Powder Coating Shop Invoicing App (2026)
Powder coating is quoted per piece or per square foot, but prep, masking, and color changes are where the hours actually go. ShowTheReceipts ($15/mo) saves per-piece rates by item type with separate prep, masking, and custom-color lines, takes a deposit on custom powder orders, and invoices at pickup with the coating and cure recorded.
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 small shop's real workflow — per-piece quoting, prep and masking lines, custom powder deposits, and pickup invoicing — not on industrial line scheduling, powder inventory management, or ERP integration.
| Software | Starting price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| ShowTheReceipts That's us | $15/mo | Small shops: per-piece rates, prep and masking lines, custom powder deposits, pickup invoicing |
| Square | Free + 2.6% + 10¢ | Counter card payments at pickup |
| Invoice2go | $9.99/mo+ | Basic invoicing |
| Wave | Free / $16/mo | Free invoicing with light bookkeeping |
| Jobber | $29/mo (Core) | Shops with pickup and delivery scheduling |
Prep is the job; coating is the finish
A clean new bracket and a rusted forty-year-old one coat identically but prep completely differently. That’s really the whole pricing problem: the visible work is the easy part.
Quote prep separately, inspect at drop-off, and the awkward conversations disappear.
1. ShowTheReceipts — $15/mo
Per-piece rates by item type, prep, masking, and custom-color lines, deposits on custom powder, invoice and card at pickup.
2. Square — free + processing
Strong at the counter, thin on quoting and deposits.
3. Invoice2go — $9.99/mo+
Basic invoicing without job records.
4. Wave — Free / $16/mo
Free invoices plus light bookkeeping.
5. Jobber — $29/mo (Core)
Useful when pickup and delivery scheduling is part of the service.
The lines a coating quote needs
- Prep — blasting, degreasing, or chemical stripping, by condition
- Coating — per piece or per square foot
- Masking — threads, bearing surfaces, logos, per item
- Custom color — powder ordered, plus a color-change fee
- Multi-stage — primer, base, clear
- Rack and hang time — for awkward or oversized items
- Rush — a stated premium
- Pickup and delivery
Inspect and photograph at drop-off
Hidden rust, previous coatings, and cracked castings all show up once blasting starts. A photo and a note at intake is what makes a revised prep charge routine instead of an argument at pickup.
The color-change fee is not petty
Purging a gun and cleaning a booth between colors is genuine downtime with no billable output. A stated fee for small custom batches is why a shop can say yes to a one-off bespoke piece at all.
Frequently asked questions
How should powder coating be quoted?
Per piece for familiar items — wheels, frames, railings — and per square foot for large or unusual work, with prep, masking, and custom colors as separate lines. Prep is where the hours hide, and a flat per-piece price that includes it punishes you on every rusty part.
Why charge separately for prep?
Because blasting, degreasing, and stripping an old coating can take longer than coating itself. Priced separately and inspected at drop-off, it's understood; bundled, it makes every neglected part a loss.
Should I take a deposit for a custom color?
Yes. Custom powder is ordered in minimum quantities for one customer's job — if they vanish, you own a box of powder in a color nobody else wants. A deposit covering the powder makes that survivable.
How do I handle color changes on the line?
Price a color change fee for small batches. Purging and cleaning a gun and booth between colors is real downtime, and it's why one bracket in a bespoke color costs more than ten in a stock one.