It’s that time of the week again. You’ve managed your team’s changing schedules, finalized payroll, and chased up all those outstanding client invoices — and now, it’s time to start all over again. Except you can’t find the spreadsheet you wrote everyone’s schedules on, don’t remember if you sent out all the payslips, and just know that there’s one more payment you forgot to follow up on. Between juggling your electricians’ schedules, managing payroll, and creating invoices, you might spend so much time running your business that you can’t even think about growth or expansion.
That might be why you’re considering an app that’ll relieve all that tedious paperwork and help you schedule more efficiently, track time more accurately, and streamline all your essential day-to-day tasks.
Knowing what to look for in electrical contractor software is tricky, especially when you don’t have time to sit and learn about them all.
Never fear. In this post, we’ll go through:
- What to keep in mind when choosing an electrical contractor software tool
- The six best electrical contractor software in 2023, comparing their top features, pricing, and pros and cons
What to look for in an electrical contractor software tool
Before we dive into our selection of electrical contractor software solutions and their features, let’s discuss what you should keep an eye out for before making any final decisions:
- Automated scheduling tool with templates: Managing schedules is likely your most time-consuming task. But there’s no need to spend hours manually creating them each week, cross-checking availability, and trying to avoid clashes. With Homebase, you can automatically generate error-free schedules and turn your best timetables into templates to use again and again in the future.
- A time clock with GPS-enabled time tracking: Recording employee hours accurately is the best way to ensure you both pay electricians for their work fairly and don’t rack up unnecessary labor costs. And an app with a built-in GPS time tracking feature also makes it easy to ensure employees are where they’re supposed to be.
- Easy-to-use, built-in payroll: Having systems in place so you always pay contractors on time can take a lot of stress off your plate. Instead of having to manually input numbers for each person on your payroll, an automated tool means you can send out all paychecks with just a few clicks.
- Mobile app for team communication and coordination: Coworkers can easily share important updates throughout the workday, coordinate swaps, and ask for support without much intervention from management necessary. In addition, keeping all your communications in one place makes creating a strong dynamic and building better teams that much easier.
Top 6 electrical contractor software tools in 2023
It goes without saying that our top pick for an electrical contractor software solution is Homebase. Our platform is a one-stop-shop for small business owners that need tools for scheduling, time tracking, payroll, and team communication.
However, Homebase isn’t the only option out there, and it’s good for peace of mind to know what’s available. We’ve put together a list of the top electrical contractor software tools in 2023 to help make your decision easier:
- Homebase: Best all-in-one platform
- Jobber: Best for home service businesses
- Tradify: Best for quoting and invoicing
- WorkWave: Best for electrician-specific features
- Housecall Pro: Best for dispatching
- ServiceTitan: Best for real-time time tracking
1. Homebase: Best all-in-one platform
Homebase is an all-in-one solution for small businesses that helps owners and managers take care of scheduling, payroll, team communication, and time tracking, along with solutions for hiring and HR and compliance. The wide range of integrations also makes it easy for you to fit the platform into your existing workflows.
We designed our platform specifically for small business owners who need an easy-to-use tool that allows them to get on with the most pressing matters of the day. And not to mention, our excellent customer service team will always be on hand to help you every step of the way.
Homebase is ideal for busy contractors who want to spend less time on administrative tasks like filling out paperwork or creating schedules. Instead, you can streamline and automate this kind of work within one handy app.
Top features
- Time tracking tools with built-in GPS to avoid time theft
- Scheduling feature that auto-populates timetables to save you time
- Shift-swapping and open shift-claiming capabilities that require little managerial intervention
- Team communication app that makes it easy for coworkers to stay in touch and allows for easy shift coordination
- Built-in payroll system that converts timesheets into wages and makes the whole process smooth and simple
- Mobile app that gives employees easy access to their schedules, pay stubs, and beyond
Pros and cons
Pros
- All-in-one solution
- Easy to set up
- Beginner-friendly
- Convenient team communication app
- Built-in payroll tool
- Free plan with basic time tracking and scheduling features
- Affordable with good value paid plans
Cons
- Mostly focused on small businesses with hourly teams
- May offer more features than you need
Pricing
Homebase offers four tiers of paid plans:
- Basic — Free for one location and up to 20 employees. It includes basic scheduling and time tracking, employee management tools like messaging, point-of-sale integrations, and access to email support.
- Essentials — $24.95 per month per location. Everything in Basic, plus payroll integrations, team communication, performance tracking, advanced time tracking and scheduling, and access to live support.
- Plus — $59.95 per month per location. Everything in Essentials, plus hiring tools, retention and performance tracking, time off controls, and departments and permissions.
- All-in-one — $99.95 per month per location. Everything in Plus, with HR and compliance, new hire onboarding, labor cost controls, and business insights.
2. Jobber: Best for home services businesses
Jobber is a field service management software that integrates scheduling, invoicing, and team communications in one easy-to-use platform. It’s ideal for small home service businesses that aim for more efficient scheduling and invoicing.
Top features
- Calendar tool
- Online booking feature
- Push notifications
- Personalized customer invoices
Pros and cons
Pros
- Easy to use
- Lots of integrations
- Robust scheduling features
Cons
- No free plan
- Gets expensive quickly
- Features are limited in the lowest pricing plan
Pricing
Jobber offers four levels of pricing:
- Lite: Manage unlimited clients, send quotes and invoices, and create a 24/7 client self-service hub for $9/month (1 user)
- Core: Everything in Lite, plus schedule and manage jobs, share online request forms, and access built-in reports for $49/month (1 user)
- Connect: Everything in Core, plus automated reminders, automatic payments, and online booking for $129/month (1-5 users)
- Grow: Everything in Connect, plus quote add-ons and images, job costing, automated quote follow-ups, and two-way text messaging for $249/month (1-15 users)
3. Tradify: Best for quoting and invoicing
Tradify is a job management software designed for businesses with 1-20 employees in the trades and services industries. It can monitor every job from start to finish and allow you to stay on top of your busy schedule by keeping track of staff as well as their jobs, invoices, quotes, and payments. It’s a simple app that does the heavy lifting for you by allowing you to capture inquiries on the go, create quotes quickly, and give you a full view of your job schedule.
Top features
- Quoting feature
- Automated follow-up emails
- Job and time tracking software
- A real-time map view of active jobs and staff locations
Pros and cons
Pros
- Can be used across multiple platforms
- Easy to track jobs
Cons
- Other solutions allow for more customized invoices
- Can make devices run slowly
Pricing
Tradify has one paid plan that costs $34 per user. It also offers a 14-day free trial.
4. WorkWave: Best for electrician-specific features
WorkWave is a cloud-based field service management solution that’s designed for the service industry. The platform provides tools for a variety of business owners, including electrical contractors. Dashboards provide actionable data that can drive more sales, encourage faster payments, and make processes more efficient while saving you valuable time and easing decision-making.
Top features
- Customer portals
- Dashboards that are complete with key metrics and actionable information
- A simple drag-and-drop scheduling tool
- Workflow management capabilities
Pros and cons
Pros
- Electrician-specific scheduling feature
- Straightforward design
Cons
- Can be difficult to set up
- Lack of pricing transparency
- Poor customer service
Pricing
WorkWave’s pricing isn’t readily available.
5. Housecall Pro: Best for dispatching
Housecall Pro is an all-in-one field service management solution for tradespeople. Contractors can invoice and get paid directly through the app, and its easy-to-use scheduling and dispatching tools save hours of administrative headaches.
Users can work more efficiently with its drag-and-drop scheduling software, giving them more time to spend booking jobs and serving clients. Housecall Pro customers can move away from pen and paper by digitizing their workflows and streamlining their business operations.
Top features
- Job scheduling calendar
- Team dispatch notifications
- Batch invoicing feature
- QuickBooks integration that automatically pushes data from Housecall Pro to QuickBooks
Pros and cons
Pros
- Contractors can invoice and get paid directly through the app
- Customizable online booking feature
- Great for streamlining business operations
Cons
Pricing
- Basic: A wide range of features that includes drag-and-drop scheduling, real-time dispatching, and paperless invoicing for $49/month for one user.
- Essentials: All the Basic features, plus a QuickBooks integration, detailed reporting, and custom checklists for $129/month for one to five users.
- MAX: All the Essentials features, plus advanced reporting, data integration via open API, and escalated phone support.
6. ServiceTitan: Best for real-time time tracking
Armed with both in-office and field operations features, ServiceTitan provides a platform that enables home and commercial contractors to cut back on administrative work and provide their customers with seamless service. In-app communication makes it easy for managers and employees to stay in touch while they’re out on jobs. Technicians can also upload forms to the app, saving you the hassle of dealing with missing paperwork, annoyed customers, and delays.
Top features
- Service scheduling software
- Flexible payment options
- Automatic timesheets
- Technician tracking
Pros and cons
Pros
- Easy staff scheduling
- Lots of tracking features
- The ability to view real-time data
- Easy access to customer details
Cons
- Long onboarding process
- Poor customer support
Pricing
ServiceTitan doesn’t have any pricing information available on the website.
Streamline your business operations with electrical contractor software
Keeping on top of endless paperwork, schedules, outstanding invoices, and payroll at the same time as trying to make sure employees are satisfied with their jobs can be a thankless task. It’s an essential part of running a smooth small business, but it can all pile up and block you from taking your operation in new and exciting directions.
But Homebase can help you do it all without the steep learning curve or prohibitive pricing structures of some of the other solutions on this list. Homebase offers features for staff scheduling, time tracking, timesheets, and built-in payroll that cut out the need for additional software. Say goodbye to pen, paper, and all those administrative headaches, and hello to Homebase.
Remember: This is not legal advice. If you have questions about your particular situation, please consult a lawyer, CPA, or other appropriate professional advisor or agency.
