Structured Cabling and Low Voltage Invoice Template
A structured cabling invoice should count drops by cable type and length band, list terminations, patch panels, jacks, and racks separately, bill testing and certification as its own line, and itemize pathway work — conduit, J-hooks, core drilling, fire stopping. Building access constraints and after-hours work belong on the invoice as priced lines. ShowTheReceipts saves these as reusable per-drop rates so a 60-drop job bills in one pass.
Header block
- Business name, low-voltage license number, phone
- Client, building, floor, and area
- Project or PO number
- Work dates
- Invoice number and terms
Cabling lines
- Drops — count × rate, by cable type (Cat6, Cat6A, fiber, coax) and length band
- Terminations — jacks, keystones, patch panel ports
- Fiber terminations and splices — per strand
- Patch cords and labeling
- Rack, cabinet, and cable management — supplied and installed
- Testing and certification — per drop, with results delivered
Pathway and infrastructure
| Item | Basis |
|---|---|
| Conduit / raceway | Per foot |
| J-hooks and supports | Per run |
| Core drilling | Per hole |
| Fire stopping | Per penetration |
| Ceiling and wall repair | Per opening |
Site condition lines
After-hours or weekend access, occupied-space protection, lift or high-ceiling work, and hazardous or confined space entry — each priced, none assumed.
Pathway and access are where cabling hours actually go. A per-drop rate that swallows them is a rate that runs long on every retrofit.
Terms
Progress billing on large jobs by floor or phase, materials deposit where specified product is ordered, net terms for GC and facility clients with the PO referenced.
What not to do
- Don’t quote per drop when the pathway is unknown
- Don’t include certification silently — price it or offer it
- Don’t fold core drilling and fire stopping into a drop rate
- Don’t absorb after-hours access as a scheduling courtesy
Frequently asked questions
Should cabling be priced per drop or hourly?
Per drop for standard commercial work in accessible ceilings, hourly for retrofits, historic buildings, and anything where the pathway is unknown. A per-drop price on an unknown pathway is a bet you will lose more often than you win.
Is testing and certification a separate line?
Yes — certified test results with a warranty attached are a deliverable, not an afterthought. Clients who need certification know what it costs; clients who don't should be told it's optional rather than silently included.
How should pathway work be billed?
Separately and specifically: conduit by the foot, core drilling per hole, fire stopping per penetration, J-hooks per run. Pathway is where a cabling job's hours actually go, and folding it into a per-drop rate is why so many jobs run long.
What about after-hours access?
As a premium line. Occupied offices, retail, and hospitals frequently require night or weekend work, and it should be priced at booking rather than discovered when the building manager sets the schedule.