Free catering invoice template
Per cover, front of house, rentals and the service charge — itemized the way a client actually reads a catering bill.
Catering is priced per cover and lost on everything else. The food cost on a plated dinner is the part you can predict; what kills the margin is the extra server nobody counted, the linen you rented because the venue's was wrong, and the guest count that grew by twelve on Thursday. So the invoice has to do two jobs at once — quote a per-head number the client can compare against other bids, and itemize the labour, rentals and service charge so the total is defensible. Take a deposit at booking, lock the final count seventy-two hours out in writing, and bill the balance against that number, not against who actually showed up.
Lines a caterer actually bills for
| Line | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Plated dinner, per cover | $32–$85 per cover |
| Buffet service, per cover | $22–$55 per cover |
| Passed hors d'oeuvres, per person per hour | $8–$20 per person |
| Front of house server, per hour (4 hour minimum) | $28–$45 per hour |
| Kitchen staff and chef on site, per hour | $38–$65 per hour |
| Rentals — china, glassware, linen | $6–$14 per cover |
| Service charge (operations, not gratuity) | 18%–22% of food and beverage |
| Deposit to hold the date | 25%–50% at booking |
What to include on a catering invoice
- Your business name, phone number and email — and your license number if your state puts one on the paperwork
- The customer's name, the service address, and a phone number or email you can actually reach them on
- An invoice number and the date the work was done
- The event date, the venue address, and your load-in and load-out times
- The guaranteed guest count, the date it locks, and that you bill on that number or the actual, whichever is higher
- The menu as agreed, with allergy and dietary covers counted separately so the kitchen sees them
- Staffing by role and hours — front of house, kitchen, bar — never buried inside the per-cover price
- The service charge stated as operations, and gratuity shown separately if you take one
- Deposit paid, balance due date, and what the cancellation schedule looks like as the date gets closer
- Subtotal, sales tax if you charge it, and the total due
- Any deposit or payment already taken, and the balance still owed
- The due date, and what happens if it goes past it
- How they can pay — card, bank transfer, check or cash
Catering invoicing questions
How do I stop the guest count from moving on me?
Write the guarantee into the invoice. Standard practice is a final count due seventy-two hours before service, billed at that number or the actual attendance, whichever is higher. Clients add people right up to the day and never think about the food you already bought for the ones who cancelled. The clause is one sentence and it protects the entire margin on the job.
Is a service charge the same as a tip?
No, and blurring them is how caterers get into real trouble. A service charge covers your operating cost — vehicles, insurance, coordination, breakage — and it is yours. Gratuity is for the staff. Label them separately on the invoice, and if any portion of the service charge does go to the crew, say so. Some states require the distinction in writing anyway.
Should staffing be inside the per-cover price?
Show it separately. A per-cover number with the labour hidden in it looks expensive next to a competing bid that quoted food only, and you will lose jobs you should have won. Price the food per cover, then list servers and kitchen staff by role and hours. Clients who see 'four servers, six hours' understand instantly why a sit-down dinner costs more than a buffet.
How should I handle rentals — mark them up or pass them through?
Either works as long as the invoice says which. Pass-through at cost with a documented coordination fee is the cleanest, because a client who later sees the rental company's own invoice will not feel worked over. What you must not do is fold rentals into the food line: breakage and short returns come back to you weeks later, and you need the original number to argue from.
What's a normal deposit and payment schedule?
A quarter to half at booking to hold the date, a second payment when the menu locks on a big event, and the balance due either on the day or within a week after. For weddings, most caterers take the full balance before service — it is the one event where chasing money afterwards is genuinely miserable for everyone.
What does the software cost on top of all this?
Nothing to write the estimate and turn it into an invoice, however many events you quote, with no trial clock. Starter is $9.99 a month and Pro is $24.99 if you want the parts that cost us money to run — receipt scanning for your food cost, sending from our email domain, your logo on the proposal, extra seats for a coordinator or a chef. Otherwise our cut is 0.5% when the client pays by card, and zero if they hand you a check.
Catering estimate template · All invoice templates · Guides
Write a free catering invoice — Pocket Business is free to build and send, no signup, no invoice limit.