Work lines, parts and labour on a job card

What is a "work line"?

A line is one row on the card. It's either a part (brake pads, an oil filter) or a piece of labour (fit the pads, replace the filter). Each row has its own description and quantity.

One maker's help page, checked 9 November 2026, says its printed card lists "parts and labour items" in a table "showing quantity and description for each item"¹. Other makers may use other words, such as "items", "tasks" or "operations". Check how yours names them.

Why keep parts and labour on separate lines?

Because they behave differently. A part has a quantity and comes from stock or a supplier. Labour has a time. Keeping them apart means the invoice can show each one, and the card shows which jobs used which parts.

One maker's guide says stock features help "keep on top of reordering regular parts"². That's the stock side. The card is where a part gets tied to the car it went on.

How is labour time recorded?

There are two common ways.

An estimate. The card carries a planned time. On one maker's printed card, that's the "total estimated hours recorded on the job"¹.

A time clock. The technician starts a clock when they begin and stops it when they finish. One maker's page says clocks "allow you to track labor times in real-time", and that each clock is tied to a user³. When the item is marked completed, the system closes any clocks still running for that job and asks if the labour time should be updated³.

Another maker argues that time-clocking tools "help to keep labour charges objective"². That's the maker's view, and whether it fits a given workshop is for the owner to judge. Whether labour is billed by clock time, by a fixed book time or by a flat price is a business decision. The software only records what you set up.

Can several technicians work on one card?

Yes, in at least one product. That maker says "each part and each labor item can be assigned individually", so more than one mechanic can work on a car and the work is tracked separately³. That's useful when one person does the brakes while another does the service.

How does extra work appear?

As new lines on the same card, not on a new one. One maker's example is a customer who brings a car in for an oil change while the workshop notices a radiator flush is also needed. The flush's parts and labour are added and marked as recommended, then the customer is sent an estimate to approve or decline³.

In that product, an item can be marked declined on the card³. The next page, getting approval for extra work, covers approvals.

What should the staff check on a line?

• Is the description clear enough for the customer to understand on the invoice?
• Is the quantity right?
• Does the line belong to the right technician?
• Was a clock left running?

Prices on lines depend on the workshop's own price list and tax settings, and tax rules differ by country. For tax questions, ask an accountant or the tax authority, such as the IRS, HMRC or the ATO.