The work being good is not what keeps a handyman on a property manager's roster. The invoice is. I have watched clean, careful repairs turn into a month of email because the invoice arrived as a single line that read 'handyman services, $600' with no breakdown, no GST shown, and no way for strata accounting to match it against a budget line. That invoice does not pass the minutes, and the manager who approved it looks careless to the council. So I treat the invoice as part of the job, not paperwork bolted on after it.
Everything below is how I format invoices for the property managers and strata councils I work with. It is the same standard described on my handyman for property managers page, written out here so your accounting contact knows exactly what to expect before the first job is booked.
What a strata-ready invoice has to show
- Property address, unit number, and the date the work was done, so it maps to a specific building and budget line
- A short scope line naming what the visit covered (turnover, common-area repair, tenant request)
- Labor itemized by category rather than one lump sum: drywall, doors, plumbing, fixtures, and so on
- Materials listed at cost, with any small handling fee shown as its own line and never buried inside labor
- GST calculated on its own line, with my registration number printed on the invoice
- Business name, contact, and a single accountable person for any questions on the charge
- Photo references beside the relevant line items when the council or owner needs proof
Why itemization is the part that actually matters
Strata accounting reconciles every charge against a line in the budget or a work-order category. When an invoice arrives as one number, someone has to email me, wait for a breakdown, then re-open the file to approve it. Each of those loops delays the payable on my side and the close-out on yours. When labor is already split by category and materials are already separated from labor, the person approving it can match each piece to the right budget line in a couple of minutes and move on. That is the whole reason I itemize: it removes the back-and-forth that quietly makes a contractor annoying to work with. The same logic runs through my tenant turnover punch list, where the billed items line up one to one with the scope that was approved.
Photo proof tied to each line
For a strata council, a photo is often what turns 'we are told the work was done' into a record they can file. I take before-and-after photos where a repair needs proof and reference them by line item, so the council sees which charge produced which result. A drywall repair patch, for example, gets a before shot of the damage and an after shot of the finished, painted wall, both tagged to the drywall line on the invoice. I do not turn every small job into a photo album, because that wastes everyone's time, but anything a council might reasonably question gets documented. That is the same documentation habit I describe in the strata & property management repairs guide.
GST, the business number, and one accountable contact
I am GST registered, so GST is charged and shown as its own line with my registration number, GST # 79853 7957 RT0001, printed on every invoice. My business number appears there too, which matters when your accounting needs a proper vendor record instead of a name and a cash figure. Just as important, there is one person behind the invoice. If a line is unclear, you email me and I answer, rather than chasing a dispatcher or a rotating crew. One accountable contact is the quiet thing that makes the paperwork trustworthy.
Format, timing, and no surprises
I send invoices as a PDF by email, same day as completion whenever I can, so the manager can attach it straight to the work order. As a one-person operation I do not run long net terms the way a large firm might, but I am reasonable about a property manager's normal approval cycle and set that expectation in writing before the first job rather than after. The $150 minimum per job is stated on the estimate, so nothing on the final invoice is a surprise. Predictable format, predictable timing, and a number your accounting can reconcile without a phone call.
Common questions from property managers
What invoice format do you send?
A single PDF by email, itemized by labor category, with materials, handling, and GST on separate lines, and photo references where proof is needed. If your accounting needs a specific field like a PO number or cost code, tell me once and it goes on every invoice after that.
Are you GST registered?
Yes. GST is charged and broken out on its own line, and my registration number, GST # 79853 7957 RT0001, is printed on the invoice along with my business number so you have a complete vendor record.
Do you provide photo documentation for the strata council?
Yes, before-and-after photos referenced by line item whenever a repair needs proof. It gives the council a clear record without turning a small repair into a paperwork project.
How do payment terms work with a one-person operation?
I invoice the same day the work is finished and work within your normal approval cycle. I set terms in writing before the first job so there is no confusion later, and the $150 job minimum is always shown on the estimate first.