Paperwork
Plumbing work order template, and what to write on every service call
A work order is the record of the visit: what the customer reported, what you were allowed to do, what you did, what you used and who signed. Print the template below, then use the checklist to fill it in the same way on every call.
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The estimate says what a job will cost. The invoice asks to be paid for it. The work order sits in between: it's the record of what actually happened at the house. Who called, what they said was wrong, what they let you do, what you found, what you did, what parts went in, how long you were there, and who signed off.
Most small shops skip it until a customer disputes a bill, a warranty call comes back eight months later, or a new tech can't remember which valve he replaced. Below is a free plumbing work order you can print or save as a PDF, followed by what each part is for and how it turns into the invoice.
Address · Phone · Email
License #:
WORK ORDER
Authorization to diagnose. I authorize the business above to inspect the problem described. Service call / diagnostic fee: $. No repair starts until I approve the price. Customer initials:
| Parts and materials used | Qty | Notes (size, model, location) |
|---|---|---|
| Technician | Arrived | Left | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
Status: ☐ Completed ☐ Return visit needed ☐ Waiting on parts ☐ Customer declined repair
This work order is a record of the visit, not a bill. Prices are as approved on the quote above; an invoice follows.
Work order, estimate or invoice?
The three documents describe the same job at different moments. Keeping them separate is what lets each one do its job.
| Document | When | What it answers | Who signs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate or quote | Before the work | What will this cost? | The customer, to approve the price |
| Work order | During the visit | What was reported, allowed and done? | The tech, and the customer at sign-off |
| Invoice | After the work | What do I owe, and by when? | Nobody; it gets paid |
On a small service call, the three can blur into one piece of paper. That's fine, as long as the facts on the work order are written down somewhere. On a bigger job, you'll usually quote first with an estimate template, do the work against that quote, and use the work order to record what actually happened.
What a plumbing work order should contain
- A work order number and date. Number them in order, like invoices. When a customer calls about "the job last spring", the number finds it.
- The job address, and the person you're dealing with. Add access notes: gate codes, where to park, the dog in the backyard. If a tenant called but the landlord pays, write both.
- The problem as the customer reported it. In their words: "water under the kitchen sink since Monday." If what you find is different, that difference matters later.
- Authorization to diagnose. The customer's initials agreeing to the service call fee and to you looking at the problem, with no repair until they approve a price. More on this below.
- What you found. The cause, not just the symptom: "compression nut on cold supply cracked; cabinet floor swollen from slow leak."
- Work performed. Plain words a customer could read aloud. "Replaced cold angle stop and supply line, tested, no leaks." Not "plumbing repair".
- Parts used. Each part, the quantity and where it went, with model numbers for anything with a warranty: water heaters, disposals, pressure-reducing valves, toilets.
- Time on site. Arrival and departure for each tech. If you bill time and materials, this is your proof. If you bill flat rate, it tells you whether your flat rates are right.
- Photos. Before and after, plus anything you saw but didn't fix: a corroded gas connector, a missing expansion tank, a slab leak sign. Note how many you took and keep them with the job.
- Tech signature. Who did the work. It matters as soon as you have more than one truck.
- Customer sign-off. A signature saying the work was done as described. It isn't a payment promise; it's agreement on the facts.
- Next steps. Parts on order, a return visit, work you recommended and the customer declined. Writing down "customer declined replacing 14-year-old water heater" protects you if it fails next month.
The authorization to diagnose
The awkward moment on a service call is when you've spent 40 minutes finding the problem, the customer doesn't like the repair price, and nobody agreed on what the visit itself costs. The authorization line fixes that before you start.
It says three things: the customer asked you to look, they know what the visit costs, and you won't start a repair until they approve its price. Read it out loud at the door and get initials. If your service call fee is credited toward the repair when the customer goes ahead, say so on the line. Our guide to the plumbing service call fee covers how to set it and word it.
Once you've diagnosed the problem, price the repair before you do it. On a small job, write the price on the work order and get a second set of initials. On anything bigger, write a proper quote and get it signed.
How the work order turns into the invoice
A complete work order makes the invoice almost write itself:
- Work performed becomes the invoice description.
- Parts used become line items, priced from the approved quote or your price book.
- Time on site becomes the labor line, if you bill by the hour.
- The quote number goes on the invoice, so the customer can match the price they approved.
- Anything added on site, with the customer's approval, becomes its own line. It's the line most likely to be questioned, so the approval needs to be on paper.
Our plumbing invoice template has the fields to copy into. The best time to do it is before you leave the driveway, while the work order is still in your hand.
Plumbo, now on the App Store and Google Play, skips the copying: say the job in a voice note, answer only what's missing, and it builds the quote from your own price book. The customer signs on your phone, and the signed quote becomes the invoice in one tap. Try the 60-second demo →
Tips for filling it out on site
- Start it at the door, not in the truck afterward. The reported problem and the authorization come first.
- Write for a stranger. Assume the person reading it is a tech who wasn't there, or the customer a year from now.
- Record times as they happen. Rebuilding a day from memory always comes out short.
- Get the sign-off before you pack up. A customer who just watched the water come back on signs easily. One who gets the paperwork by email next week may not.
- Leave a copy. A photo of the signed page or a PDF by text is enough.
- File it with the quote and the invoice. One folder, or one record, per job. If you ever need to defend a bill or answer a warranty call, that's the file you'll want.
When a work order isn't enough
A work order records a visit. It doesn't set terms for a large job. For a repipe, a sewer line, or a water heater relocation, use a written agreement that covers the payment schedule, change orders, permits and warranty. Our plumbing contract template is built for that, and the work order still records each day on site.