Work order template for service and repair jobs

One sheet the tech, the office and the customer all agree on. It tells the tech what to do, and later it tells the office what to bill.

3 min read

The short answer

A good work order template has two halves. The top says what was asked: the customer, the address, the problem in their words, who's going and when. The bottom says what was done: the work, the parts, the time on site and the customer's sign-off. Copy the one below, or download it for Word or a spreadsheet.

On this page

A work order template you can copy
What is a work order?
Work order form fields that matter
Maintenance work order template
Auto repair work order template
From work order to invoice

A work order template you can copy

Write the problem the way the customer said it, not the way you'd fix it. "Water under the sink" helps the tech more than "plumbing repair," and it's what the customer will check the invoice against.

Work order

Order number: [2001]
Customer: [Name], [phone]
Job address: [Where the work is]
Problem: [What the customer said, in their words]
Tech and date: [Who's going], [day and time]
Work done: [What the tech found and did]

Parts and labor	Qty	Amount
[Part used]	[qty]	[amount]
[Labor: time on site]	[hours]	[amount]
[Extra work the customer OK'd]	1	[amount]

Notes: [anything the next visit should know].

Tech: ____________ Customer OK: ____________

Word file Spreadsheet

The Word file opens in Word and Google Docs and prints on one page. The spreadsheet opens in Excel and Google Sheets.

What is a work order?

A work order is the sheet that describes one job: who it's for, what's wrong, who's going and when. After the job, it records what was done, the parts and time used, and the customer's OK. In a small shop, the finished work order is where the invoice comes from. A complete one means a quick, right bill. A half-filled one means a call to the tech at seven at night.

Work order form fields that matter

Most forms have too many boxes, so techs skip them. These are the ones the office actually needs.

The problem in the customer's words. So the tech walks in knowing what to look for.
Work done. What was found and what was fixed, in a line or two.
Parts used. Every part, so nothing gets left off the bill.
Extra work. Anything added on site, with the customer's OK.
Sign-off. The customer's OK that the job is done.

Maintenance work order template

For a tune-up or a yearly service, swap the problem box for a checklist, so every visit covers the same ground. Leave a line for what needs fixing next time. That line is the next job, and the reason to call the customer back.

Maintenance visit

Customer: [Name], [address]
Equipment: [What you're servicing, make and age]
Checklist: [Filter, belts, drain line, connections, safety controls]
Found: [What needs attention now]
Next time: [What to fix or check on the next visit]

Auto repair work order template

In a repair shop, the work order is also the customer's OK to start. Get the estimate approved on it before the car goes up, and add any new work as a separate line with the time they said yes.

Repair order

Customer: [Name], [phone]
Vehicle: [Year, make, model], [mileage]
Concern: [What the customer said, like: grinding when braking]
Approved: [What they OK'd], [time and how they OK'd it]
Added: [New work found], [OK'd by phone at what time]
Done: [Work performed], [parts], [tech]

From work order to invoice

The work order is only worth something if it turns into a bill. Most missed invoices are a finished work order sitting in a truck. Turn each one into an invoice the same day, or have the drafts waiting at the end of the day for you to check and send.

By hand5 steps

Collect the work orders from the trucks
Read the tech's handwriting
Type the parts and labor into an invoice
Call the tech about what's missing
Send the invoice

Every evening, for every finished job.

Set up onceWaiting on you

Two finished work orders today have no invoice yet. Here's the first draft.

Invoice for Dan Whitfield, 8 Mill Rd: no heat call, replaced the igniter, tested two cycles. Parts and labor from the work order, your amounts on each line.

Finished work orders turned into invoice drafts. You price them and send them.

See the contractor invoice template →

NextA contractor invoice templateTurn the finished work order into an invoice the customer pays the first time.

Questions about work order templates

Something else on your mind? Ask us on the fit call. No pitch, and we'll say if it isn't a fit.

Book a fit call

Record the customer, contact and job address, describe the problem in the customer's words, assign the tech and date, then leave room for work performed, parts used, time on site and the customer's sign-off. Keep the same layout for every job so nothing gets skipped.

"Customer reports no heat. Tech: Dan, Tuesday 9 AM. Found failed igniter, replaced it, tested two full cycles. Parts: one igniter. Time on site: 1 hour. Customer signed." The request, the work, the parts and the sign-off on one page.

A header with your business details and order number, a customer block, a job description box, a table for parts and labor, a notes area, and signature lines for the tech and customer. Use a simple table so it prints on one page and is easy to fill in by hand.

Open a blank document, add your business header, insert a table with rows for customer, job, work done, parts and labor, and add signature lines. Save it as a template. Or download the Word file on this page and change the labels to fit your trade.

A work order tells the tech what to do and records what was done. An invoice asks the customer to pay for it. In a small shop, the finished work order is the source for the invoice, so a complete work order means a faster, more accurate bill.

Finish the job on paper too.