For many plumbing contractors with bustling businesses, keeping track of employee schedules, managing invoices, and ensuring timely job completion feels like an almost unattainable task. If you're tired of drowning in paperwork and struggling to juggle administrative work, a service management app is the ideal solution for you.
The right mobile apps for plumbers not only simplify your workflow but also boost your efficiency. They can significantly change the way you run your company and help you take it to the next level.
In this guide, we’ll look at the best apps for plumbing businesses. We’ll cover their features in detail, helping you make the right choice for your company.
* We recognize that this article was written in March 2024 and changes may have been made within the apps mentioned since this article was published.
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What Are the Top-Rated Apps for Managing a Plumbing Business?
Because of how demanding the plumbing industry is, there is a need for software that simplifies day-to-day business operations. From creating schedules and monitoring field specialists to keeping track of spending and billing customers, these businesses deal with a wide range of difficulties every day. Traditional business management techniques often fall short in such a hectic setting, resulting in errors, missed opportunities, and wasted resources.
Apps for plumbing contractors come in handy in a number of ways. Plumbing apps that offer dispatching and scheduling capabilities enable plumbing companies to assign work effectively.
They make it possible for managers to monitor field technician progress in real time, and guarantee project completion remains on schedule. This streamlines job management procedures, reduces misunderstandings, shortens downtime, and increases overall efficiency.
Without the proper structures in place, managing the administrative burden of a plumbing business can become too much to handle. This problem is addressed by apps that provide all-inclusive accounting and invoicing solutions.
These apps also free up valuable time and resources by automating repetitive tasks like invoicing and payment processing. This allows plumbing contractors to concentrate on providing their clients with exceptional service.
With these essential features in mind, we tested several apps and narrowed them down to the five best options:
Timeero – Best Overall Mobile App With GPS
Quickbooks Time (Quickbooks Workforce) – Most Suited For Payment Processing
Synchroteam – Best For Scheduling Jobs
Housecall Pro – Reliable Software For Online Booking
Jobber – Ideal For Client Management
Timeero – Best Overall Mobile App With GPS
Timeero is a cloud-based SAAS that stands out as one of the best GPS tracking apps for plumbing businesses.
GPS Tracking
Plumbing companies can track the whereabouts of their contractors in real time while they're on the job using Timeero's GPS tracking functionality. The ability to view the Who's Working dashboard and verify that employees are where they should be makes this feature especially helpful. It improves accountability and efficiency for businesses.
The Who’s Working dashboard.
Time Tracking
For plumbing companies to accurately record the number of hours their workers spend on job sites, time tracking is essential. With Timeero, business owners can easily track their employee's work hours from anywhere. Each worker only needs their mobile device to clock in and out.
An employee timesheet on Timeero.
You can also track employee breaks. Timeero's California Breaks Tracker is an extremely helpful tool in states that have strict break laws. Accurate time tracking guarantees that labor expenses are correctly factored into project budgets and that contractors receive fair compensation for their work.
Timeero provides a Signatures feature to increase accountability. The timesheet can be signed by several clients to attest to the fact that your employee completed their work there, and employees can sign off on their hours worked.
The Signatures feature on Timeero.
Segmented Tracking
Timeero offers a unique feature called Segmented Tracking that offers admins even greater insights into their workers' activities during the workday. Employees only need to clock in once at the beginning of the day and out once their shift is over, saving them from having to clock in multiple times.
Using GPS data, the software automatically logs the contractor's visits to each location. Managers can then view each location pinpoint to see the time an employee spent at each stop at a glance.
The software breaks down each workday into smaller chunks.
Geofencing
Timeero's geofencing feature allows you to create virtual boundaries around specific areas. It restricts employees from clocking in or out outside of assigned work sites. If a worker clocks in while outside the set boundary, Timeero will flag their timesheet, allowing you to identify potential discrepancies.
Even better, the software lets you schedule geofence alerts. An employee receives a notification from the app asking them to clock in or out whenever they enter or exit a set geofence. If geofencing is an essential feature for your business, check out our article on the best geofencing apps.
Scheduling
Scheduling is essential for plumbing businesses to manage their daily appointments. Timeero offers small business owners an easy-to-use interface for effectively scheduling these appointments.
Creating a schedule on Timeero.
Managers can minimize scheduling conflicts and promote efficiency by assigning contractors to jobs at the appropriate times through the use of a centralized scheduling system.
You can learn more about Timeero and its features in detail from our comprehensive Timeero review.
Other Useful Features:
Reports
Integrations
Route Replay
Facial Recognition
Offline Capabilities
Mileage Tracking
Overtime Tracking
Suggested Mileage
Pricing:
Timeero offers four pricing plans:
Basic: $4 per user/month
Pro: $8 per user/month
Premium: $11 per user /month
Enterprise: customized plans
Quickbooks Time (Quickbooks Workforce) – Most Suited For Payment Processing
QuickBooks Time, now known as Quickbooks Workforce, is a time-tracking tool that works smoothly with the QuickBooks Online accounting software. It offers organizations a solution for time management and payroll processing.
Time Tracking
One of QuickBooks Time's most useful feature sets is its mobile time-tracking functionality. The QuickBooks Workforce app, which is enabled with GPS, allows employees to log their work hours while on the go.
This improves the overall accuracy of timekeeping and provides plumbing companies with real-time data. Additionally, you can access the timesheets of your staff members and view their live locations.
Employees can clock in and out on the app.
Scheduling
QuickBooks Workforce's advanced scheduling system is one of its strongest features. This function simplifies the creation and monitoring of personnel schedules. Employees receive fast notifications, and the scheduling process is made easier with the drag-and-drop interface.
The QuickBooks Scheduler.
PTO Tracking
The PTO tracker in QuickBooks Time makes it easy for users to automate "time off" tracking. Employers can also decide whether workers must submit time off requests for approval or if they can take time off immediately without authorization.
Requests can be submitted through the app or the web dashboard. Once approved, the scheduled time off appears on the calendar. Managers can create personalized alerts to keep team members informed of every step taken during the approval process.
Workers can request time off via the app.
Because the GPS and mileage tracking capabilities are only available with the more expensive Elite Plan, smaller companies may find the QuickBooks Time Premium package to be insufficient. If money is tight, there are better deals out there. Read our in-depth QuickBooks Time review to learn about this solution in greater detail.
Other Useful Features:
Integrations
Geofencing
Mileage Tracking
Photo Attachment
Customized Reports
Alerts and Notifications
Pricing:
QuickBooks Time offers two pricing options:
Premium: $20 monthly fee + $8 per user/month.
Elite: $40 monthly fee + $10 per user/month.
Synchroteam – Best For Scheduling Jobs
Synchroteam is a leading field service management software that allows business to manage their workforce effectively.
Scheduling
With Synchroteam's scheduling services, plumbing businesses can quickly set up and schedule service appointments and follow-up visits. You can easily plan appointments on the calendar using its drag-and-drop interface, accounting for client priorities and plumber availability.
The app sends automated notifications and reminders to ensure that your employees are informed of future appointments. This practice increases customer satisfaction and lessens the possibility of missed appointments.
Adding schedules on Synchroteam.
Time Tracking
With Synchroteam's extensive time-tracking features, plumbing companies can keep an eye on and manage the amount of time their contractors spend on different tasks. The mobile app from Synchroteam allows workers to precisely record their work hours, track breaks, and clock in and out.
Time tracking data guarantees compliance with labor laws, helps compute payroll accurately, and offers insightful information about employee productivity.
A time log on Synchroteam.
GPS Tracking
Synchroteam's GPS tracking and mapping feature allows managers to track the locations of their employees in real time. Dispatchers can view the locations of each plumber on a map thanks to this feature, which makes dispatching more efficient.
Synchroteam GPS tracking.
Job Management
Plumbing companies can create thorough job profiles with Synchroteam that include client information, service history, job specifications, and notes or instructions. Employees have access to job details and updates via the mobile app, which provides them with all of the information they need to complete tasks quickly.
Synchroteam’s job management dashboard.
With features tailored specifically for field service companies, Synchroteam is an excellent choice for mobile plumbing teams. Its features are straightforward, and it has an easy-to-use interface.
Other Useful Features:
Route Optimization
Inventory Management
Invoicing
Job Reporting
Work Orders
Notifications
CRM
Contact Management
Pricing:
Synchroteam offers two pricing options:
Standard: $36/month
Premium: $59/month
Housecall Pro – Reliable Software For Online Booking
Housecall Pro is a well-known service business software application designed for various industries like HVAC, plumbing, and landscaping.
Online Booking
The Housecall Pro direct-to-calendar scheduling and follow-up automation features allow you to streamline the scheduling process while minimizing errors. These features reduce the need for manual adjustments, further enhancing efficiency by preventing mistakes and eliminating the back-and-forth of corrections. This guarantees that your calendar stays accurate and up-to-date.
The online booking setup on Housecall Pro.
Dispatching
Housecall Pro allows managers to effortlessly coordinate employee schedules to provide top-notch service to clients, no matter where they are. The app's real-time dispatch board allows you to keep a close eye on job progress as your team tackles tasks.
When unexpected changes pop up, you can quickly adjust your calendar with the app’s easy drag-and-drop functionality. You can also filter and view your calendar by employee type to ensure that you're sending the best person for each plumbing job.
Time Tracking
With the Housecall Pro mobile app, employees can effortlessly clock in and out. Managers have access to detailed timesheet reports, providing comprehensive insights into time entries, entry locations, and total clocked-in hours. This facilitates efficient time management and accurate record-keeping for both employees and employers.
The Housecall Pro time clock.
Automated Notifications
The Housecall Pro app automatically sends alerts whenever a customer contacts you and displays reminders about your upcoming appointments.
This improves communication and reduces the likelihood of missed bookings. With description and image upload fields, you can provide your employees with all the necessary information they require. Examples of what information can be uploaded include pipe sizing details, plumbing formulator data, or plumbing charts.
Enable reminders via the app (for both iPhone and Android).
Reports
Housecall Pro's reporting dashboard provides users with access to important data, allowing them to make informed decisions. They can track job profitability, weekly revenue trends, employee performance, and converted estimates all in one place.
Admins are able to simultaneously update various reporting templates and personalize the display to highlight the numbers that are most relevant to their company's requirements.
Although this software solution offers an extensive set of features designed to meet the demands of service-oriented companies, its pricing structure might not be the most economical choice for all users. This is particularly true when businesses grow. It is worth comparing Housecall Pro with other apps that have the same functionalities at lower price points.
Other Useful Features:
GPS Tracking
Job Costing
Payroll
Integrations
Phone System
Equipment Tracking
Customer Management
Pricing:
Housecall Pro offers three pricing options:
Basic: $69 per month
Essential: $169 per month
Max: Custom quote
Jobber – Ideal For Client Management
Jobber is software that assists service companies with the management of all aspects of their business, including scheduling, assigning tasks, and client billing.
Managing Clients
Jobber's customer management tool assists companies with centralizing and organizing client data such as contact details, preferences, notes, and service history. It is important to maintain detailed records regarding the properties of clients when offering plumbing services.
Companies can modify Jobber's custom fields and tags to meet their particular client management system needs.
Jobber makes it easy for you to keep track of client details.
Mobile App
The Jobber mobile app improves productivity by allowing your employees to see client information, update job statuses, and connect their schedules. It reduces the likelihood of confusion that arises from communication issues.
Contractors can also accept job assignments through the app and locate clients using GPS technology. The app makes it simple to take notes on service visits and record important information to guarantee that the work is completed satisfactorily.
Workers can clock in and out on the Jobber app.
Scheduling
The scheduling functionality in Jobber makes it easy to assign projects to contractors and set up customer appointments. This feature can be especially helpful when booking routine maintenance visits, ensuring businesses operate smoothly. Using Jobber for scheduling guarantees that no appointments are missed.
The management software's drag-and-drop calendar interface provides a simple way to reschedule appointments. The drag-and-drop method can be helpful when scheduling urgent service calls and adjusting plans in light of plumber availability or other external factors.
The Jobber scheduler.
Invoicing
Jobber streamlines the payment process by automating the generation, delivery, and tracking of invoices. The app allows you to create invoices with a polished appearance that you can personalize with service information, prices, and terms of payment.
This software offers several customizable billing choices which consist of one-time billing, recurring billing for service contracts, and batch invoices for various clients. It also provides capabilities for tracking the status of invoices, sending payment reminders, and managing accounts receivable.
You can generate a quick invoice on Jobber.
All things considered, Jobber is a user-friendly platform that makes managing plumbing services easier. It does not need a thorough onboarding procedure. However, the pricing can be expensive for smaller businesses.
Other Useful Features:
Reports
Client Hub
Email Marketing
Timesheets
Online Booking
Job Forms
Quotes
Pricing:
Jobber offers several pricing plans, which include:
Core: $69/month
Connect:$169/month
Grow: $349/month
Pick the Best App For Plumbing Contractors
Each of the apps we’ve covered in this article offer unique features catering to specific business needs. However, Timeero stands out as the ultimate software solution for monitoring employees, tracking time, and ensuring tasks are completed properly. Its functionalities enable plumbing contractors to increase the speed of job completion rates, enhance company operations, and provide outstanding customer service.
Don't settle for an app that offers less to your company when you can easily have the best plumbing business software. Sign up for Timeero’s free trial and give its features a test run. No credit card information is required.
Are you looking for a better insight into your employees’ hours, locations, and mileage?
Emily Maina is a tech-savvy writer with a passion for creating content. With years of experience in the industry, she is well-versed in the latest trends and developments in the tech industry. When she’s not working, Emily enjoys exploring the great outdoors or watching her favorite shows.
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