A plumbing work order should connect the reported problem to a specific asset and location, authorized scope, provider, completed work and followup. Separate observations from the technician’s findings, and record which tests or approvals remain open. Keep equipment instructions and service evidence linked to the asset; closing a ticket does not establish that every underlying issue was resolved.
Which fields should the ticket contain?
Record one repair event in a way the next manager can understand. A ticket marked “plumbing fixed” loses the useful details: which fixture, what failed, what work was authorized and what still needs attention. Keep the work order tied to the building's asset record instead of relying on a vendor's invoice description alone.
EPA's commercial water-management guidance recommends equipment inventories, operator information and maintenance records. Arizona's ROC recommends a clear written work description and responsibilities. Together those sources support a practical record, although they do not prescribe one universal work-order form for every property.
This is a working template to adapt to your own system:
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Ticket and asset | Unique work-order number, asset identifier and precise location |
| Reported condition | Symptom, first observed time and safe photographs |
| Operating context | Recent work, occupancy, equipment use or relevant outage |
| Authorization | Approved task, access window and person authorizing it |
| Provider findings | Observed cause, uncertainties and diagnosis limits |
| Work performed | Repaired or replaced items and actual installed model |
| Completion evidence | Relevant test result, service report or inspection reference |
| Followup | Unresolved issue, responsible person and next review date |
Separate “staff heard water” from “technician found a leaking valve.” The first is an observation; the second is a finding. Keeping both preserves the timeline without turning a complaint into a diagnosis.
What should stay attached?
Attach the approved scope, signed changes, invoice and useful service evidence. Link to the applicable manual and warranty documents rather than copying a generic service interval into every ticket. Product warranty and workmanship terms can come from different parties.
When the work changes the asset, update the plumbing asset register. A new model or moved isolation point should not leave the old instructions attached to the current equipment. The closeout package supplies records after larger projects.
When is the ticket ready to close?
Record what the provider completed and what the manager reviewed. If a permit inspection, restoration item or repeat check is pending, keep that action assigned even if the immediate leak has stopped. A closed maintenance ticket is an administrative status, not a certificate of code compliance or water safety.
Recurring symptoms deserve linked tickets so the pattern stays visible. The property-manager odor log captures repeated observations, while the preventive maintenance plan schedules ongoing tasks. This work order records the specific intervention between those two records.