Tool sign-out sheet template
For the tool crib, the workshop wall or the back of the van. Who took which tool, for which job or site, and who saw it come back.
Free, no sign-up, no email. The tool list imports into ItemTally as it is.
Preview and print
Tool sign-out sheet
No tool leaves without a line. Hand it back to a person, not the bench.
| Date out | Tool | Barcode / asset ID | Taken by | Job / site | Van | Due back | Signature | Returned | Checked by | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-13 | Hilti TE 30-A36 rotary hammer | T-0042 | Marek Nowak | Riverside flats, block B | Van 2 | 2026-10-17 | M. Nowak | |||
| 2026-10-14 | Bosch GLL 3-80 line laser | T-0057 | Jess Carter | Office fit-out, 4th floor | Van 1 | 2026-10-14 | J. Carter | 2026-10-14 | DK | Good |
| 2026-10-15 | Makita DCS553 metal cutting saw | T-0063 | Ade Bello | Workshop | 2026-10-15 | A. Bello | 2026-10-15 | DK | Blade worn, replace | |
Every Friday: any line without a Returned date gets a phone call.
Your browser's print dialog can also save the sheet as a PDF. Example rows are shown in green and only print if you tick the box.
What it's for
Tools go missing in a particular way: they leave for a job, move to a second site, ride in someone else's van, and three weeks later nobody remembers who had them last. A tool sign-out sheet only works if it captures the two facts that help you find a tool again: which job or site it went to and which van it travelled in.
Print this for the crib or the workshop wall, or tape one inside each van door. The Excel file has the log with overdue rows in amber, and a tool list tab laid out for import, with vans as their own locations.
The columns, and what to write
Tool sign-out Log, for your records
| Column | What to write | In ItemTally |
|---|---|---|
| Date out | Logbook (not imported) | |
| Tool | Make and model is better than "big drill". | Logbook (not imported) |
| Barcode / asset ID | The number engraved or stuck on it. | Logbook (not imported) |
| Taken by | The person who's responsible for it now. | Logbook (not imported) |
| Job / site | Where it's going. The first place to look when it's missing. | Logbook (not imported) |
| Van | If it travels in a vehicle, which one. | Logbook (not imported) |
| Due back | End of the job, or end of the day for shared tools. | Logbook (not imported) |
| Signature | Logbook (not imported) | |
| Returned | Date it came back. | Logbook (not imported) |
| Checked by | Who saw it back on the wall. | Logbook (not imported) |
| Condition | Blunt blade, cracked case, battery dead. | Logbook (not imported) |
Tool list Imports into ItemTally
| Column | What to write | In ItemTally |
|---|---|---|
| Name | What it is, the way your team says it. | Name |
| Barcode / asset ID | The number on the sticker, or the barcode already on it. Leave blank if it has none. | Barcode or code (old labels keep scanning) |
| Serial number | From the maker's plate or the box. Useful for insurance and warranty claims. | Serial number |
| Type | unique for a one-off thing you lend (it has its own history), quantity for stock you count. | Kind (counted or unique) |
| Location | Where it lives. Use a path with slashes: Store room / Shelf 2. | Location (folder path) |
| Category | One word or two, comma-separated if more than one. | Tags |
| Value | What one costs to replace, as a plain number: 249.00. | Value |
| Notes | Anything else worth knowing. | Notes |
Keep numbers plain (249.00, not €249) and write dates as 2026-10-16. Saving a CSV from Excel? Choose CSV UTF-8; it saves the tab you're on.
How to use it
-
Number your tools
Engrave or label each tool worth chasing (anything over about 100 in your currency). Batteries and chargers can share the tool's number with a letter: T-0042A.
-
Put a sheet where tools leave
The crib window, the workshop door, or inside each van. One sheet per place means you know where to look.
-
Write the job, not just the name
Job / site and Van are what you'll need when it's missing. "Marek" isn't enough when Marek's been on three sites this week.
-
Close lines at the end of the day
Whoever's last in checks the wall against the open lines. Shared tools should come back daily; specialist tools by the end of the job.
-
Chase on Friday
Any open line past its due date gets a phone call before the weekend. In Excel, filter Returned to blanks; overdue rows are amber.
When you outgrow paper
When the sheet can't keep up with the vans
Paper works at one crib. It struggles when tools live in five vans and three sites. This is how ItemTally covers the same ground.
| On the sheet | In ItemTally |
|---|---|
| One sheet per van, nobody sees the others | Vans are locations in one register. "What's in Van 2?" is one tap, from anywhere. |
| Writing the tool down from memory | Scan the tool's label with a phone camera, pick the person, done. |
| Checking a van against a list | Scan a van's shelf label to start a count; whatever wasn't scanned shows up as not seen. |
| Batteries, blades and consumables | Counted stock with a minimum per van, and a load list when a van runs low. |
Moving over is one upload: the Tool list tab imports with its columns matched, and you can import it again later to update what's there. Free for one editor and ten borrowers, with unlimited items. Scanning works in your phone's browser. How switching works.
Questions people ask
Should every tool be on the sheet?
Only the ones worth chasing. Screwdrivers and tape measures are cheaper to replace than to track one by one; count them per van instead.
What about GPS or Bluetooth tool tags?
Tags tell you where a tool is right now, which helps against theft from sites. A sign-out sheet tells you who is responsible for it. Most teams need the second far more often than the first.
Can I import the tool list into ItemTally?
Yes. The Tool list tab matches the importer column for column. Locations like Vans / Van 2 become folders, and the numbers on your tools keep scanning.
Keep the columns. Lose the clipboard.
ItemTally reads this file as it is, and your labels keep scanning.
Free for one editor and ten borrowers, with unlimited items. No card needed.