How the order differs from an estimate and an act
An estimate or calculation is what the repair will cost. A work order is the instruction to repair with that cost, agreed before the work starts. A completion act confirms what was done and accepted. The order is always the same: first the order, then the work, then the act.
Sections of a work order
Order data
Request date, make and model, chassis or serial number, hours, mechanic and the reported fault — in the customer's own words. The last part matters: if it turns out later that the cause is something else, it is visible what the machine came in with.
Work
Each operation on its own line: what we do, why, how many labour hours and at what rate. One line "Hydraulics repair — 28 000 ₽" raises questions; three lines with labour hours do not.
Parts and materials
Article number, name, unit, quantity, price. Keep them separate from work: in accounting they are different things, and the customer often wants to see how much is work and how much is parts.
Other costs
Call-out, delivery, disposal, rental of special tooling. If they are not written in at once, they either get lost or turn up in the act as a surprise for the customer.
Total and VAT
Section sums, the total, VAT at your rate, or "No VAT" if the contractor is not a tax payer.
How the cost of work is calculated
Labour hours of the operation × the hourly rate. For example, seal replacement — 3 hours at 3 500 ₽ = 10 500 ₽. More on standards and the rate in the article on the labour hour, and the whole order can be priced quickly in the repair cost calculator.
Agree before the work starts
The main rule: work starts after the customer has agreed the amount. A signature on the order, a reply by email, a confirmation by link — the method does not matter, what matters is that the agreement can be shown. If something else turns up during the repair, the amount is agreed again, before doing the extra work.
Blank and software
The work order blank can be downloaded free — in XLSX the amounts are calculated by formulas. In DefAct the order is filled on the phone, prices come from your directories, and at the end it turns into a completion act without re-typing.