# Maintenance plans & work orders

> Set up recurring maintenance, assign work orders, follow procedures, and record completed work with dates, costs, and evidence for the facility team.

Source: https://docs.specset.com/docs/maintenance · Section: After Handoff · Last updated: 2026-10-08

A **procedure** contains the instructions, a **plan** determines when to use them, and a **work order** records one occurrence of the work. Keep all three connected so the next technician can see what is due and what happened last time.

> **Availability:** These tools are available with F&M or Closeout enabled. In the F&M portal, choose a facility; in a construction project, find them under **Closeout**. Creating plans and procedures requires permission to manage closeout. Ask your administrator if those controls are missing.

## Start with the work due

Open **Work Orders** to review open jobs. Filter by due date, priority, assignee, asset, location, or system. Use **Assigned to me** for your own work and open a row to inspect its instructions and history.

![Maintenance work-order list showing due work, priorities, equipment, and locations](https://docs.specset.com/images/docs/maintenance/work-orders.png)

For an unexpected repair or one-time task, click **New**. Name the work, choose its asset, location, or system, and set the due date, priority, and assignee. Add the instructions the person doing the work will need, then click **Create**.

## Create a reusable procedure

1. Open **Work Orders → Procedures** and click **New**.
2. Give the procedure a clear name, such as “Quarterly air-handler inspection.”
3. Add the checks, readings, or other fields the technician should complete. Link the source manual or instruction pages under **Source references**.
4. Add craft and estimated-hours information where useful, then save the procedure.

Keep the instructions here so several plans can use the same procedure. Put timing and the equipment it applies to on the plan.

Add a **Parts** field to plan [spare-part usage](https://docs.specset.com/docs/spare-parts#record-usage-on-a-work-order). Use the procedure's **Cost** section to price labor, parts, and outside services for the [maintenance forecast](https://docs.specset.com/docs/maintenance-costs#price-each-procedure).

## Set up recurring work

1. Open **Work Orders → Plans** and click **New**.
2. Choose the asset, product, location, or system. A product plan creates a separate work-order chain for each installed asset of that product.
3. Name the plan and choose **Calendar**, **Meter**, or **On demand** timing.
4. Set the interval or trigger and select the procedure. Add tiers when the equipment needs different procedures at different intervals, such as monthly checks and an annual service.
5. Set default priority, assignee, and other work-order details. Add the references that define the timing, then click **Create**.

For calendar plans, **After each completion** counts the next interval from the completed work; **On a fixed grid** keeps the work on its scheduled cadence. Choose the behavior that matches the maintenance requirement. Meter-based plans use runtime hours or cycles for an asset or product; on-demand plans do not represent a regular calendar appointment.

You can use a plan's **Create work order now** action when work is needed immediately.

## Perform and complete a work order

Open the work order and work through its procedure fields, recording the results as you go. Use the activity thread for notes the rest of the team needs. If a check reveals a problem, create a corrective work order from that field to keep the follow-up connected.

Click **Complete** when the work is finished. Record the **Date performed**, who performed it, actual hours, notes, and any completion evidence. Review labor, parts, and service costs when applicable before confirming completion.

Completion stays in the work history. Use **Edit completion** to correct the recorded date, hours, or other completion details. Use **Reopen** when the work itself needs to be done again; reopening removes the completion and may remove the next untouched work order. It is blocked if that next work order already has responses.

## Look ahead and review costs

Open the facility's **Schedule**, or **Schedule** under **Closeout**, for the maintenance timeline. **Calendar** shows the dated events by month. These views include work orders, warranty expirations, and projected recurring work; a projection is a planning aid, not an assigned job.

Use **Costs** to review the maintenance forecast against the fiscal-year budget, including planned work and the allowance for corrective work. The dashboard's budget card shows recorded spending and the forecast at year-end. See [Maintenance costs & budgets](https://docs.specset.com/docs/maintenance-costs) for setup, assumptions, and exports. Keep assets, locations, and supporting O&M documents current in the [F&M portal](https://docs.specset.com/docs/fm-portal) so work orders retain useful context.