Guide · Work orders
What goes on a work order
A work order authorizes a specific job before the crew starts. It is not an invoice and not a contract for the whole project — it is the document that says what will be done, where, by whom and for how much.
Work order, purchase order, invoice
A purchase order buys goods or services from a supplier. A work order authorizes service work at a site. An invoice asks for payment after the work. The three documents can reference each other, but they do different jobs — and mixing them up is how jobs get done without anyone approving the price.
The eight fields
- A work order number and the date it was issued.
- The customer, the site address and the unit or area.
- A short scope: the tasks included and, just as important, what is not.
- The assigned technician, crew or subcontractor.
- Parts and labor, with quantities and rates, or a clear time-and-materials estimate.
- The authorized total — the number the customer is approving.
- Access, safety and scheduling instructions.
- Signatures: requested by, accepted by and completed by.
Write a scope you can point to
List the tasks in the order they will happen, and add one line that says what is excluded. When the customer asks for “one more thing” on site, the scope line is the difference between a change order and an argument. If the job is time and materials, state the rate and the estimate, and say that the total may change if the scope does.
Change orders
When the scope changes, do not quietly add it to the invoice. Write a short change order — or a new work order — with the extra work and price, and get it signed before the work continues. It protects the customer from surprises and protects you from doing unpaid work.
Who signs, and when
The customer or site manager signs to authorize the work and the price. The technician signs when the job is complete, ideally with the customer’s sign-off on the completed tasks. A work order signed after the work is done is just a receipt; the value is in the approval before the crew starts.
A short example
A property manager asks a contractor to fix a leaking unit. The work order lists unit 4B, the two tasks (replace the valve, test the line), the parts and two hours of labor, the authorized total of $310, and the site access instructions. The manager signs before the crew starts. When the job is done, the contractor photographs the repair and invoices $310 with the work order number in the reference field.
After the job
Keep the signed work order, the site photos and the invoice in one folder. If the invoice is queried, the signed authorization is the first thing to send. Reference the work order number on the invoice so the customer’s AP team can match the two.
Use the work order generator or the blank work order template to keep the fields consistent. For the purchase side, see the blank purchase order template.
Related
Delivery note vs packing slip
What each one proves, what goes on it, and when to use both.
Invoice vs quote vs credit note
Who sends each document, when, and what it does to the money.
Payment terms and late payment
Net 30, due dates and a reminder sequence that works.