Free flowchart template · Trades
A variation approval flowchart shows tradespeople what to do when a job needs work that wasn't in the quote. It covers stopping and photographing the issue, describing the extra work and time, pricing it, getting the customer's signed approval before you start, and updating the job and invoice, or keeping to the original scope.
Updated November 2026 · Opens in Wikidoc as a process map · Free to use, don’t resell
The template opens as a process map, laid out with its lanes, steps and decisions, ready to edit.
Rename the lanes to your team’s roles, change the questions to match your rules, and add or remove steps.
Attach your SOPs and checklists to the steps, so whoever does the work can open the instructions from the map.
This works on the Free plan: up to 10 process maps from templates, free forever.
For trades:How Wikidoc works for electricians, plumbers and buildersField service teamsFounder-led businesses
Site visit
Measure and photograph the work area
Ask what the customer wants and by when
Note access, parking and any hazards
Checklist
Scope, materials, labour, exclusions and terms in every quote.
PDF · Word · CSV
Procedure
1Confirm the booking
2Arrive and introduce yourself
3Protect the home
SOP
Arrive, protect, explain, clean up and hand over on every visit.
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Test and commission
Test the work as your trade’s standards require, and record the results
Run the system or appliance through a full cycle and check for leaks, faults or noise
Check the work matches the quote or job sheet, and note any changes
Checklist
Test, clean up, walk the customer through and file the paperwork.
PDF · Word · CSV
The job
Talk through the day’s tasks and who does what
Identify the hazards and how each is controlled
Check for overhead power lines and underground services
Checklist
A five-minute check of hazards, gear and tools before work starts.
PDF · Word · CSV
Procedure
1Identify every energy source
2Tell others
3Isolate
SOP
Isolate, lock, tag and test before working on equipment.
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Before day 1Day 1Week 1
Check their trade licence, tickets and driving licence, as the role requires
Complete the contract, tax and pay details, and any apprenticeship paperwork
Order their uniform, protective equipment and phone
Onboarding checklist
Licences, vehicle, safety and job sign-offs before working alone.
PDF · Word · CSV
A change to the work in the quote or contract, such as extra work found once the job starts. It's also called a change order.
Without a signed variation, the customer can dispute the extra cost when the invoice arrives. Some building contracts and laws also require variations to be in writing.
Carry on with the quoted work, record that they declined and any risk you warned them about, and don't do the extra work unpaid.
Yes. It opens in Wikidoc as an editable process map on the Free plan, which includes 10 maps from templates.
The operations management platform for SMEs that turns the way they work into a documented, repeatable, and teachable system.
