What needs to be on a work order?

So what actually needs to be on a work order? That question usually comes up at an awkward moment: when a customer complains after the fact, or when the bookkeeper asks for proof. There is no single law that prescribes "the work order" — but a few obligations together make a complete work order indispensable. Below you'll read what always belongs on it, what turns it into evidence, and which extra rules apply as soon as you work with refrigerant.

Is a work order legally required?

Strictly speaking, no law prescribes that you produce a "work order". In practice, though, there's no getting around it, because of three obligations that coincide:

• Record-keeping and retention obligation. The Belastingdienst (the Dutch tax authority) requires you to keep your business records — including what you carried out where and what you invoiced — for at least seven years. The work order is the source evidence for that.
• Proof of work delivered. In a warranty claim, a liability question or a dispute, a signed work order is your strongest evidence that the work was carried out and approved.
• Sector-specific record-keeping. If you work with refrigerant, the F-gas regulations require you to record every operation — more on that below.

So it's not a loose formality, but the document where your invoicing, warranty and compliance come together.

What always belongs on it

Whatever the trade, these details belong on every work order:

• Your company details — name, address, contact details and, for the link to the invoice, your KvK (Dutch chamber of commerce) and VAT number.
• The customer details — name, address and contact person.
• Date the work was carried out, preferably with start and finish times.
• The location or installation where you worked.
• A clear description of the work carried out.
• Materials and parts used, with quantities.
• Hours spent and, if you invoice on that basis, the hourly rate.
• The name of the technician who did the work.
• The customer's signature for approval and completion.

If one of these is missing, the work order becomes harder to invoice — or weaker as evidence.

What turns a work order into evidence

The difference between a scribbled note and a usable document comes down to a few things:

• The customer's signature records approval at a specific moment. That is worth its weight in gold if a discussion arises later about what was agreed or delivered.
• Photos and measured values back up what you saw and did — the before and after situation, pressure readings, the outcome of a leak check.
• A direct link to your invoice makes sure materials and hours don't fall through the cracks.

And don't forget the retention period: those seven years apply to your work orders too, not only to the invoices that follow from them.

Extra for refrigeration: refrigerant and F-gases

If you work on refrigeration, air conditioning or heat pump installations, a further layer comes on top. As soon as refrigerant is involved, for every operation you record:

• the refrigerant type and the quantity you top up or recover;
• that the work was done by someone with a valid F-gas certificate;
• the findings of any leak check.

For an installation subject to the logbook obligation, that data flows through into the installation logbook — the work order is then literally the source of your refrigerant administration. Not sure whether an installation is subject to the logbook obligation? The logbook-obligation check works it out for you.

Paper or digital — does that change what's on it?

For what has to be on it: no. A paper and a digital work order have the same content requirements. For whether you keep it up: absolutely. Digitally you can make fields mandatory, capture a signature on site, attach photos and pass the work order straight through to your logbook and invoice. What that saves in time and money is worked out in work order on paper vs digital.

How Koldwerk enforces a complete work order

In Koldwerk you record all mandatory fields per job, and the customer signs on site — even without an internet connection. If you use refrigerant, the digital work order links that straight to the refrigerant administration and the logbook, so you enter nothing twice and forget nothing. Materials and hours carry through to your invoice. What that costs is on /prijzen; how we compare to other packages, on /vergelijk.

Further reading

• Work order on paper vs digital: the real costs.
• Am I subject to the logbook obligation? — work it out for your installation.
• Refrigerant balance: a practical guide.
• Applying for an F-gas certificate — who is allowed to handle refrigerant.

Disclaimer: this is general information, not legal or tax advice. Retention periods and F-gas requirements can change and can differ per situation. If in doubt, consult the Belastingdienst, your certifying body or the current F-gas Regulation.