Event Lighting and Draping Invoicing App (2026)
Lighting and draping is quoted per fixture and per linear foot of drape, with labor for load-in and strike that often outweighs the rental itself. ShowTheReceipts ($15/mo) saves those unit rates, takes a deposit that holds the date and the inventory, and itemizes labor, overnight strike, and damage or loss so a hard venue stops being an unpaid one.
How we picked
Entry-plan prices as published in 2026, taken from each vendor's own pricing page or a recent third-party summary. Judged on the solo operator's money workflow — per-fixture and per-linear-foot quoting, date-and-inventory deposits, load-in/strike labor, and damage billing — not on lighting design software, plot drafting, or large warehouse inventory systems.
| Software | Starting price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| ShowTheReceipts That's us | $15/mo | Solo operators: per-unit rental rates, date deposits, load-in and strike labor, damage lines |
| Invoice2go | $9.99/mo+ | Basic mobile invoicing |
| Wave | Free / $16/mo | Free invoicing with light bookkeeping |
| HoneyBook | $29/mo+ | Proposal-and-contract flows for event vendors |
| Goodshuffle Pro | $99/mo+ | Rental companies tracking a large physical inventory |
You’re renting two things: gear and a Saturday
The same forty uplights cannot be at two events at once. A deposit doesn’t just protect against a cancellation — it’s what makes an inventory hold real, which is why event rental operators take one further out than most trades.
1. ShowTheReceipts — $15/mo
Per-fixture and per-linear-foot rates saved, deposits that hold date and gear, load-in and strike labor as separate lines, damage and replacement billing.
2. Invoice2go — $9.99/mo+
Basic invoicing without deposits or inventory holds.
3. Wave — Free / $16/mo
Free invoices plus light bookkeeping.
4. HoneyBook — $29/mo+
Proposals and contracts for event vendors.
5. Goodshuffle Pro — $99/mo+
Built for rental companies managing a large tracked inventory.
The lines that make a quote honest
- Uplights — per fixture
- Drape — per linear foot, by height and fabric
- Pipe and base — per section
- String / market lighting — per foot, plus rigging
- Monogram or gobo — per unit, plus artwork
- Load-in labor — crew and hours
- Strike — with an overnight premium
- Damage / replacement schedule — per item
Price the venue, not just the design
An easy ballroom with a loading dock and a 4pm access window is not the same job as a historic barn with a gravel path and a 90-minute changeover. Same fixtures, double the labor — which is exactly why labor belongs on its own line.
Write the replacement schedule down
Drape gets stained, burned, and occasionally taken home. Per-panel and per-fixture replacement values agreed in the contract turn that into a billable line instead of a loss you discover during inventory on Monday.
Frequently asked questions
How should lighting and draping be quoted?
Per fixture for lighting, per linear foot for drape, with labor as its own separate line. Rolling labor into a rental rate hides the fact that a difficult venue can cost twice the setup time of an easy one at identical rental value.
Should load-in and strike be billed separately?
Yes, and price overnight or post-midnight strike higher. Striking a ballroom at 1am is the least pleasant hour in this trade and the one clients most reliably assume is included.
How do I handle damaged or missing drape?
A stated replacement cost per panel and per fixture in the contract, backed by a deposit or a card on file. Drape gets stained, burned, and walked off with, and a per-item replacement schedule agreed in advance is the only version that gets paid.
Do I need a deposit if the event is months away?
Especially then. A deposit holds both the date and the physical inventory — the same uplights can't be at two weddings on the same Saturday, and a verbal hold on gear is how you end up telling a paying client no.