What to put on a security services invoice template
Security clients pay for coverage they rarely see, so the invoice has to prove the hours were worked and the visits made. Every line should name the site and post, the dates and shift times, and the rate from the contract. For call outs, add the time of the alarm and an incident reference.
- Your company name, address and any registration number your contracts ask you to quote.
- The client’s name, billing address and purchase order number.
- The service period, usually a week or a calendar month.
- Hours per post and shift, with regular, overtime and holiday rates on separate lines.
- Patrol visits, call outs and equipment, each on its own line.
Billing guard hours by post and shift
Bill guard hours per post, not as one lump of hours for the whole site, because clients budget by post and query any week that looks different. Group the hours by shift, quote the contract rate, and attach the signed timesheets that support the total.
As an example, a gate post covered from 6pm to 6am for seven nights is 84 hours. At $34 an hour that comes to $2,856.00. If the contract sets a holiday rate of one and a half times, a 12 hour holiday shift is billed at $51 an hour, or $612.00, on its own line with the date. The timesheet invoice template shows how to put the hours log on the same page.
Example lines for a security guard invoice
Security companies usually mix hourly coverage with fixed charges: a price per patrol visit, a flat or minimum charge per call out, and equipment sold at a set price. The figures below are examples in US dollars only.
| Service | Billing unit | Example rate |
|---|---|---|
| Site officer, regular shift | Hourly, per post | $34 per hour |
| Site officer, holiday shift | Hourly, at the contract multiplier | $51 per hour |
| Mobile patrol visit | Per visit | $28 |
| Alarm response call out | Flat fee or one hour minimum | $95 |
| 4K camera, supplied and installed | Per camera | $265 |
| Remote video monitoring | Monthly per site | $180 |
Alarm response and call out charges
A call out line should read like a short incident log. Give the date, the time the alarm came in, the time your officer arrived, what was found and the incident number. “Alarm response, Oct 9, 2:14am, arrived 2:31am, rear door secure, wind triggered sensor, incident 2026-118” answers every question before it is asked.
Set the charging rule in the contract: a flat fee per response, or an hourly rate with a minimum, plus extra time if your officer waits for a keyholder or the police. Bill each call out on its own line rather than as a count, so a single incident can be passed on.
CCTV installation invoices
A CCTV installation invoice lists the equipment by model and location, the cabling, the recorder and its storage, and the labor to install and configure it. Name each camera by where it was mounted.
Add a line or a note for setup work that is easy to forget: recorder configuration, retention period, remote viewing on the client’s phones and a short handover. Record serial numbers in the notes for warranty claims. On larger systems, ask for a deposit before ordering equipment. Our page on deposit invoices explains how that first payment is credited later.
Sales tax on security invoices in the US
There is no single US rule. Sales tax is a state and local matter, and each state chooses which goods and services it reaches, so guard services, monitoring and installed cameras can each be treated differently. Check with the tax agency in every state where you work before adding tax.
Because the answer can differ by line, the generator lets you set tax per line and mark exempt lines, so equipment and labor can be handled separately where your state requires it. Our guide to sales tax on invoices covers how to display the rate and the amount. The sample leaves the rate blank.
Using the security company sample
The buttons on this page download this layout as Word, Excel or PDF. To edit it on screen, open the security company invoice generator with the Phoenix sample, which loads gate post hours, a holiday shift, patrols, a call out and a small CCTV install.
Firms that also fit locks and access control can borrow lines from the locksmith invoice, and network work fits the IT services invoice. For monthly guarding contracts, WhizInvoice can keep each client’s details and track payment. More layouts are on the invoice templates hub.
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