Disclosed is a preparation method of phenoxycarboxylic acid herbicides. The preparation method comprises the following steps. S1: mixing an anhydrous phenol and a basic substance with a chloro-substituted carboxylic acid ester and performing a one-pot condensation reaction in an anhydrous system to obtain a phenoxycarboxylic acid ester. The chloro-substituted carboxylic acid ester is represented by the formula ClR1COOR, in which R1 is a C1-3 alkanediyl or alkylidene group, R is a C1-10 alkyl group or a C3-10 cycloalkyl group; S2: the phenoxycarboxylic acid ester undergoes selective chlorination with a chlorinating agent in the presence of a first catalyst and a second catalyst to obtain a chloro-substituted phenoxycarboxylic acid ester; and S3: the chloro-substituted phenoxycarboxylic acid ester undergoes an acid hydrolysis reaction to obtain a phenoxycarboxylic acid herbicide represented by formula I, in which R3 is H, Cl or CH3.