Requirements checklist
What to ask for when choosing software for home improvement companies.
A checklist built from how home improvement companies work, to print or save as a PDF and bring to any supplier meeting.
What the software should cover
Tick each one that matters to your business.
- Lead and sales pipeline
- Quotes with options and allowances
- Contracts and deposits
- Project schedule and subcontractors
- Materials and supplier orders
- Change orders and stage bills
- Snags, handover and warranty
Roles that need their own access
Who logs in, and what each person may see or change.
- For owners
- For sales and estimators
- For project managers
- For subcontractors
- For customers
Reports to ask for
Ask to see each one with your own sample data.
- Leads by source and conversion to signed contract
- Quotes open, won and lost
- Projects by phase and by project manager
- Subcontractor bookings by trade and week
- Variations pending and approved
- Milestone invoices raised and retention held
- Snagging and warranty requests open and closed
Systems it may need to connect to
Note which ones you already run.
- SMS
- WhatsApp or other messaging
- Card payment gateway
- Accounting software export
- E-signature
Questions for any vendor
Put these to every supplier you are comparing.
- Does it cover both selling and building?
- Can quotes include options and allowances?
- How are subcontractors handled?
- Can customers approve change orders?
- Can it handle customer-supplied items?
- Does it include design and drawing tools?
- Can open projects and unpaid milestones be moved?
- Who owns the data?
- What does it cost?
Where the work usually breaks today
Circle the ones you recognise. They set the order of the project.
- Leads are chased from memory
- Quotes and contracts drift apart
- Subcontractors are booked by phone
- Extras are agreed before they are priced
- Warranty requests have no owner
Prefer to talk it through? See the home improvement companies page.