Most of the paperwork a small operator signs is not a contract. It is an authorization — the customer approves the work and the price before you start, and that one page is what settles it if the invoice gets questioned three weeks later. In several states some form of written approval is required before you can charge for repairs at all.
We have put ten of them together, covering the jobs where a single page really is the whole document: gsdhere.com/templates.
What is in the library
- Service calls. Auto repair authorization, HVAC service authorization, plumbing authorization, electrical work order — the diagnosis, the fix, the price, approved before anyone opens a wall.
- Waivers and releases. Pet services liability release, whose most useful line is the emergency veterinary authorization, and the motel check-in form for the front desk.
- Recurring and booked work. Lawn care service agreement, restaurant services agreement for catering and private events, roofing service agreement for straightforward repair and replacement work, and a freelance service contract.
What they are, and what they are not
Each one is a single page: the job, the parties, two or three details that change every time, the terms, and the signatures. That is deliberate, and it is the right shape for a service call — an auto repair authorization genuinely is one page, and so is a grooming release.
It is the wrong shape for a complicated deal, and it is worth being straight about where the line falls. A roofing job paid directly by the homeowner fits on this page. A roof replacement running through an insurance claim does not — that involves the claim number, the deductible, an adjuster's scope, and a payment schedule tied to milestones, and it deserves a real contract. The same goes for a freelance engagement with meaningful intellectual property or confidentiality at stake. If your trade already runs on field-service software that produces the work order and captures the signature on a tablet, keep using it; this is for the jobs that fall outside it.
Signing them
Open one in GSD and the signature, initial and date fields are already placed. Fill in your details, enter the other party's email, and send. They sign in their browser on whatever device they have — no account, nothing to install — and you both get the completed PDF back with an audit trail recording every view and signature, plus a SHA-256 hash so any later change to the file is detectable.
Electronic signatures collected this way are intended to be legally binding under the U.S. ESIGN Act1 and UETA2. The first five documents each month are free.
Read them before you use them
These are drafting aids, not legal advice, and no template knows your state, your licence, or the deal you actually struck. Read the terms and change the ones that do not match how you work — the cancellation window, the warranty term, the payment schedule — before you send one to a customer. A generic document you did not read is worse than a short one you did.
The part that is always worth getting right is the timing: get the approval before the work, not after the argument. That is the entire value of the document.
Sources
Ready to get signing done? Start free — 5 documents a month, no credit card — or browse the e-signature guides.