Quoting and invoicing for carpenters
SoloDesks is a quoting and invoicing app for self-employed carpenters and joiners. Price the job in the workshop or on-site (the timber, the ironmongery, the hours at the bench) and send a professional PDF before you're back in the van. Turn the quotes they accept into invoices without typing it twice, and catch the 'while you're here' jobs before they walk off unbilled. Built for one person with a van and a set of tools, not a firm with an office.
Free plan, no card needed. £12/month for unlimited when you want it.
Need something to send today? Free carpenter invoice template or quote template: itemised, downloadable as a PDF, no signup.
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| Description | Qty | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Hang internal doors ×4 (supplied & fitted) | ||
| Bespoke shelving: design & bench time | ||
| Materials: oak (grade to be agreed), ironmongery | ||
| Fit skirting & architrave, ground floor | ||
| Deposit due on order: bespoke timber |
Why carpenters use SoloDesks
The 'while you're here' jobs that walk off unbilled
You came to hang a door and left having eased two windows, put up a shelf and planed a sticking gate. Three hours of work, nobody wrote it down, and it's gone by the time you invoice. Add each extra as its own line while you're standing there, so the job you're paid for is the job you actually did.
Timber and ironmongery on their own lines
Good oak, a decent set of hinges and a day at the bench are not one number. Itemise the materials apart from the labour, so the customer sees they're paying for the timber you didn't skimp on, and you're not the one swallowing a merchant's price rise between quote and fit.
A deposit before you cut the good stuff
Bespoke means timber bought and cut for their job and no one else's, and it doesn't go back on the rack. Send a deposit invoice against the job that covers the materials, so a customer who changes their mind after you've ordered leaves you with a lost morning, not a stack of cut oak.
Second fix, when the plasterer's finally gone
Hanging doors and fitting skirting waits on everyone else finishing first. Don't let the money wait with it. Invoice first fix as its own stage against the job and bill the rest at second fix, so a job spread over three weeks doesn't turn your cashflow into guesswork.
One tap to accept, and it's on the calendar
Every quote gets a private link. The customer opens it on their phone and taps Accept, and you see it the moment they do, with the job on the calendar and the address attached. No chasing on a Sunday to find out whether the kitchen fit's still on for Monday. Three accept-links a month are free; Pro makes them unlimited.
Questions carpenters ask
- What is the best quoting app for a self-employed carpenter?
- The one you'll use at the bench or on-site, not the one that needs an evening at a laptop. SoloDesks is built for solo carpenters and joiners: itemise timber, ironmongery and labour, send a professional PDF quote on the spot, and turn it into an invoice when it's accepted. The free plan covers 10 quotes and 10 invoices a month, with no card required.
- How do I quote bespoke joinery?
- Put the materials and the bench hours on separate lines (the timber, the ironmongery, the finish, the labour) so the customer sees what the piece is made of and what your time is worth. SoloDesks totals it into a professional PDF, and the same breakdown carries onto the invoice when they accept.
- Can I take a deposit before buying materials?
- Yes. Raise a deposit invoice against the job that covers the timber and fittings you've paid for up front, then bill the balance on completion. Each invoice tracks its own paid or unpaid status, so a job you've fronted materials for never turns into guesswork.
- How much does SoloDesks cost for a carpenter?
- Free for 10 quotes, 10 invoices, 10 emailed PDFs and 3 one-tap accept-links a month, with unlimited clients and jobs. Pro makes those unlimited and chases your overdue invoices for you. There's no contract and you can cancel anytime.
- Will it chase for the bespoke work I've already delivered?
- Yes, and bespoke work is where it matters most, because you cannot take a fitted staircase back and nobody else wants it. On Pro, Overdue Autopilot emails a reminder at 7 days, a firmer one at 14 and a final notice at 21, under your name, stopping the moment you mark it paid. On the free plan it flags the invoice that has gone quiet.
Reading for carpenters
Free guides and calculators. No account needed for any of them.
Invoice Payment Terms: What to Put on Your Quote
Main Contractor Not Paying? UK Subcontractor Rights
Retention in Construction: How to Get Your Money Back
Calculators most carpenters actually open
Those are three of nine free calculators. No account needed for any of them.
What are you using now?
Honest write-ups of the four systems most carpenters actually run on, including who should keep the one they have.
Send your first quote today
It takes about a minute to set up, and the free plan doesn't ask for a card.
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