Maintenance Invoice Audit and Parts Markup Playbook

Maintenance spend leaks through:

• parts markups that are not capped
• labor hours that are not validated
• work performed without approvals
• repeat repairs that indicate root causes

This playbook installs a practical audit and approval system.

What you will produce

1. Labor rate and markup rules
2. Pre-approval thresholds for repairs
3. Maintenance invoice audit checklist
4. Dispute workflow and recovery templates
5. Repeat repair log

Step-by-step implementation

Step 1: Set labor and markup rules

Define:

• allowed hourly labor rates or rate bands
• parts markup caps
• allowed shop fees

Step 2: Define pre-approval thresholds

Examples:

• any single repair above $____ requires approval
• any after-hours premium requires approval

Step 3: Install invoice audit checks

Invoices should map to:

• work order or ticket
• approvals
• labor hours and rates
• parts pricing and markup

Step 4: Track repeat repairs

Repeat issues are a signal. Treat them as a prevention problem.

Templates

A) Labor and parts markup policy (copy and paste)

Copyable template (TEXT)
Copy
Maintenance Labor and Parts Policy

Owner:
Effective date:

Labor:
- Standard labor rate cap: $____ per hour
- After-hours premium allowed only with approval

Parts:
- Parts markup cap: ____ percent
- Shop must provide parts line items and unit prices

Fees:
- Shop fees allowed:
- Disposal fees allowed:
- Not allowed fees:

Approvals:
- Repairs above $____ require approval before work proceeds
- Any non-standard work requires approval

B) Pre-approval request (copy and paste)

Copyable template (TEXT)
Copy
Repair Pre-Approval Request

Vehicle:
Issue:
Estimated total cost:
Labor hours:
Parts list:
Why repair is required now:
Approver:
Decision:

C) Invoice audit checklist (copy and paste)

Copyable template (TEXT)
Copy
Maintenance Invoice Audit Checklist

Invoice number:
Work order number:
Vehicle:

- Work order exists and matches invoice
- Approval exists for in-scope thresholds
- Labor rate aligns to policy
- Labor hours appear reasonable
- Parts have unit prices and markups align to policy
- Premiums have timestamps and proof
Decision:
- Approve
- Dispute and request correction

D) Dispute email (copy and paste)

Copyable template (TEXT)
Copy
Subject: Maintenance invoice discrepancy

Hi [Name],

We reviewed Invoice [#] for Vehicle [id] and found charges that do not align with the approved work order or policy.

Discrepancy:
- Item:
- Amount:
- Reason:

Please provide supporting documentation or issue a corrected invoice.

Thank you,
[Name]

E) Repeat repair log (copy and paste)

Copyable template (TEXT)
Copy
Repeat Repair Log

| Vehicle | Issue category | Date | Cost | Shop | Root cause hypothesis | Prevention action | Owner |
| ------- | -------------- | ---- | ---: | ---- | --------------------- | ---------------- | ----- |

Common failure modes

• markups are not defined, so every invoice is a negotiation
• approvals happen after work is done
• repeat repairs are treated as normal instead of preventable