Field job completion checklist
What the office needs when a field job is finished
A finished job should reach the office as a clear set of facts, not a vague “all done” message. The office needs enough information to understand the work, account for changes, find the supporting record and decide whether the job can move toward invoicing.
The aim is a usable handover, not more paperwork
The person on site knows what actually happened. The office usually knows what must happen next. A useful closeout joins those two views while the detail is still fresh.
It can be recorded in the job-management system you already use, or passed through an agreed job note, email, SMS or team chat. The tool is less important than the consistency of the information. The same core facts should arrive for every finished or paused job.
Nine things to hand to the office
1. The job reference and current status
Use the job number, customer or site reference the office already recognises. State whether the visit is complete, partly complete or stopped.
2. What work was completed
Describe the result in plain language. “Replaced faulty inlet valve and tested operation” is more useful than “job done”.
3. Extras or variations
Record work outside the original scope, whether it was approved, and where the approval or instruction can be found. Do not rely on memory or a verbal aside.
4. Parts and materials used
List the items the office needs for job costing or invoicing, including anything unusual, substituted or still to be confirmed.
5. Photos and other evidence
Say what was captured and where it was saved. A note that says “three completion photos saved to job 1842” is actionable; “photos taken” still leaves a search.
6. Approval or purchase-order references
Point to the source record the office may need: an email, job note, purchase order or other business record. The right approval method depends on the job and your own requirements.
7. The customer outcome
Note what was demonstrated or discussed, whether the customer raised an issue, and whether any follow-up was promised.
8. Invoice readiness
Give the office a clear status: ready to progress, not ready, or needs review. If it is not ready, name the one thing preventing the next step.
9. Any unresolved item
Turn it into a controlled action: one open item, one named owner, one next action and one due date.
Use a short check before the field moves on
Before closing the handover, ask:
- Can the office identify the job and understand what happened?
- Are extras, parts and evidence recorded where they can be found?
- Is the job clearly ready to progress, or is the blocker named?
- If something remains open, does it have an owner, action and due date?
This is an operational information check, not a universal legal, safety or compliance checklist. Keep using the licences, certificates, forms, approvals and records required for your work.
If the recurring problem is not the checklist itself but what happens when a detail is missing, read why completed trade jobs sit unbilled.