Start with Smartsheet's free work order templates: they're sorted by trade, from repair and maintenance to HVAC, auto repair, IT and electrical, and most come in Word, Excel, PDF, Google Docs or Google Sheets. If you'd rather fill one in online, Template.net has work order templates you complete in your browser.
A work order does three jobs at once. It records the request, it tells someone what to do and it proves the work was done. Template.net defines it as a document that requests, authorises and records maintenance, repair or service tasks. Get the form right and you stop losing jobs between a phone call and a van.
Work order templates by trade
Smartsheet's collection, updated in November 2025, has a template for most trades. Here's what each one tracks and the formats it comes in as of October 2026:
| Trade or job | Template | Fields that stand out | Formats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rental property or facility repairs | Repair Work Order | Repair needs, deadlines, approvals, expenses | Excel, PDF, Google Sheets |
| Any service business | Service Work Order | Parts used, extra charges, totals with taxes, tracking numbers | Excel, Word, Google Docs, Google Sheets |
| Garage or mobile mechanic | Automotive Work Order | Vehicle details, parts, labour, service status, approvals | Excel, Word, PDF, Google Docs, Google Sheets |
| Building sites | Construction Work Order | Materials, labour tracking, timelines, approvals | Word, PDF, Google Docs, Google Sheets |
| Heating and cooling | HVAC Work Order | Multiple locations, labour hours, safety checks | Excel, Word, PDF, Google Docs, Google Sheets |
| Decorators | Painting Work Order | Surface types, materials, paint | Word, PDF, Google Docs |
| Plumbers | Plumbing Work Order | Checkboxes for common services | Excel, Word, PDF, Google Docs, Google Sheets |
| IT support | IT Work Order | Task details, contact info, submission dates | Excel, Google Docs, Google Sheets |
| Electricians | Electrical Work Order | Job descriptions, materials, labour | Word, PDF, Google Docs |
| Surveyors | Land Surveying Work Order | Locations, equipment, progress | Word |
The same page goes further than most people need: there are landscaping, cleaning, inspection (from pest control to pre-sale checks), graphic design and stop work order templates too.
One-off form or a log of every job
This is the choice that matters most, and Smartsheet separates the two clearly. Its Basic Work Order Template is built for organising and managing multiple work orders across teams or projects, tracking each from initiation to completion with job assignments, due dates and progress updates. The Work Order Tracking Template does the same job and is easy to print.
The single-job forms are different. The Printable Work Order Request Template is meant for maintenance requests and other simple tasks, and Smartsheet suggests printing copies or saving it as a quick-link template for frequent, repetitive requests. So if you're a property manager taking requests, you probably want both: a request form tenants or staff fill in, and a tracker where you log every request until it's closed.
Smartsheet also points out that its web-based formats of the service and construction templates allow real-time updates, which matters when the office and the crew are both editing the same job.
Filling in a work order that holds up later
Smartsheet lists the elements most work orders need. Used in this order, they make a form that answers every question a customer or manager will ask afterwards:
- Give it a unique work order number so you can find and reference it.
- Record who asked for the work: name, contact details and department or role.
- Describe the work clearly and briefly.
- Name the person or role responsible for doing it.
- Set a priority level, such as high, medium or low.
- List the materials needed and their costs.
- Set the completion deadline, then update the status as the job moves.
Template.net's tips cover the same ground: clear task descriptions, accurate dates, assigned personnel, materials, special instructions and regular status updates. If the job involves ordering parts from a supplier, that's a separate document; see what a purchase order is for how the two differ.
Template.net's browser-based work orders
Template.net offers editable work order templates you complete or modify directly in your browser, with downloads in Word, Excel, PDF, Google Docs, Google Sheets, Apple Pages and Apple Numbers as of October 2026. It says work orders are mainly used by facilities managers, maintenance teams, service technicians and admin staff in manufacturing, construction and property management.
Its listings lean towards cleaning and property: carpet, commercial, residential and office cleaning work orders, plus maintenance, landscaping, vehicle, print shop, freelance and vending machine versions. A few listings are invoices or purchase orders rather than work orders, so read the title before you start editing.
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Forms, not software
These are form templates. They won't schedule a technician, send a reminder or update a customer on their own. For a small business with one or two crews, that's often fine: a numbered form and a tracking sheet will cover you. When you're juggling dozens of open jobs, recurring maintenance and parts stock, look at work order software instead. Either way, write down how a request becomes a job; a short SOP template keeps everyone doing it the same way.
Smartsheet's page is free to download from, and Template.net describes its work orders as free and editable. I'm not claiming more than that for either.
My advice
I'd download Smartsheet's template for your trade, because the HVAC, auto and painting forms already ask the questions those jobs need. I'd pair it with the Basic Work Order or Work Order Tracking Template the moment you have more than a few jobs open at once. Use Template.net if you work on a Mac in Pages or Numbers, or if you mainly do cleaning or property jobs. Skip a generic form for specialist work; you'll end up adding the missing fields by hand on every job.
Featured spots and reviews on this page are paid partnerships, never free listings. Do you make work order or document tools? Tool makers can ask about a featured place here.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I get a free work order template?
Smartsheet has free work order templates sorted by trade, including repair, maintenance, service, automotive, construction, HVAC, plumbing, IT and electrical. Template.net has work order templates you edit in your browser.
What should a work order include?
Smartsheet lists a unique work order number, requestor details, a description of the work, assigned personnel, a priority level, materials and costs, and a completion deadline.
Is there a free work order template for tracking many jobs?
Yes. Smartsheet's Basic Work Order Template and Work Order Tracking Template are built to manage multiple work orders across teams, with due dates and progress updates.
Is there a free HVAC work order template?
Yes. Smartsheet's HVAC Work Order Template covers jobs across multiple locations, with fields for labour hours, materials, task status and safety checks.
Is a work order template the same as work order software?
No. A template is a form you fill in and track yourself. Software adds scheduling, reminders and records, which matters once you have many open jobs.
