Everhour turns tracked project time into billing data, while architects need invoices tied to stages, fees, and reimbursable costs.
Fill in your details, add line items, hit Print when ready.
| Description | Qty | Rate | Tax | Amount |
|---|
The calculator gives you the number — Everhour takes it from there.
One click and you're timing. Start a timer, add an entry, edit the details. This is exactly how it feels in Everhour.
Set a budget, assign rates, and get alerted before you're over.
Measurement
Track your budget through time or costs
Every report you need — configured your way, always up to date.
Tracked hours flow straight into a polished invoice — no copy-paste, no manual math.
Architect invoices usually need more context than a basic service bill. The client should see the project name, property or job reference, invoice date, invoice number, billing period, fee method, payment terms, and each charge tied to the agreed scope. A vague line such as "design services" slows approval because it leaves the client guessing which stage, meeting, drawing package, or reimbursement the invoice covers.
The practical goal is a document a client, owner, or project manager can approve without sending follow-up questions. A residential concept design invoice can show "RIBA stages 0-3, feasibility, concept design, and planning support" as a professional fee line, then list planning application payments, travel, and printing as separate pass-through costs. That structure keeps professional fees separate from expenses.
Architect fees are commonly calculated as a percentage of construction cost, a lump sum, or a time charge. RIBA describes percentage fees as based on construction costs excluding VAT, with adjustment possible when the construction budget changes significantly. Lump-sum fees fit projects with a clearly defined scope, while time-charge work uses an hourly rate and capped hours unless the client approves more time.
The invoice should mirror that agreement. A percentage-fee invoice can show the project stage and agreed fee share, such as 35% for RIBA stages 0-3, 35% for stage 4, and 30% for stages 5-6 under RIBA's example split. A time-charge invoice should show the billing period, hourly rate, hours approved, and any remaining cap if the client tracks authorization closely.
The United States has no national VAT or GST invoice regime and no prescribed federal private-sector invoice form. For ordinary businesses, invoices serve as supporting documents for records that show income and expenses. Sales and use tax treatment comes from state and local rules, including nexus, service taxability, and the place of sale, so a single national tax line does not exist.
An American architect invoice should avoid invented VAT or GST fields. Sellers that make taxable sales may need state-level sales-tax registration, but that is separate from a VAT number. TIN or EIN details are often handled through Form W-9 or client onboarding instead of every invoice. Federal contracts are different: FAR 32.905 defines proper invoice fields, and FAR 32.904 generally uses a 30-day payment timing standard.
A one-off invoice works when the project is small, the fee is fixed, and the client needs a clean bill for one stage or reimbursement set. It is enough for a single concept package, a progress invoice after a defined milestone, or a final invoice with a short expense list. The risk grows when several people track hours across phases, site visits, revisions, and non-billable coordination.
A managed workflow helps when tracked billable time needs to feed invoices by client and project. Everhour supports project billing status, task-level non-billable controls, custom task rates, member-rate exceptions, and admin reports for billable time, non-billable time, billable amount, and cost. That setup lets an architecture team separate chargeable design work from internal coordination before the invoice reaches the client.
This content is for general information only, may not be fully up to date, and is provided without any warranty or liability.
High Performer
G2
Summer 2026
Best Ease Of Use
Capterra
Summer 2026
Rated in the top time trackers across G2, Capterra, and TrustRadius — with consistent praise for ease of use, integrations, and support.
The invoice should show the method in the signed proposal or contract: percentage of construction cost, lump sum, or time charge. Percentage billing should reference the project stage or fee share. Lump-sum billing should reference the defined scope. Time-charge billing should show the rate, approved hours, billing period, and any cap that governs extra time.
Expenses should appear as separate lines when the client agreement treats them as pass-through costs. RIBA lists local authority payments for planning applications and building control, travel, and printing as costs in addition to architect fees. Separate lines make the invoice easier to review because the client can distinguish design fees from reimbursements.
Monthly invoicing is common, and end-of-stage invoicing is also used. RIBA describes both approaches. Monthly billing works well for ongoing design coordination or time-charge work. Stage billing fits defined deliverables, such as feasibility, planning, technical design, construction support, and handover. The invoice cadence should match the agreement the client approved.
An American architect invoice does not need a VAT or GST number because the United States does not use a national VAT or GST invoice regime. Sales and use tax, where applicable, is handled under state and local rules. State seller permits or sales-tax accounts apply only where the seller has a registration obligation for taxable sales.
A common mistake is mixing stage fees, hourly work, and reimbursable costs into one vague line. The reviewer then has no fast way to compare the invoice with the proposal, approved hours, or project stage. Separate the professional fee, time-charge detail, approved extras, and pass-through expenses, then include the project reference and billing period.
Everhour lets admins set project billing status, mark specific tasks as non-billable, apply custom task rates, and use member-rate exceptions. Reports can show billable time, non-billable time, billable amount, and cost, so architecture teams can review chargeable design work before preparing client invoices.
Track billable architect work by project, exclude non-billable tasks before billing, and use Everhour reports to keep client invoices tied to approved time and cost.
14-day free trial · No credit card · Cancel anytime
