Concreter invoice template UK (2026): ready-mix, floors, CIS and VAT

A concreter invoice has to explain what was poured, finished and cured - not a vague "concrete as agreed" or "slab done" line. "Supply and pour concrete as per drawings" does not tell a main contractor's QS which pour, which slab, which footing package or which powerfloat bay to release. It does not tell a CIS contractor how much is labour and how much is the direct cost of ready-mix, fibre, release agent or formwork you actually paid for. It does not tell a private householder whether they got a patio slab, a garage oversite, steps, a retaining base or a pump-hire pass-through you only arranged.

This page is the dedicated concreter / concreting / ready-mix pour invoice guide for UK sites. It covers foundations and footings, ground-bearing slabs, suspended slabs, industrial floors, oversite, paths and patios, steps, retaining bases, powerfloat finish, curing, formwork you supply versus formwork by others, pump hire pass-through and ready-mix tickets. It is distinct from the groundworker invoice template UK (excavation, drainage, formation), the steel fixer invoice template UK (rebar, mesh, cages), the bricklayer invoice template UK (masonry), the builder invoice template UK (general build packages), the scaffolder invoice template UK (access) and the plasterer invoice template UK (finishes). Cross-link those when the package sits beside dig, steel or brickwork; stay on this page when the product is the concrete pour and finish itself.

This is explicitly not a structural engineer certificate, Building Control completion notice or ready-mix ticket substitute. Mix design certificates, cube tests and engineer pour records are separate documents. If you are placing and finishing concrete - foundations, slabs, floors, paths - stay here.

Who pays matters. Billing a private householder for a patio, drive slab, garage oversite or steps on their own home: normal invoice, no CIS. Householders are not CIS contractors. Billing a main contractor, developer, civil engineering principal or construction business for concreting on site: typically CIS when the payment is for construction operations. HMRC's construction-operations framework sits under Finance Act 2004 section 74. CISR14100 covers construction, alteration and repair of buildings. CISR14240 covers preparatory, integral and finishing operations (including laying foundations and erecting formwork/falsework). On-site concreting for structures and civil works is generally treated as construction work when a contractor pays you - soften absolute labels and reassess edge cases. CISR14220 excludes manufacture and delivery of building materials to site in isolation - so supply-only ready-mix without install is generally outside. CISR15060 / CISR15090 limit the CIS materials carve-out to direct cost you can demonstrate. Free-issue concrete or steel from the main contractor is not your materials. Mixed supply-and-install can pull the whole contract into CIS - see CISR14020 / CISR14030. Public overview: what is the Construction Industry Scheme.

VAT is separate. If you are VAT-registered, ordinary concreting connected with an occupied existing dwelling is usually standard-rated at 20%. Soften absolute claims about VAT Notice 708; do not invent a zero rate for ordinary lived-in domestic work just because it is a "new slab". Reduced (5%) or zero rates only apply when narrow conditions are met. Never reverse-charge a householder. Cube tests, engineer sign-off and Building Control paperwork are separate - the invoice is not a structural certificate. InvoiceAdept does not issue licences or certificates.

This guide gives copy-paste fields, a labour/materials split for concreting packages, stages from deposit through pour day and curing/snag, four worked examples and a practical treatment of CIS, VAT and domestic reverse charge. Figures are illustrative only, not UK market rates or a price list. InvoiceAdept does not decide CIS or VAT status and does not file CIS300, VAT returns, Making Tax Digital updates, Self Assessment or court claims. It does not issue structural certificates, Building Control completion notices or engineer approvals.

Related templates: groundworker, steel fixer, bricklayer, builder, scaffolder, plasterer, deposit invoice, domestic reverse charge and the free invoice generator.

Rules and links were checked for this guide on 12 September 2026. General information only, not tax, legal, structural engineering or Building Regulations advice. InvoiceAdept is from Tech Me Today Ltd, Companies House 15917255, ICO ZB944663.

In short

Start by identifying who pays you, whether the scope is supply-and-pour, pour-and-finish only (free-issue or client-ordered ready-mix), or supply-only ready-mix without install, whether formwork and pump hire are yours or by others, which pour / slab / footing package you are working, and whether powerfloat, curing compound and joints are included.

Private householder, own-home patio / drive slab / garage oversite / steps: no CIS. The householder is not a CIS contractor. If VAT-registered, ordinary concreting at an existing lived-in home is usually 20%. Show m2 or m3, mix note if relevant, finish type, site address and whether ready-mix / pump was free-issue, client-ordered or supplied by you. Do not claim "VAT free" because it is a new patio. Do not invent zero-rate for ordinary domestic work. Do not present the invoice as engineer sign-off or Building Control approval.

Concreting package for a CIS contractor: typically within CIS when a contractor pays you for on-site placing and finishing of concrete as construction operations (FA04/S74; see CISR14100 and CISR14240 for foundations / formwork framing and CISR14020 for scope). Split labour from materials at direct cost (CISR15060). Ready-mix, fibres, curing compound, release agent and formwork timber you bought are materials at purchase cost; mark-up stays in the labour base. Free-issue concrete from the main contractor is not your materials.

Supply-only ready-mix / materials delivery without install: generally outside CIS (CISR14220). A mixed contract that supplies ready-mix and includes site placing/finishing can pull the whole contract into CIS (CISR14030).

Pump hire pass-through: show the hire ticket clearly. Dry hire of plant without your labour is often outside CIS alone; labour for placing on site is within when a contractor pays. Soften if your contract mixes hire and labour - look at the whole contract.

VAT reduced rate (5%) or zero: only when Notice 708 conditions are actually met. Ordinary concreting on an occupied house stays 20%. Never reverse-charge a householder.

Take a deposit before booking the mixer or committing a pour day if your terms require one. Use the deposit invoice template UK and credit it clearly on later stages. Build the invoice in InvoiceAdept's free invoice generator so pour refs, CIS split and VAT lines stay readable.

Who this concreter invoice template is for

How this differs from groundworker, steel fixer, scaffolder and builder guides

Three concreter jobs, three invoices

What concreting work belongs on the invoice

What a UK concreter invoice must include

Copy-paste concreter invoice fields

Invoice number:
Invoice date:
Due date:

From:
[Your name / company]
[Address]
[Company number if Ltd]
[VAT number if registered]
[UTR / CIS status note if relevant]

Bill to:
[Client / contractor name]
[Billing address]
[Purchase order / contract ref]

Site:
[Site address]
[Plot / building / pour / slab / footing / bay ref]
[Drawing / specification / revision]

Description:
[Supply-and-pour / pour-and-finish / supply-only]
[Foundations / slab / industrial floor / patio / steps / retaining base]
[Mix note / strength class if agreed]
[Finish: powerfloat / trowel / brush / other]
[Formwork: by you / by others]
[Free-issue ready-mix: yes/no - if yes, state supplied by whom]
[m2 / m3 / bays as agreed]

Labour:
[Place, compact, finish, cure, joints, protection]

Materials (direct cost only if CIS):
[Ready-mix / fibres / curing compound / release / formwork timber you purchased - cost]
[Merchant / batching plant ticket refs]

Pump / plant (if any):
[Pump hire ticket for this address / pass-through]

Variations:
[V01 / V02 - agreed extras - extra m3, thicker bay, abortive pour]

VAT:
[Rate / reverse charge wording if applicable - never on householder]

CIS (contractor clients only):
[Gross, materials at direct cost, amount liable, deduction rate, net]

Deposit credit:
[Deposit invoice ref and amount]

Bank details / payment terms:

Sole trader versus limited company

Labour versus materials for concreting CIS

Direct cost means what you can demonstrate you paid (CISR15060). Mark-up is not materials. If the main contractor free-issues the ready-mix and you only place and finish, your CIS materials line for that concrete should be nil - the concrete is not your cost. Free-issue steel mesh or bars from the contractor is likewise not your materials.

Line-item library for concreting packages

What concreter job types to describe

Deposits and stages before pour day

Use the deposit invoice template UK for the first payment and credit it by number on later stages so QS and accounts both see the trail. Retention (if any) is not a deposit - show withheld amounts separately.

Free-issue concrete, ready-mix tickets and pump hire

HMRC's materials guidance is clear that materials must be the subcontractor's demonstrable direct cost for that contract (CISR15060). Claiming free-issue concrete as your materials is a common bounce reason. Free-issue steel from the contractor is the same story - it is not your materials.

Drawing refs, pour numbers and ticket language

The invoice is still not a structural certificate, cube-test certificate, engineer approval or Building Control completion notice. It describes what you poured and finished against which references.

Formwork you supply versus formwork by others

CISR14240 expressly frames erecting formwork/falsework among preparatory / integral operations - useful context when a contractor pays for formwork-and-pour packages. Soften absolute one-line labels on edge cases.

Powerfloat, curing and joints (not certificates)

CIS deep dive: concreting (FA04/S74, CISR14100, CISR14240, CISR14220)

Construction operations are defined in Finance Act 2004 section 74. In broad terms they cover work done to buildings, structures and civil engineering works - construction, alteration, repair, extension, demolition and related site operations. HMRC's public guide (CIS 340) and internal manuals (CISR14020, CISR14100) treat almost anything done on a UK construction site in connection with construction, under contract to an owner, client, main contractor or subcontractor, as likely to be a construction operation unless specifically excluded.

CISR14240 explains preparatory, integral and finishing operations under FA04/S74(2)(f) - including site preparation, excavation, laying foundations, erecting scaffolding/falsework/formwork and other operations that form an integral part of, or are preparatory to, construction. On-site concreting for foundations, slabs and floors sits naturally with that construction package: placing, compacting and finishing concrete so a structure or civil work can be built. Soften absolute one-line labels - edge cases exist - but labour for placing and finishing concrete when a contractor pays you is generally within CIS.

CISR14220 excludes manufacture of building or engineering components/materials and delivery of those things to site in isolation. Supply-only ready-mix delivery with no site placing/finishing is therefore often outside. Installation under supply-and-pour, and handling of materials on site, sit within. Dry hire / delivery of plant without an operator is also generally listed among exclusions in that manual's framing - so pump hire alone, without your labour, is often outside; your place-and-finish labour is not.

Private householders are not CIS contractors. Domestic reverse charge is a VAT topic for specified contractor-to-contractor supplies - never reverse-charge a householder. See the domestic reverse charge invoice guide.

Mixed contracts: ready-mix supply and site pour

CISR14030 is blunt on mixed contracts: if any part of a contract relates to construction operations, payments under that contract are caught by the scheme, even where some lines would be non-construction in isolation. Splitting invoices between "ready-mix supply" and "placing" does not save you if both sit under one contract. Separate, genuine standalone contracts for delivery-only versus site labour are a different analysis - get advice if unsure. Soften absolute DIY contract-splitting tactics; look at substance.

CIS tables: materials at direct cost and free-issue

VAT on ordinary concreting at existing homes

If you are VAT-registered, ordinary concreting at an occupied existing dwelling is usually standard-rated 20%. Soften absolute Notice 708 claims. Do not invent 0% VAT for ordinary lived-in domestic work just because it is a new patio, garage slab or "foundations". The VAT registration threshold is £90,000 (never quote the old £85,000 figure as current). Reduced or zero rates only when the legal conditions are actually met - new dwellings, certain conversions and other narrow cases. InvoiceAdept does not decide your VAT rate.

New builds, conversions and empty homes

Zero or reduced rates can apply in narrow Notice 708 situations (for example certain new dwellings or qualifying conversions). Soften absolute claims: check the notice, your VAT adviser and the client's evidence before printing "VAT 0%" on a concreting invoice. Empty homes, partial demolitions and mixed-use blocks are easy places to get this wrong. When unsure, do not invent a rate on the invoice - get advice, then bill clearly.

Domestic reverse charge for contractor-paid concreting

Where domestic reverse charge VAT applies between specified construction businesses, the invoice wording changes and the customer accounts for VAT. It does not apply to private householders. It does not replace CIS. Keep CIS and VAT as separate blocks. Full walkthrough: domestic reverse charge invoice UK.

Worked examples A-D

Figures below are illustrative only - not quotes, not market rates, not a price list.

Example A - Householder patio slab, not VAT-registered (no CIS)

Illustrative: private householder, occupied home, 32 m2 brushed patio slab, you supply ready-mix and place/finish. You are not VAT-registered.

No CIS block. Householder is not a CIS contractor. Do not reverse-charge. Do not invent a VAT number.

Example B - Householder garage oversite, VAT-registered (no CIS)

Illustrative: private householder, occupied home, garage oversite 28 m2, you supply and pour. You are VAT-registered.

No CIS block. Do not claim 0% VAT for ordinary lived-in domestic work. Do not reverse-charge.

Example C - Contractor pour-and-finish free-issue ready-mix (CIS 20% + reverse charge watch)

Illustrative: place and finish free-issue ready-mix for ground-floor slab pour P1, drawing 450-C-02 rev B. Concrete free-issued by main contractor. Labour only. CIS contractor client; illustrative gross payment status 20%. VAT reverse charge may also apply when the domestic reverse charge tests are met - keep VAT wording separate from CIS.

Never put this CIS block on a householder invoice. Soften reverse-charge absolute claims - only when tests are met; see the domestic reverse charge guide.

Example D - Unverified 30% CIS contrast vs supply-only ready-mix

Illustrative teaching point: if a contractor deducts at the unverified 30% rate, the labour base still excludes materials at direct cost. Contrast with a supply-only ready-mix delivery invoice that has no site labour - often outside CIS alone (CISR14220).

Soften DIY splitting - substance over invoice theatre. Get advice if status or mixed contracts are unclear. InvoiceAdept does not decide CIS status.

Mistakes that bounce concreter invoices

Late payment: contractor debts are not consumer debts

Contractor late payment is usually a business-to-business matter. Statutory interest for qualifying commercial debts is often illustrated as Bank Rate + 8%. As of writing, Bank Rate is 3.75% (held 30 July 2026), so an illustrative statutory rate is 11.75%. The next MPC decision is due 17 September 2026 - mark figures illustrative and re-check before you chase. Consumer householder debts follow different rules. InvoiceAdept does not run court claims for you. State payment terms clearly on every stage invoice.

How InvoiceAdept fits a concreter

Start with the free invoice generator. InvoiceAdept does not file CIS300, VAT returns or Self Assessment for you.

Quote versus invoice on concreting packages

Do not paste the whole tender as the invoice without pour-level actuals and ticket refs.

Retention versus deposit on contractor pours

If the main contract withholds retention, show the retention amount and the release trigger on applications. Retention is not CIS. Retention is not VAT reverse charge. Soften absolute claims about when retention "must" release - follow the written contract.

Free vs Pro vs Pro+ for concreting crews

Stripe UK card fees are roughly 1.5% + 20p; InvoiceAdept adds no extra platform fee.

What the invoice is not

Making Tax Digital: records, not filing

Keep digital records of invoices, ready-mix tickets, pump tickets, free-issue delivery notes and CIS statements. InvoiceAdept helps you create and store invoice records; it does not file your Making Tax Digital VAT updates or Self Assessment for you.

Payment terms, applications and cash flow for multi-pour concrete

Record-keeping for CIS, VAT and Self Assessment

Keep: invoices issued, deposit invoices, ready-mix purchase tickets, pump tickets, free-issue notes, CIS deduction statements, VAT workings and bank receipts. Seven-year habits are common advice - confirm with your accountant. Soften absolute retention periods if your adviser differs.

Working beside groundworkers, steel fixers, builders and scaffolders

Your pour lines often sit after formation (groundworker) and steel fixing, with scaffold or falsework around you and brickwork later. Cross-link sister invoices rather than stuffing three trades into one vague "groundworks and concrete" line unless you truly hold that package. Related: groundworker, steel fixer, builder, scaffolder, bricklayer.

Hire of pump or plant without labour

Dry hire of a concrete pump, vibrator or similar without your operator/labour is often outside CIS under the manufacture/delivery/hire-without-operator framing in CISR14220. The moment the same contract includes your people placing or finishing on site, reassess under mixed-contract rules (CISR14030). Soften absolute hire claims - contract substance wins.

Mix notes, strength class and ticket language on the invoice

Concreters live in tickets and pour windows. The invoice should borrow that language so the QS does not have to guess.

Illustrative only: a ground slab might show "Pour P1, ticket 88421, 18 m3, powerfloat, sawn joints as 450-C-02 rev B" rather than "slab concrete". A patio might show m2 and finish. A footing package might show strip/pads and m3. Accuracy beats poetry.

Site access, pour windows and standing time

Concreting packages often wait on steel readiness, formwork sign-off, pump slots and weather. If your written terms allow standing or abortive attendance charges, put them on a coded line with the date and reason. If they do not, do not invent them on the invoice.

The invoice records commercial entitlement under your contract. It is not a dispute letter, RAMS update or programme narrative for the whole site.

Health and safety paperwork is separate from the invoice

Method statements, risk assessments, pour plans, pump exclusion zones and inductive toolbox talks are site-control documents. You can reference that works were carried out under your current RAMS revision if a client asks for a line, but the invoice still is not the RAMS pack. Do not paste entire risk registers into the description field. Do not claim the invoice "approves" temporary works.

Subcontracting part of the concreting package

If you engage another finishing gang under you, your invoice to the main contractor is still your invoice. Their invoice to you is your cost record. For CIS materials, remember CISR15060 examples about who actually bears material cost in a chain - do not claim materials another party paid for, and do not treat reimbursed materials as your carve-out without checking the guidance. Soften absolute chain claims; when the tiering is complex, ask your accountant.

Applications for payment versus final invoices

On longer floor or frame packages you may issue applications aligned to valuation dates, then a final invoice once retention and snags settle. Keep application numbers, periods and previously certified amounts readable. If the main contractor pays on certified value rather than your application total, say so in terms and track the certified figure - do not silently inflate the next application to "catch up" without a variation trail.

Snagging and remedial concrete after pour

If a bay needs local remedial, topping or joint rework, agree whether that is snagging under the original package or a paid variation. Code it. "Remedial bay B3 - client instruction V03" is clearer than burying hours inside the next pour's labour line. If the defect is yours under the contract, your commercial position may be different from a client-changed detail - the invoice should follow the written agreement, not site gossip.

Exporting CSV and keeping ready-mix tickets with the invoice pack

When you claim materials at direct cost, keep the ready-mix ticket, delivery note and any pump ticket with the application pack. If you use InvoiceAdept to generate the sales invoice, store or attach references to those purchase documents in your own records. QS teams bounce unsupported materials lines even when the labour is fine.

Deemed contractors and the £3 million construction-spend test

Some businesses outside mainstream construction can become deemed CIS contractors when their construction spend tests are met. HMRC's deemed contractor construction-spend test is £3 million (do not invent a £1 million figure). Soften absolute self-diagnosis: if a commercial client says they are a deemed contractor and will operate CIS, treat the payment mechanics seriously and get advice if their status looks wrong. Private householders still are not CIS contractors.

Using the free invoice generator for a first concreting draft

Open InvoiceAdept's free invoice generator, add the site and pour references first, then labour and materials lines, then VAT or reverse-charge wording only when it applies. For contractor CIS jobs, Pro+ is built for CIS-ready fields; Free still helps you practise clean descriptions on light volume (five invoices per month at £0). WhatsApp send sits on Pro (£7.99 excl VAT). None of the plans file CIS300 or VAT returns for you.

Checklist before you hit send

• Who pays: householder (no CIS) or contractor (CIS likely for site pour)?

• Free-issue concrete / steel stated clearly where relevant?

• Materials only at demonstrable direct cost?

• Drawing / pour / ticket / plot refs present?

• Supply-and-pour vs pour-only vs supply-only accurate?

• Formwork by you vs by others clear?

• Deposit credited by invoice number?

• VAT: £90,000 threshold awareness; no invented 0% on lived-in domestic?

• No reverse charge on householder?

• Retention separate from CIS if any?

• Bank details and due date present?

• Invoice is not pretending to be engineer / Building Control / cube cert?

• InvoiceAdept Free five / Pro £7.99 / Pro+ £12.99 noted only if you mention product; does not file CIS/VAT for you

FAQ

Is concreting within CIS?

Usually yes when a CIS contractor pays you for on-site placing and finishing of concrete as construction operations under FA04/S74. Soften absolute labels; see CISR14100, CISR14240 and CISR14020. Householders are not CIS contractors.

Are householders CIS contractors?

No. Private householders paying for work on their own home are not CIS contractors. Do not put CIS deductions on those invoices.

Can I claim free-issue ready-mix as CIS materials?

No. Free-issue concrete from the main contractor is not your direct cost (CISR15060). State free-issue and keep materials nil for that concrete. Free-issue steel is the same.

Is supply-only ready-mix delivery inside CIS?

Generally outside when it is manufacture and delivery of materials to site in isolation (CISR14220). If the same contract includes site placing/finishing, mixed-contract rules can pull the whole contract into CIS (CISR14030).

Is pump hire without labour inside CIS?

Often outside when it is equipment hire without an operator. Labour for placing is within when a contractor pays. Assess the whole contract if hire and labour are combined.

What VAT rate applies to a patio at a lived-in house?

If you are VAT-registered, usually 20% for ordinary work at an occupied existing dwelling. Do not invent 0%. Soften Notice 708 absolute claims; reduced/zero only when conditions are met.

What is the VAT registration threshold?

£90,000. Do not use the outdated £85,000 figure as current.

Should I reverse-charge a householder?

Never. Domestic reverse charge is not for private householders. See the domestic reverse charge guide.

How should I show deposits before pour day?

Raise a deposit invoice, then credit that invoice number and amount on later stage invoices. See the deposit invoice template.

What late payment interest rate should I quote?

For qualifying commercial debts, statutory interest is often Bank Rate + 8%. With Bank Rate at 3.75% as of writing (held 30 July 2026), an illustrative figure is 11.75%. Next MPC: 17 September 2026 - re-check before chasing. Mark illustrative.

Does InvoiceAdept file my CIS300?

No. Pro+ helps you produce CIS-ready invoice fields; you (or your accountant) still file with HMRC.

Can I put foundations, slab and pump on one invoice?

Yes if they are the same client, site and payment cycle - but use separate lines so QS can value each. Do not bury free-issue concrete inside a materials m3 claim.

What if my contract mixes ready-mix supply and site labour?

Mixed contracts that include construction operations can bring all payments under that contract into CIS (CISR14030). Soften invoice-splitting tricks; look at substance and get advice if unsure.

Is the invoice a structural or cube-test certificate?

No. Describe pour completed status, ticket refs and drawing refs. Engineer sign-off, cube results and Building Control are separate documents.

Related guides

• Groundworker invoice template UK

• Steel fixer invoice template UK

• Bricklayer invoice template UK

• Builder invoice template UK

• Scaffolder invoice template UK

• Plasterer invoice template UK

• Deposit invoice template UK

• Domestic reverse charge invoice UK

• Free invoice generator

About this guide

Published 12 September 2026 for invoiceadept.com by InvoiceAdept Editorial (Tech Me Today Ltd, Companies House 15917255, ICO ZB944663). General UK invoicing information for concreters and concrete-finishing subcontractors. Not tax, legal, structural engineering or Building Regulations advice. CIS positions cite FA04/S74 and HMRC manuals including CISR14100, CISR14240, CISR14220, CISR15060, CISR15090, CISR14020 and CISR14030 as checked on 12 September 2026 - always re-check GOV.UK for updates. VAT registration threshold stated as £90,000. Bank Rate 3.75% (held 30 July 2026) and illustrative statutory interest 11.75% marked illustrative ahead of the 17 September 2026 MPC. Figures in worked examples are illustrative only. InvoiceAdept does not decide CIS/VAT status and does not file CIS300, VAT returns, MTD updates or Self Assessment.