Work breakdown structure template, with four worked examples

A work breakdown structure (WBS) splits a project into the deliverables it has to produce, then splits each deliverable into pieces small enough to estimate, assign and finish. This page gives you a WBS template you can copy right now, four filled-in examples and a short WBS dictionary template to go with it.

Copy the WBS template

Copy the table below into Google Sheets, Excel or any document. It's the same structure as the downloadable files.

Prefer an outline? Paste this into any notes app:

1 Project name
  1.1 Major deliverable A
    1.1.1 Work package
    1.1.2 Work package
  1.2 Major deliverable B
    1.2.1 Work package
  1.3 Project management

Want it ready to use? Open the live WBS template desk in your browser, with no account or install. It holds this template, the four examples below, a WBS dictionary and a step-by-step checklist. To keep your own copy and build on it, download Plexii free.

What goes in a WBS

A WBS is organised by deliverables, not by activities. Level 1 is the whole project. Level 2 is the handful of major outputs (a venue booked, a website launched, a release shipped). Level 3 and below break each output into work packages: the lowest level, where one person or team can own the work, estimate it and say when it's done.

The rule that keeps a WBS honest is the 100% rule: the children of any item must add up to all of that item's work, no more and no less. If something isn't in the WBS it isn't in scope, and if two branches overlap you'll pay for the same work twice. That's also why most WBSs include a "project management" branch, because coordination is real work.

A WBS says what is being produced. It doesn't say when or in what order, which is the schedule's job. For the short definition, see the work breakdown structure glossary entry.

How to fill in the template

1. Write the end result as level 1. One line naming the project and what "finished" means, ideally taken from your project brief or statement of work.
2. List three to eight major deliverables at level 2. Use nouns ("Event venue", "Marketing site") rather than verbs. Add a project management branch.
3. Break each deliverable down until it's a work package. Stop when one owner can estimate it with reasonable confidence, usually a few days to two weeks of effort.
4. Number everything. Codes like 1.2.3 make it easy to refer to a package in meetings, budgets and change requests.
5. Check the 100% rule from the bottom up. Read each branch's children and ask, "If all of these are done, is the parent done?"
6. Add owners and a "done when" line to every work package. A package with no owner won't get done, and one with no finish line won't end.
7. Write a dictionary entry for anything that's ambiguous (see the template below), then baseline it. Once it's agreed, changes go through change control.

A screenshot of a filled-in sheet is coming here. Until then, the examples below show exactly what the finished template looks like.

Example 1: a one-day conference

1 Annual industry conference (one day, 200 guests)
  1.1 Venue and logistics
    1.1.1 Venue contract
    1.1.2 AV and staging
    1.1.3 Catering
  1.2 Programme
    1.2.1 Speaker line-up
    1.2.2 Run sheet
  1.3 Attendees
    1.3.1 Registration page
    1.3.2 Attendee communications
  1.4 Project management

Running an event? The event planning desk template turns these work packages into a dated checklist, a suppliers table and a run sheet.

Example 2: a website redesign

1 Website redesign
  1.1 Discovery
    1.1.1 Stakeholder interviews
    1.1.2 Content audit
  1.2 Design
    1.2.1 Sitemap and wireframes
    1.2.2 Visual design system
  1.3 Build
    1.3.1 Templates and components
    1.3.2 Content migration
  1.4 Launch
    1.4.1 Redirects and SEO checks
    1.4.2 Go-live and handover
  1.5 Project management

Example 3: a software release

1 Release 3.2
  1.1 Features
    1.1.1 Bulk export
    1.1.2 SSO login
  1.2 Quality
    1.2.1 Automated tests
    1.2.2 Regression and acceptance testing
  1.3 Release readiness
    1.3.1 Release notes and help docs
    1.3.2 Deployment and rollback plan
  1.4 Project management

Agile teams can still use a WBS: level 2 becomes epics or features, and work packages map to backlog items. PMI's practice standard covers WBSs across agile, iterative and predictive life cycles.

Example 4: an office fit-out in Australia

1 Office fit-out, Level 3 (Adelaide)
  1.1 Design and approvals
    1.1.1 Floor plan and finishes schedule
    1.1.2 Landlord approval
    1.1.3 Building and council approvals (as required)
  1.2 Construction
    1.2.1 Partitions and joinery
    1.2.2 Electrical and data cabling
    1.2.3 Air-conditioning modifications
  1.3 Furniture and technology
    1.3.1 Furniture supply and install
    1.3.2 IT and AV setup
  1.4 Move-in
    1.4.1 Staff move plan
    1.4.2 Defects list and sign-off
  1.5 Project management

Approval rules differ between states and buildings, so check with your certifier and landlord rather than relying on a template.

WBS dictionary: a mini template

A WBS dictionary is the companion document that describes each work package in enough detail that nobody has to guess. You don't need one for every line, just the packages where scope, acceptance or cost could be argued about.

Record why scope decisions were made in a decision log, so the dictionary stays short.

WBS vs task list vs Gantt chart

• WBS: what the project produces, as a hierarchy of deliverables. No dates.
• Task list: the activities needed to produce a work package, often checklists with due dates. It sits below the WBS.
• Gantt chart: when the work happens, showing work packages or tasks as bars on a timeline with dependencies. See the Gantt chart glossary entry.

The usual order is WBS first, then tasks, then the schedule. Skip the WBS and the schedule is often missing a whole deliverable.

Common WBS mistakes

• Activities instead of deliverables. "Meet with client" is an activity, while "Signed-off wireframes" is a deliverable. Verbs belong in the task list.
• Going too deep. If a work package is a single hour of work, you're managing a to-do list, not a project. Three or four levels suit most projects.
• No owners. Every work package needs one accountable person, even if a team does the work.
• Breaking the 100% rule. Missing branches (training, handover, project management) are where budgets go wrong.
• Building it alone. The people doing the work spot the missing packages. Draft the structure, then review it with them.

How PlexiiDesk relates

In Plexii, every task gets its own desk: a workspace holding the documents, tables, tasks and notes for one piece of work. A WBS maps onto that naturally. Keep the WBS on the project's main desk, and give each sizeable work package its own desk with its brief, files and checklist, so the person who owns it can pick it up without hunting through folders.

See it working first: open the live WBS template desk in your browser, no account needed. When you want it as your own, download Plexii free and take a copy of the desk with you. The free tier is free forever for personal use, Pro is US$12 a month or US$120 a year, and teams can try it free for 14 days.

Common questions

What are the levels of a WBS?

Level 1 is the whole project. Level 2 lists the major deliverables, and lower levels break those into smaller components until you reach work packages, the lowest level, which can be owned, estimated and checked.

Is a WBS a Gantt chart?

No. A WBS shows what will be delivered, with no dates. A Gantt chart shows when work happens on a timeline. You normally build the WBS first and use its work packages to build the Gantt chart.

How many levels should a WBS have?

As many as you need to reach manageable work packages and no more. Three levels suit most small and medium projects, and large programmes may need four or five.

Can I make a WBS in Excel?

Yes. Use one row per item with columns for the WBS code, level, name, owner, estimate and "done when", as in the template above. Indent the names or use the level column to show the hierarchy.

What does WBS mean?

WBS stands for work breakdown structure: a deliverable-oriented hierarchy that breaks a project's total scope into manageable pieces.

Sources

• Project Management Institute, A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) (opens in a new tab).
• Project Management Institute, Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures, Third Edition (opens in a new tab) (2019).
• NSW Government, ICT Services Scheme templates (opens in a new tab), including project brief and statement of work templates.