Choosing a simple job tracker for handyman work

What to check before choosing a job tracker

Try a job that takes two visits. Check whether you can add time afterward, record materials and other expenses, and find the original notes again. Then check whether estimates and invoices stay with that same job.

FieldSoli supports those records, searchable job history and CSV job-summary export without an active subscription. Add jobs from marketplaces or your own customers manually; there is no automatic marketplace import. If you need crew dispatch, routing or accounting, those fall outside FieldSoli’s current scope.

Start with the job basics.

Give each job a clear name. “Drywall patch and paint — hallway” is more useful to search later than “Tuesday job.” Add the customer’s name, contact details and the address where the work takes place.

Record the agreed work in plain language. Include the room, fixture or repair involved and anything excluded from the scope. If the job came through Angi, Thumbtack or a referral, note that source in your records. It is separate from the work itself.

Keep a record of each visit.

A job may take several visits. Keep each visit under the same job rather than creating a new job every time you return.

• Date: when you were there.
• Time: the hours spent on that visit.
• Work: a short note about what you completed.
• Next visit: what still needs to be done, if anything.

Use consistent descriptions for preparation, work on site and other time you choose to record. A saved total is more useful when you can understand what it covers.

Record materials and other costs.

For each material, record a recognizable item name, quantity and cost. Keep materials tied to the job where they were used. Record other job costs, such as parking, separately so they are easy to identify.

If your record includes both a purchase cost and an amount charged to the customer, label them clearly. They are not the same figure. For supplies used across multiple jobs, note how much belongs to this job rather than copying the full purchase into every record.

Note changes while they are clear.

Use a short note for a change in scope, a customer request, a material substitution or something that needs a return visit. Include the date and what changed.

A useful note is specific: “Customer requested paint on the full hallway wall; patch-only scope changed.” A note that says only “extra work” leaves too much to reconstruct later.

Keep payment status separate.

Completed work and received payment are different things. Record whether the work is finished and whether payment has been received. An estimate records the proposed work and expected charge. An invoice requests payment for the listed work. Keep each document’s reference with the job record; neither document alone confirms that payment was received.

Update payment status from an actual payment record, not an assumption that a completed job has been paid. This guide covers keeping job details organized, not bookkeeping or tax requirements.

For a closer look at the documents, read estimate, invoice and payment status.

A simple job record.

The record does not need to be long. It needs enough detail to show what happened, what was used and what remains open.

Keeping these records in FieldSoli.

FieldSoli is a job tracking app for contractors and handymen. You manually enter job details and keep visits, time, materials, other costs, notes and payment status together. Searchable job history lets you return to those records. Invoices and estimates keep documents with the work. Review recorded job earnings in the earnings summary.

Jobs from Angi, Thumbtack and referrals can be entered manually. FieldSoli does not automatically import or sync with those services.

Choosing between free and paid tools? Compare the tasks you need and how to evaluate a newer app.