Preventive Maintenance Schedule Template (Excel)

Published on 10/18/2026 • Updated on 10/23/2026

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Machines that are serviced on time rarely stop at the worst moment. Machines that depend on memory do. A preventive maintenance schedule, or PM schedule, is the simple list that says what to service, how often and when it is next due.

This guide gives a column layout for a PM schedule in Excel, a due-date formula, sample tasks and frequencies for common equipment, and habits that keep the schedule honest. There is no file to download. You can build the sheet from the tables below in under an hour.

On this page

The column layout

Col Heading Notes
A Asset tag Unique, such as CMP-012
B Asset name Air compressor 1
C Location Utility room
D Criticality A, B or C
E Task Check oil level, drain moisture
F Frequency (days) 7, 30, 90, 180, 365
G Last done Date
H Next due Formula
I Days left Formula
J Owner Technician or team
K Status Formula
L Remarks Findings, spares used

One row per task, not per machine. A machine with five tasks has five rows. It keeps the dates and formulas simple.

Formulas for due dates

With Last done in G and Frequency in F, the next due date is one cell.

H2: =G2+F2 I2: =H2-TODAY() K2: =IF(I2<0,"OVERDUE",IF(I2<=7,"DUE SOON","OK"))

Fill down for every task. Add conditional formatting: red for OVERDUE, amber for DUE SOON, none for OK. Sort by Days left every Monday morning and the week plans itself.

Setting frequencies

Start with the maker's manual. It lists service intervals for most equipment. Adjust for your conditions: dusty, hot or heavy duty sites need shorter intervals. Record the source of each interval in the remarks column.

Equipment Task Typical frequency
Air compressor Drain moisture, check oil and belts Weekly to monthly
Electric motor Check temperature, noise, vibration, greasing Monthly to quarterly
Conveyor Belt tension, roller check, lubrication Monthly
DG set Run test, check fuel, oil, coolant, battery Weekly test, service as per hours
Lift Safety checks by the service contractor As per contract and local rules
Fire extinguisher Pressure and seal check Monthly visual, yearly service
Chiller or AC Clean filters and coils Monthly to quarterly

The frequencies above are typical starting points for the example, not rules. Follow the manufacturer's manual and any legal requirement that applies to your equipment.

Ranking assets by criticality

You cannot service everything with equal effort. Rank each asset A, B or C.

Rank Meaning Approach
A Stops production or creates a safety risk Full schedule, spares held, check often
B Slows production, has a workaround Standard schedule
C Minor effect Basic tasks, run to failure acceptable

Start the sheet with the A machines. Add B machines once the A list runs smoothly. Review the ranks each year with production, since a machine that was once a workaround can become the only one.

Linking tasks to spares

Many PM tasks use consumables: filters, belts, grease, oil. Add a column for the usual spare and its quantity. Before each week begins, the store can pull the list and see what is needed. This avoids the familiar situation where the technician arrives at the machine and finds that the filter is out of stock.

Keep a minimum stock for the A machines. When a task finds a worn part, order it that day, not at the next breakdown.

Let the schedule remind you

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Safety and permits

Some tasks need the machine to be isolated, locked and tagged. Add a column for isolation needed and note the procedure or permit. A schedule that sends a technician to a live panel without a note on isolation is a risk in itself. Follow your site safety rules and any legal requirement for your equipment, and write the reference in the remarks.

Calendar-based or usage-based

Some machines wear with time and others with use. A calendar schedule fits a fire extinguisher. A usage schedule fits a DG set or a press, where running hours or cycles count. You can add a column for running hours and a second formula for hours until the next service. A CMMS can do this automatically, but a sheet can manage a few machines by hand.

A task card for the technician

PM TASK CARD Asset: CMP-012 Air compressor 1 Frequency: Monthly Due: 15 March Owner: R. Shah [ ] Drain moisture from tank [ ] Check oil level, top up if low [ ] Check belt tension and condition [ ] Clean intake filter [ ] Listen for abnormal noise Findings: ________________________ Spares used: _____________________ Done by: _______ Date: ________

A card keeps the job uniform whoever does it. Return completed cards to the maintenance lead and update the Last done date the same day. File the cards by asset, so that the history of each machine can be read in a minute.

Keeping the schedule alive

Step 01

Review weekly

Sort by days left. Plan the week on Monday.

Step 02

Close the loop

Update Last done as soon as the job is complete.

Step 03

Learn from findings

If a task keeps finding the same fault, change the task or the frequency.

Step 04

Review yearly

Remove tasks that add no value and add those that breakdowns showed you missed.

A worked example

Worked example (assumed) Task: Conveyor C-4 lubrication, every 30 days. Last done 1 March -> next due 31 March. 25 March: Days left 6 -> DUE SOON (amber). 28 March: done, Last done updated to 28 March. Next due 27 April. Without the sheet: lubrication done when it squeals.

The example shows how the sheet nudges the work to happen before the fault.

Common mistakes

Never updating Last done

The sheet only helps if the dates are true.

Too many tasks

Start with critical machines.

Source the intervals

Note where each frequency came from, and who agreed to it.

Another mistake is rows with no owner. A task with no name is a task nobody does.

A third is scheduling everything on the same day. Spread tasks across the week so that the team can finish them.

A fourth is ignoring findings. If the card says belt cracked and nothing happens, the card becomes a formality. Raise a work order for each finding and track it to closure.

An hour to a working schedule

Build the sheet in one sitting.

Step 01

Minutes 1 to 20: assets and tasks

List critical machines and their tasks.

Step 02

Minutes 21 to 40: frequencies

Take intervals from manuals and enter them.

Step 03

Minutes 41 to 60: formulas

Add due date, days left and status, then colour them.

Print the first week's tasks and start. At the end of the first month, count how many tasks were done on time and how many were overdue, and write both numbers at the top of the sheet. The first month is rarely perfect. What matters is that the number of overdue tasks falls in month two and again in month three. If it does not, look for the cause: too many tasks, tasks with no owner, or a technician team that is stretched thin, and fix that before you add more machines to the list.

Five-minute self-check

Check your PM plan against these points.

Answer yes or no

  • ☐ Does every critical machine have tasks?
  • ☐ Are frequencies sourced?
  • ☐ Does each task have an owner?
  • ☐ Are dates updated the same day?
  • ☐ Is there a weekly review?

Two or more no answers mean this is worth fixing before anything else on your list.

Reader Q&A

What is a preventive maintenance schedule?

A list of maintenance tasks for each asset, with how often each is done and when it is next due.

What columns should a PM schedule have?

Asset tag, name, location, criticality, task, frequency, last done, next due, days left, owner, status and remarks.

How do I calculate the next due date in Excel?

Add the frequency in days to the last done date, for example =G2+F2, and compare with TODAY() for days left.

How do I decide the frequency?

Start with the manufacturer's manual, adjust for conditions and note the source. Follow any legal requirement for your equipment.

Is Excel enough for a PM schedule?

For a modest number of assets, yes. A CMMS adds automatic work orders, mobile updates and reports.

Who updates the schedule?

The task owner updates Last done the day the job is completed, and the maintenance lead reviews weekly.

Bottom line

A PM schedule is a list, three formulas and a weekly habit. Build it for critical machines first, source your intervals and update the dates the day jobs are done.

When the list outgrows the sheet, move it into a CMMS, which will generate the tasks, send them to phones and keep the history without anyone sorting a sheet on Monday morning. Until then, the sheet is a perfectly good start, and the habits you build with it carry over to any system you choose later.

Automate your PM schedule

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Author of the Blog Post
Aadeshwar Modi
Technical Content Writer at VisitorFlow

Aadeshwar Modi is a marketing technical content writer who loves writing on technology and AI topics.

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