> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.paintscout.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.paintscout.com/support/estimating/work-orders/working-with-work-orders.md). # Working With Work Orders A work order in PaintScout is a crew-facing document that shows the breakdown of painting hours, surfaces, products, and crew notes for a project — without exposing customer pricing. ## What is a work order? A work order provides all project execution details including painting hours per surface and related notes. It is generated automatically as you build your estimate. *** ## How do you find the work order? Click the **Work Order** tab at the top of your estimate. The work order generates automatically as you build the estimate.
Screenshot showing the Work Order tab at the top of the estimate page
There will be a breakdown of the total number of hours it will take to complete each area of the project, along with the individual surfaces.
Screenshot showing the work order with a breakdown of hours for each area and individual surface
*** ## How do you control hours display on work orders? Edit the total number of hours by clicking “Total Hours” and updating the value.
Screenshot showing the Total Hours field on the work order that can be clicked to edit
You can also select from three different options when it comes to showing or hiding your work order hours across both Area and Surface views:
Screenshot showing the four hours display options: Show all hours, Hide item hours, and Hide all hours
* **Show all hours:** Displays both the hours for each individual item and the total hours on the work order. * **Hide item hours:** Hides the hours associated with each item while still showing total project hours. * **Hide all hours:** Hides all hour details on the work order, including both item-level and total hours. *Example of "Hide item hours":*
Screenshot showing a work order with the Hide item hours option applied, displaying only total hours
*Example of "Hide all hours":*
Screenshot showing a work order with the Hide all hours option applied, with no hours visible
*** ## How do you add crew notes to a work order? Crew notes communicate information to your production team. They do not appear on the customer-facing estimate. Add notes in three places: 1\. **At the top of the Work Order:** Click the **Edit Crew Note** button and add in your note.
Screenshot showing the Edit Crew Note button at the top of the work order
2\. **On specific areas (like rooms or spaces):** Click on the area and select the **add notes** button along the bottom. Type your note in the **Crew Note** box.
Animated walkthrough showing how to add a crew note to a specific area using the add notes button
3\. **On individual surfaces:** Click on a surface, scroll down to the crew note box, and add your note there. This can be done from the estimate or work order!
Animated walkthrough showing how to add a crew note to an individual surface
*** ## How do you download a work order? Click the drop-down arrow beside the send button and choose **Download Work Order** to save it as a PDF.
Animated walkthrough showing how to download a work order as a PDF from the send button dropdown
*** ## How do you share work orders with your team? Share work orders using any of these three methods: 1\. By Email or Text: Click the **Send** button and then email or text the work order. 2\. Share the work order link with your team. Click the drop-down arrow beside the send button and choose **Copy Work Order Link**, then provide that URL to your team.
Animated walkthrough showing how to copy the work order link from the send button dropdown for sharing
3\. Click the drop-down arrow beside the send button and choose **'Download Work Order'** - this will download as a PDF that you can then share with your team. *** ## Layout & Options If you would like any of the following options enabled, please [contact our support team.](mailto:support@paintscout.com) * Your crew notes to be highlighted in yellow * Your work to show in a single column as opposed to the default 2-column layout. ## Related articles * [Share With Your Team](/support/estimating/sending-and-acceptance/how-to-share-estimates-and-work-orders-with-your-team.md) — Share estimates and work orders with your staff. * [Crew Notes](/support/estimating/notes-and-communication/adding-crew-notes.md) — Add internal notes that appear only on work orders. * [Product Rounding](/support/customization/products/product-rounding.md) — Control how product quantities appear on work orders. * [Assign a Product to a Rate](/support/customization/products/how-to-assign-a-product-to-a-rate.md) — Link products to rates for automatic material calculations. --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://help.paintscout.com/support/estimating/work-orders/working-with-work-orders.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.