# What Is a Work Order?

A work order is the document that authorizes and describes a specific job: what needs doing, where, for whom, by whom, and with what parts. In the trades it travels from the office to the technician, collects notes, photos, parts and hours on site, and becomes the record the invoice is built from when the job is done.

## Key takeaways

- A work order turns a customer request into an assigned, trackable job.
- A good one carries everything the tech needs to finish on the first visit: problem, history, access, parts and approvals.
- Service ticket and work order are often used interchangeably. Where they differ, the ticket is the customer's request and the work order is the authorized job.
- Parts and hours recorded on the work order feed the invoice and job costing, so missing entries mean lost money.

## How does a work order work?

A work order moves through four stages. It's **created** when a request is qualified and booked, **assigned** to a tech during [dispatching](https://www.brix.so/learn/dispatching), **worked** on site where the tech records what was found and done, and **closed** when the job is complete and the information goes to invoicing. If the customer approves extra work along the way, that gets added (or written as a [change order](https://www.brix.so/learn/change-order) on larger projects).

> **Example: one plumbing work order, start to finish**
>
> Illustrative. 7:40 a.m.: a homeowner calls about a water heater leaking from the bottom. The CSR records the address, a 12-year-old 50-gallon gas unit, garage location and a dog in the yard, and books a 10 a.m.–12 p.m. window. Work order #4512 is created.
>
> Dispatch assigns it to a tech whose truck carries a 50-gallon gas heater, and notes the gate code.
>
> On site the tech confirms a failed tank, quotes a replacement at $2,150, gets a signature, installs it, and records the heater, expansion tank, fittings, 3.5 hours and before/after photos.
>
> The tech closes the work order. The office (or the software) turns it into an invoice with the same line items, and the job's labor and parts land in [job costing](https://www.brix.so/learn/job-costing).

## What should a work order include?

A work order should include the customer and site details, a clear description of the problem or requested work, the assigned technician and time window, any approved price or not-to-exceed amount, and space to record work performed, parts used, labor hours, photos and the customer's signature. The test: could a tech who's never met the customer finish the job without calling the office?

**Work order checklist**

| Section | Fields | Why it matters |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Customer and site | Name, phone, service address, billing address if different, access notes, gate code, pets | Saves the driveway phone call |
| Job details | Problem as described, job type, priority, equipment make, model, age | Lets dispatch send the right skill and parts |
| History | Prior visits, warranties, maintenance agreement status | Avoids re-diagnosing and catches warranty work |
| Assignment | Tech or crew, date, arrival window, estimated duration | Builds the schedule |
| Authorization | Approved price, quote number, or not-to-exceed limit; who approved | Prevents billing disputes |
| Work performed | Diagnosis, what was done, recommendations | Feeds the invoice and the next visit |
| Parts and materials | Item, quantity, from truck or supplier | Billing and [truck stock](https://www.brix.so/learn/truck-stock) restocking |
| Labor | Clock-in, clock-out, hours per tech | Billing on T&M jobs; job costing on all jobs |
| Proof | Photos, readings, customer signature | Protects you in disputes and warranty claims |

## What's the difference between a work order and a service ticket?

In most trades shops, service ticket and work order mean the same thing: the record of one job. Where they're separated, a service ticket (or service request) is the customer's request as it came in, and a work order is the job the business has approved, scheduled and assigned. One ticket can produce one or several work orders.

**Work order vs. related documents**

| Document | What it is | Who creates it | When |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Service request / ticket | The customer's request as received | Customer, CSR or [AI receptionist](https://www.brix.so/features/ai-receptionist) | First contact |
| Estimate or quote | The proposed price for the work | Tech, estimator or office | Before approval. See [estimate vs. quote vs. bid](https://www.brix.so/learn/estimate-vs-quote-vs-bid) |
| Work order | The authorized, assigned job and its field record | Office or dispatcher | After booking or approval |
| Purchase order | Your order to a supplier for materials | Office or tech | When parts are needed |
| Change order | A signed change to the agreed scope or price | Contractor and customer | Mid-project |
| Invoice | The bill for completed work | Office, from the work order | After completion |

## Work orders by trade

**What a good work order captures in each trade**

| Trade | Trade-specific fields | Common miss |
| --- | --- | --- |
| HVAC | Equipment make, model, serial, tonnage, refrigerant type, filter size, readings | No serial number, so warranty claims and replacement quotes take a second visit |
| Plumbing | Fixture or heater specs, shut-off location, camera footage for drains | Shut-off location not recorded for the next emergency |
| Electrical | Panel brand and amperage, circuits affected, permit number | Permit and inspection status not tracked on the job |
| Roofing | Roof type, pitch, layers, photos of damage, insurance claim number | Photos stored on a tech's phone, not the job |
| Landscaping and lawn care | Property map, service list, gate and irrigation notes | Extra work done on site never added to the bill |
| Cleaning | Room checklist, products to avoid, entry instructions | Customer preferences lost when the team changes |
| Pest control | Target pest, products and amounts applied, areas treated | Application records incomplete for regulators or follow-ups |
| Garage door | Door size, spring type and size, opener model | Wrong spring size on the truck |

## Common work order mistakes

- **Vague job descriptions.** 'Check AC' tells the tech nothing. Capture symptoms, when it started and what the customer already tried.
- **Parts used but not recorded.** Every unrecorded part is a part you paid for and gave away, and a gap on the truck tomorrow.
- **Extra work approved verbally.** Write it on the work order with the price and get a signature or text approval before doing it.
- **Paper work orders that come back days later.** By then nobody remembers the details. Close the work order on site.
- **Invoicing from memory.** Build the invoice from the work order, not the other way around.
- **No photos.** Before-and-after photos settle most disputes in seconds.

With BRIX, the AI receptionist captures the problem, address and access details on the call, so the job lands on the schedule with a usable work order. When the job is done it becomes an invoice, and the invoice and payment sync to QuickBooks.

- [AI receptionist](https://www.brix.so/features/ai-receptionist): Answers every call 24/7, qualifies the caller, books the job and texts back anyone it misses.
- [Scheduling and dispatch](https://www.brix.so/features/scheduling-dispatch): Assigns the right crew to the right job based on skills, location and availability.
- [Invoicing and payments](https://www.brix.so/features/invoicing-payments): Turns finished jobs into invoices and politely chases unpaid ones until the money is in your account.
- [QuickBooks sync](https://www.brix.so/integrations/quickbooks): Syncs customers, invoices and payments with QuickBooks so the books match the jobs.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is a work order a contract?

A work order on its own usually isn't a full contract, but a signed work order that shows the agreed work and price is strong evidence of what the customer authorized. For larger jobs, use a written contract or signed quote, and use the work order to track the work against it.

### Who creates a work order?

Usually the office: a CSR, dispatcher or office manager creates it when a job is booked, or software creates it from a phone call or online booking. The technician then adds diagnosis, work done, parts, hours and photos in the field.

### What is the difference between a work order and an invoice?

A work order describes the job to be done and records what happened on site. An invoice is the bill sent to the customer for that work. The invoice should be built from the closed work order so nothing that was done gets left off.

### What is the difference between a work order and a purchase order?

A work order authorizes your team to do a job for a customer. A purchase order is a document you send to a supplier to buy materials. A single work order can trigger one or more purchase orders when parts aren't on the truck.

### Should work orders be numbered?

Yes. A unique number lets you tie the job to its quote, purchase orders, invoice, photos and payment, and makes it easy to find when a customer calls back. Software numbers them automatically.

### Do I need work order software?

If you run more than one truck or do more than a handful of jobs a day, work order software saves time and lost billing. It sends jobs to techs' phones, collects photos and signatures, and turns completed work orders into invoices without retyping.

## Related

- [What Is Dispatching?](https://www.brix.so/learn/dispatching)
- [What Is a Change Order?](https://www.brix.so/learn/change-order)
- [What Is a Scope of Work?](https://www.brix.so/learn/scope-of-work)
- [What Is Field Service Management (FSM)?](https://www.brix.so/learn/field-service-management)
- [What Is Job Costing?](https://www.brix.so/learn/job-costing)
- [What Is Truck Stock?](https://www.brix.so/learn/truck-stock)
- [Contractor Invoice Template](https://www.brix.so/templates/invoice-template)
- [Scheduling and Dispatch Software That Puts the Right Crew on Every Job](https://www.brix.so/features/scheduling-dispatch)
- [Contractor invoicing software that sends the invoice and chases the money](https://www.brix.so/features/invoicing-payments)
- [What Is Callback Rate?](https://www.brix.so/learn/callback-rate)

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Written by BRIX Editorial Team. Last updated 2026-10-12.
Canonical: https://www.brix.so/learn/work-order