Purchase Requisition Template

Full Description

This purchase requisition template gives your team a standard way to ask for materials, equipment or services before anything is ordered. It helps your purchasing department track each request from submission through approval and fulfillment, so nothing is bought without a record.

What is a purchase requisition?

A purchase requisition is an internal request asking the company to buy goods or services. An employee, site supervisor or project manager fills it out with what is needed, how many, when and for which job or cost code. It then goes to an approver and on to purchasing. Once approved, purchasing uses it to issue a purchase order to a supplier. The requisition itself is not sent to the supplier.

When to use it

• A site team needs materials, rentals or consumables that are not already on order.
• Your company has a purchasing department that needs a formal request before it buys.
• Purchases must be approved against a project budget or cost code.
• The owner is procuring material directly and needs a requisition from you to start their purchasing process.
• You want an audit trail of who asked for what, and who approved it.

What’s included

The template is a spreadsheet-based purchase requisition form for construction and general business use. It is set up to capture the request, then the approval and fulfillment of that purchase, and you can adapt it to your own approval levels, cost codes and company details.

How to fill it out

1. Give the requisition a unique number and date.
2. Enter the requester, department or project, and the job or cost code.
3. Describe each item clearly: description, specification or part number, quantity and unit.
4. Add an estimated unit price and total, and a suggested supplier if you have one.
5. State the required-by date and delivery location, such as the jobsite gate or laydown area.
6. Write a short reason for the purchase.
7. Submit for approval. Purchasing then issues the purchase order and records the PO number on the requisition.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Vague item descriptions that lead to the wrong product arriving on site.
• Missing cost codes, which make job costing harder later.
• Treating an approved requisition as an order. Nothing is ordered until a PO is issued.
• Reusing numbers or skipping them, which breaks the audit trail.

Related templates and guides

• Construction Purchase Order Template
• Flow Chart – Purchase Requisition Process
• Purchase Order Price Comparison
• Construction Procurement Tracker

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a purchase requisition and a purchase order?

A purchase requisition is an internal request to buy something, sent to an approver or the purchasing department. A purchase order is the document purchasing sends to the supplier to place the order, with agreed prices and terms. The requisition comes first; the purchase order is issued only after the requisition is approved.

What information goes on a purchase requisition form?

Typically a requisition number, date, requester, department or project, cost code, item descriptions, quantities, units, estimated prices, suggested supplier, required-by date, delivery location, a short justification and the approver’s signature. Purchasing usually adds the purchase order number once the order is placed.

Who approves a purchase requisition?

It depends on your company’s approval policy. On construction projects the project manager often approves site requests within the project budget, with larger amounts going to a director or finance. Set clear approval limits so requests are not held up waiting for the wrong person.

Can a purchase requisition be used between a contractor and owner?

Yes. When an owner buys certain materials or equipment directly, the contractor may need to submit a purchase requisition so the owner’s purchasing department can start the order. The form records what the contractor needs, when it is needed on site and where it should be delivered.

Should every purchase requisition be numbered?

Yes. A unique number lets you link the requisition to its purchase order, delivery ticket and invoice. It also makes it easy to find a request later, check its status and show an auditor or project manager who requested and approved each purchase.