Auto Repair Shop Daily Opening and Closing Checklist
A daily checklist ensures nothing is missed—safety, security, and operational readiness. Use this template for your shop.
Chaos happens when you skip foundational tasks. A daily opening and closing checklist takes 10 minutes each but prevents dropped jobs, security problems, and safety issues. Here's what matters most.
Morning Opening Checklist (10 minutes)
- Unlock the shop and disable alarm.
- Check the office temperature and turn on lights.
- Count the cash drawer (if you handle cash). Should match yesterday's closing.
- Review today's appointments and work orders. Confirm customer arrival times.
- Check voice mail and email for overnight emergencies or rescheduled appointments.
- Assign work bays to jobs based on technician availability and job complexity.
- Review parts orders. Confirm parts for today's jobs arrived yesterday.
- Verify technician arrival. If someone is late, reassign their jobs.
- Walk the shop floor: check that all bays are clear, no car is blocking the door, and the floor is safe.
- Hold a 5-minute team huddle: review today's priorities, any urgent issues, and customer expectations.
During the Day: Workflow Checks
Every 2–3 hours, someone should walk the floor and ask: Are all bays productive (no technicians idle waiting for parts or work orders)? Are customers' cars positioned safely? Is the waiting area clean? Have new jobs been logged in the system? Is anyone behind on estimates or invoices?
Evening Closing Checklist (15 minutes)
- Review all work orders. Ensure completed jobs have invoices and customers have been called to pick up.
- Count the cash drawer. Reconcile against invoices paid in cash.
- Deposit or secure the cash.
- Power down all equipment (lifts, diagnostic tools, compressors). Check for anything left running.
- Check all car doors and windows are closed. Secure customer vehicles.
- Inspect the shop floor for hazards: spilled fluids, tool lying around, or anything blocking a bay.
- Turn off lights, lock the office, set the alarm.
- Review tomorrow's schedule one more time. Confirm appointments and parts.
Weekly Deep Clean
Once per week (Friday afternoon or Saturday morning), do a deeper clean: sweep and mop the floor, clean the bathroom, wipe down the waiting area, organize the tool crib, and check that equipment is in working order. A clean shop attracts better customers and is safer.
Monthly Reconciliation
Once per month, count all tool and equipment inventory. Verify parts inventory matches records. Review monthly revenue, parts margins, and labor hours. Look for discrepancies or waste. A monthly check prevents theft and identifies process breakdowns.
Use <a href='/features'>Mechanics</a> to track opening and closing tasks as reminders. Flag incomplete jobs, unpaid invoices, and scheduled arrivals each morning. At close, the system shows you all open work orders and any tasks waiting for tomorrow. This turns your daily checklist digital and ensures nothing falls through the cracks.
Ready to get organized?
Mechanics helps you track vehicles, manage work orders, and run a better shop — free to start.