How to invoice for hourly work
An hourly invoice should let the customer reconcile the bill to the agreed rate and the time record without rebuilding your calculation.
Agree what counts as billable
Before work begins, settle the rate, minimum increments, travel, meetings, expenses and any overtime treatment. A timesheet cannot fix an ambiguous agreement after the work is done.
Group time in a readable way
For a short job, one line per date or activity may work. For longer periods, summarise by week, project or workstream and attach the detailed approved timesheet.
Show the calculation
List hours, hourly rate and line amount. Put different rates—such as standard and agreed overtime—on separate lines. Check that total hours match the supporting record.
Example
A consultant bills 18.5 research hours at 95 and 6 workshop hours at 120. Separate lines produce 1,757.50 and 720, for 2,477.50 before tax or expenses.