What goes on a work order
A work order is the paper trail of a single job: one numbered document that says what needed doing, who asked for it, who did it, what it consumed, and who signed it off. The essential fields are the WO number, dates (issued, needed, completed), priority, requester and assignee, the location and specific asset, a description of the work, parts and materials with costs, labor with hours, and an authorization signature. Miss the number and you can't reference the job; miss the asset and you can't build a history; miss the signature and you can't defend the bill.
The description carries the most weight. The strongest pattern is symptom → findings → work performed → verification: what was reported, what the tech actually found, what was done about it, and how it was confirmed fixed. Work orders written that way settle disputes, satisfy auditors, and give the next tech a head start when the same asset acts up again.
Parts and labor live in separate tables for a reason: parts cost tracks your suppliers and stockroom, labor cost tracks your crew and estimates. Keeping them apart on every work order is what makes the roll-up questions answerable later — what does this asset really cost us, which jobs eat the most hours, is it time to replace instead of repair.
How the work order lifecycle runs
Work flows in five steps: someone submits a request; a supervisor approves and prioritizes it into a numbered work order; assignment puts it on a tech's list; execution logs parts, hours, and findings; and close-out records the completion date and the authorizing signature. Small shops compress the first three steps into one conversation — that's fine, as long as the document that comes out the other side is complete. If you're new to the terminology, our plain-English explainer covers work orders vs. work requests vs. purchase orders.
Generator, or printable form?
Use the generator above when you want a finished, numbered PDF now — it does the math, keeps your numbering sequence, and remembers your company details. Use the printable pack (Word, Excel, PDF, plus a WO log spreadsheet) when the clipboard rules the shop floor — blank forms techs fill by hand, and a register to track the numbers. Most teams end up using both.
Frequently asked questions
Is this work order generator free?
Yes — build and download unlimited work orders with no account. Free PDFs carry a small "Created with work-order-template.com" line at the bottom; Pro (optional) removes it. The printable Word/Excel/PDF pack is free too, unlocked with your email.
How does the automatic work order numbering work?
The generator keeps a counter in your browser. Your first work order is WO-1001; every time you click New WO, the next number is assigned and your company details carry over. You can type over the number any time to match your existing sequence.
What's the difference between a work order and an invoice?
A work order authorizes and records the work — who requested it, who does it, what parts and hours it consumed. An invoice requests payment afterward. Many small shops send the completed, signed work order along with the invoice as backup.
Do my work orders get uploaded anywhere?
No. Everything you type stays in your browser (that's also how autosave works), and the PDF is generated on your device. Nothing about your jobs, customers, or pricing touches our servers.
Can I use this for preventive maintenance work orders?
Yes — put the PM checklist in the description field and set a Low or Medium priority. The maintenance template preloads a corrective example you can adapt; a recurring-PM feature is on the roadmap.
Does it work on a phone or tablet in the field?
Yes. The form stacks above the document preview on small screens and the download button stays pinned to the bottom, so a tech can fill one out on-site and download the PDF.