 30 is standard for most consulting work, especially with corporate clients. Smaller businesses might accept Net 15. Some consultants require 50% upfront for new clients or large projects. For retainer agreements, monthly advance payment is common. Government consulting often has longer payment terms like Net 60.
Should consultants charge sales tax?
How should I structure retainer invoicing?
What billing rate should consultants use?
How do I bill for consulting expenses?
Should I send invoices before or after consulting work?
How detailed should consulting invoices be?