Invoice Software Built for Painters & Decorators

Getting paid on time is the difference between a decorating business that thrives and one that struggles with cash flow. Yet many painters and decorators still rely on handwritten invoices, Word documents or generic accounting software that was never designed for the way decorators actually work.

Trade Assist is invoice software built specifically for painters and decorators. It understands the decorating workflow — from quote to job to invoice to payment — and it uses the terminology and processes that decorators use every day. No more generic fields that do not apply to your trade. No more clunky workarounds to get your invoices looking professional.

Whether you are a self-employed decorator sending a handful of invoices each month or a growing decorating business with a team of painters, Trade Assist gives you the invoicing tools you need to get paid faster and keep your paperwork organised.

Create Professional Decorating Invoices

A professional invoice does more than request payment — it reinforces your brand and sets clear expectations. Trade Assist generates branded invoice PDFs with your business logo, contact details, payment terms and a clear breakdown of the work completed.

Every invoice includes the client details, job description, line items, quantities, unit prices, VAT breakdown and the total amount due. You can add your own terms and conditions, set payment due dates and request deposits — all without leaving the invoice screen.

Because the invoices are built for decorators, the line items use language your clients understand: room names, surface types, coats applied and materials used. No generic accounting jargon that leaves clients confused about what they are paying for.

Create Invoices Quickly on Mobile or Desktop

Decorators do not sit at desks. You are on site, in the van, at the merchants. Trade Assist is built mobile-first, so you can create and send an invoice from your phone the moment you finish a job — while the details are fresh and the client is impressed with your efficiency.

The full invoicing tool works on any device with a browser. No app to download, no syncing between devices. Create an invoice on your phone on site, review it on your tablet at home, and check payment status from your computer in the office.

This speed matters. Invoices sent the same day a job finishes are paid significantly faster than invoices sent days or weeks later. Trade Assist makes same-day invoicing effortless.

Turn Quotes into Invoices in One Click

The most common invoicing task for decorators is converting an approved quote into a final invoice. Trade Assist does this with a single click. All the client details, project description, pricing and line items carry over automatically — no re-keying, no copying and pasting, no errors.

You can adjust the invoice after conversion if the scope changed during the job — add extra materials, remove items that were not needed, or add variation work. The quote and invoice remain linked, giving you a complete audit trail from first quote to final payment.

This quote-to-invoice workflow is central to how decorators operate, and it is built into the core of Trade Assist rather than bolted on as an afterthought.

Customer Management Built for Decorators

Every invoice is linked to a client record, so you have a complete history of who you have invoiced, for what, and whether they have paid. When a past client calls for another job, you can see their full history in seconds — previous quotes, jobs, invoices and payments.

The client directory stores names, addresses, phone numbers, emails and custom notes. Add notes about parking restrictions, access details, colour preferences or anything else you need to remember. Search by name or address to find any client instantly.

This is not a generic contact list — it is a CRM built for decorators that understands the relationship between clients, quotes, jobs and invoices.

Job Management from Quote to Payment

Trade Assist tracks every job through its full lifecycle: Quoted, Booked, Ready to Start, Started, In Progress, Snagging, Completed, Invoiced and Paid. You always know exactly where each project stands.

For Business plan users, the Job Progress feature adds area-by-area task tracking, daily site updates, progress photos, material requests, variations and snagging — giving you and your team a complete picture of every job in progress.

When the job is complete, convert it to an invoice with one click. The full chain from quote to job to invoice to payment is tracked and visible at every step.

Expense Tracking for Decorating Jobs

To know your true profit on every job, you need to track what it cost. Trade Assist lets you log expenses against each job — materials, fuel, subcontractor costs and equipment hire — so you can see exactly what each project cost and how much profit you made.

Expenses are categorised automatically, and the profit calculation is visible on every job. When you know your costs, you can price future jobs more accurately and spot which types of work are most profitable for your business.

This expense data also feeds into your tax export and Making Tax Digital preparation, reducing the admin burden at year-end.

Keeping Decorating Business Paperwork Organised

Decorators generate a lot of paperwork — quotes, invoices, insurance certificates, health and safety documents, contracts. Trade Assist stores all of it in one organised, searchable place, linked to the relevant clients and jobs.

Every quote and invoice is archived automatically, even if the original is deleted. You can always go back and find a document from months or years ago. Your documents are stored securely in the cloud and accessible from any device.

No more digging through email folders or losing paperwork in the van. Everything is in one system, fully searchable, always available.

Suitable for Self-Employed Decorators

Trade Assist is designed for decorators of all sizes. If you are a sole trader, the simple mode lets you create quotes and invoices with just a room name and price — no complex calculations unless you want them.

The Free plan gives you a limited number of quotes and invoices per month to get started. The Pro plan at £29.99 per month unlocks unlimited quotes, invoices, branding, the customer portal and all the business tools you need to run your decorating business professionally.

There is no minimum contract, no setup fee and no card required to start your 30-day free trial.

Suitable for Decorating Businesses with Teams

If you run a decorating business with a team of painters, the Business plan at £49.99 per month adds team management, job progress tracking, staff scheduling, daily site updates, snagging management and completion reports.

Assign jobs to your team members, track progress area by area, receive daily updates from site, manage material requests and handle variations and snagging professionally. Every team member can access the system from their phone.

The Business plan also includes team access controls, so you can give staff view-only, manager or accountant roles depending on their responsibilities.

Accounting Integrations and Making Tax Digital

Trade Assist includes a Tax Export feature that produces a summary of your income and expenses for your accountant or for Making Tax Digital submission. Export your data by tax year or by month, with all your invoices and expenses categorised and totalled.

The Accounting Hub provides an overview of your business finances, with integration options for popular accounting platforms. VAT handling is built in — set your VAT rate and every invoice and quote calculates the VAT automatically.

Making Tax Digital is changing how decorators report income to HMRC. Trade Assist helps you stay prepared by keeping your records organised and exportable throughout the year, rather than scrambling at deadline time.

Frequently Asked Questions