Auto repair work order template

A work order records which car came in, what the customer asked for, and what the shop agreed to do before it did it. Below is a brake service with an extra job found on the day, then four plain questions.

Worked example: a brake service with an extra job

These are example amounts, not market rates. The "$" stands for your own currency, and tax is left out. The car, vehicle identification number (VIN) and odometer reading are made up.

Work order WO-2031. Vehicle: 2016 hatchback. VIN: EXAMPLE-VIN-0000000. Odometer in: 148,320 km. The customer says: "The brakes squeal and the car pulls left."

Approved work: replace the front brake pads and discs, and change the brake fluid.

• Front pads, part number PART-A (placeholder): $68.00.
• Front discs, pair, part number PART-B (placeholder): $142.00.
• Brake fluid: $14.00.
• Labour: 2.0 hours × $110.00 = $220.00.
• Shop supplies: $12.00.
• Approved total: $68.00 + $142.00 + $14.00 + $220.00 + $12.00 = $456.00.

During the service, the mechanic finds a seized rear caliper slider. This is a second job, so the shop phones the customer before touching it. The work order records the time of the call, the person who agreed, and the price.

• Extra part, slider pin kit, part number PART-C (placeholder): $38.50.
• Extra labour: 0.8 hours × $110.00 = $88.00.
• Extra job: $38.50 + $88.00 = $126.50.

Final total: $456.00 + $126.50 = $582.50. Check it another way. Parts are $68.00 + $142.00 + $14.00 + $38.50 = $262.50. Labour is 2.8 hours × $110.00 = $308.00. Add $12.00 for supplies: $262.50 + $308.00 + $12.00 = $582.50.

Make your own work order

Make a work order with your own vehicle details, parts and labour lines. When the car is ready, make an invoice or estimate from the same details.

Four plain questions

Why does the work order need the odometer reading?

This is shop practice, not a rule we have sourced. The reading shows how far the car had travelled when it came in. It helps if a customer later asks about wear or a repeat fault. Write it down at the counter, before the car goes into the bay.

What if the customer approves extra work by phone?

Write the approval on the work order before the extra work starts. Record the date, the time, who agreed, and the price. That is practice. Ontario, Canada, goes further for motor vehicle repair. Its business guide says a shop must give a written estimate before it charges, unless the customer declined one and agreed a maximum amount. It also says you cannot bill a consumer "more than 10% of the estimate". We read that as 10% over the estimate.

Should the written estimate and the work order be the same document?

They can be, but the two jobs differ. An estimate is the price offered before the work. A work order is the instruction to do the job and a record of what changed. In our example, 10% of $456.00 is $45.60, so, reading the 10% as 10% over the estimate, the limit would be $501.60. The final bill of $582.50 is $80.90 above that. The Ontario page we read does not say how an agreed extra job counts against the 10%. Check the Ontario guide before you rely on this.

How do I show parts and labour separately?

Give each part its own line, with a part number and a price. Give labour its own line, with hours and a rate. Keep shop supplies on a line of their own. A customer can then see why the second price rose. This is practice, and it is how the example above is laid out.

Checked 22 October 2026 against ontario.ca (Business guide to consumer protection: types of agreements).

Sources

• Ontario: Business guide to consumer protection, types of agreements, read 22 October 2026

About this page: written by Papertern from the official sources linked on this page, and checked against them. Rules checked 22 October 2026.

Work order labels by country

The work order maker uses the same tax name and business ID field as each country's invoice maker.

Other work order presets

• General maintenance work order template