The essential procedure for creating an invoice still applies in the case of hourly work being billed for. The only difference is you will need to include details of your hourly rate and the number of hours worked on the invoice. This means the first and most important step is to track your hours either by manually recording them in a spreadsheet or via tracking software. Whether or not you provide this information is up to you and your client, but is not required beyond the basic listing of hours worked on the invoice.
Your invoice for hourly work should include:
A unique invoice number
Details about your business and your client’s business
Your hourly rate
An itemized list of services provided, including the number of hours worked for each service and subtotals
The total sum of payment due
A specific due date, plus terms in the event of late payment (i.e. additional charges)
If you are billing your client after the work has been completed—as is often the case with an invoice for hours worked—detailing a deadline and potential late fees may provide incentive for invoices to be fulfilled in a timely manner. You may also consider billing clients for a set number of hours in advance to avoid the risk of unpaid invoices.