> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.proprietas.app/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Work Orders

> Schedule, tender, cost and close out contractor work.

A work order is a unit of work assigned to a contractor — a repair, a service, a compliance renewal. Proprietas tracks it from raised to paid.

<Frame>
  <video src="https://mintcdn.com/proprietas/5mR7gYQr3yPBvUYg/images/work-orders.mp4?fit=max&auto=format&n=5mR7gYQr3yPBvUYg&q=85&s=ece51a58ca350854d1387c411e869d14" autoPlay loop muted playsInline className="rounded-xl" data-path="images/work-orders.mp4" />
</Frame>

## Where Work Orders Come From

* **Raised by hand** for any task
* **Promoted from an [issue](/facilities/issues)** when a reported problem needs work
* **Raised automatically** at the 7-day compliance threshold to renew a lapsing certificate (see [Reminders](/compliance/reminders))
* **Raised on cadence** by a [PPM schedule](/compliance/planned-maintenance)

Each carries a number (WO-0001), title, priority (low / medium / high / **emergency**) and status: **Open → Scheduled → In progress → On hold → Completed / Cancelled**.

<Note>
  The work-order list is a **spreadsheet-style data grid** — shared with [Issues](/facilities/issues) and [Assets](/facilities/assets). Filter, sort and search from a fixed toolbar, save views, and the header stays frozen while the rows scroll. Search and the [assistant](/interface/assistant) can open it pre-filtered via **Open in grid**.
</Note>

## Competence Gating

When you assign a contractor, Proprietas checks their competence certificates (Gas Safe, NICEIC, SafeContractor, CHAS). If one has expired, the assignment can be **blocked until it's refreshed** — so an out-of-ticket contractor never ends up on a gas job. See [Contractors](/facilities/contractors).

## Tendering and Quotes

For organisations that need competitive quotes — charity trustees and MATs often do — a work order can require a **minimum number of quotes** before it's accepted. Contractors submit quotes; you accept one. Accepting below the quote threshold requires a written override reason, which is recorded.

Multiple quotes live on the work order, with one accepted at a time; a superseded quote stays in the history.

## Payments

Log payments against a work order — deposit, milestone, final — each with amount, method, reference and an optional invoice. Payments can be voided without losing the audit history, so the financial trail is always intact.

## Conversation

Every work order carries a **threaded conversation** between your team and the assigned contractor. Comments appear in the work order's side peek and detail page on your side, and in the [contractor portal](/facilities/contractor-portal) on theirs, so "when can you attend?" and the answer live on the job itself instead of in someone's inbox. New replies arrive in [real time](/interface/notifications#live-in-the-app).

## Closing the Loop

When work is done, the contractor marks it complete — often through the [portal](/facilities/contractor-portal) — uploads any certificate or report, and the linked issue or obligation updates. Every status change and comment is logged.

<Card title="The contractor portal" icon="hard-hat" href="/facilities/contractor-portal">
  How contractors do all this without an account.
</Card>