Work & time-and-material report: template for tradespeople
Free template for work and time-and-material reports — documents time, material and the customer's signature, as Word and PDF.
Template by trade
Site / project: ______________________
| No. | Hrs | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Staff: ______________________ | ______ |
| 2 | Work carried out: ______________________ | ______ |
| 3 | Material / equipment: ______________________ | ______ |
| 4 | Working time: from ____ to ____ · breaks: ____ min. | ______ |
| 5 | Special notes / extra work: ______________________ | ______ |
| 6 | Customer signature: ______________________ | ______ |
| 7 | ||
| 8 |
- · Have the customer sign on site — the report is your proof when questions come.
- · For time-and-material work: agree hourly rates in advance and state them in the report.
Sample without guarantee — no legal or tax advice. · Last reviewed: 2026-07
Download template
As a Word file (DOCX) to fill in, plus a PDF — free in exchange for your e-mail address.
Why the work report is worth money
Every undocumented hour is a lost hour: the signed work report proves what was done, when and by whom — and turns “we never ordered that” into a short conversation instead of a payment default. It is the basis for time-and-material invoices, change orders, and the answer to any question months later.
Time-and-material: billing hours cleanly
Time-and-material work stands and falls with the report: agree the hourly rate in advance, record times per employee, note materials, get the signature — daily, not at project end. More on clean acceptance is in the knowledge article on proof of performance.
Frequent questions about the work report
Does the customer have to sign the report?
It is not a duty — but only the signature makes the report strong evidence. Signing on site is routine; days later it becomes a negotiation.
What belongs in a time-and-material report?
Date, site, staff, from–to times with breaks, work carried out, material and equipment, special notes — and the agreed hourly rate, so the invoice holds no surprise.
How long should reports be kept?
As the basis of an invoice they are business records — keep them as long as the related invoice. Archived digitally (photo or scan), they remain findable years later.