Checklists by Job Type
Separate step lists for air-cooled installs, liquid-cooled units, transfer switch swaps and maintenance visits, editable from an admin dashboard.
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- Staff operations app for Generator installers
A Crew App for Generator Installers, From Pad Prep to Startup
We build a generator installer crew app that gives every installer, electrician and service tech their assigned jobs, the right checklist for each, photo proof for inspectors and a direct line back to the shop.
01
Homeowners Judge the Install Long After They Sign the Quote
Buyers usually start shopping right after an outage, comparing two or three dealer quotes on unit size, fuel, transfer switch type and price. Many lean on neighbors who already own a standby unit and on photos of finished pads in online reviews.
Once the contract is signed, the decision keeps getting tested in the driveway. Owners notice whether the crew protected the lawn during trenching, whether the gas line run matches what the salesperson described, and whether anyone explained the weekly exercise cycle at startup.
For a staff app, that means the site assessment notes have to reach the install crew intact, and the startup walkthrough has to happen every time. The app is where both of those promises get kept or quietly dropped.
02
One Install Day on the Lead Installer's Phone
The lead installer opens the app before leaving the yard and sees one job: a 22 kW air-cooled unit on natural gas with a 200 amp service-rated automatic transfer switch. The card shows the pad location from the site visit, the meter photo, and a note that the gas utility already upsized the meter.
On site, the checklist moves through pad placement against the marked clearances, gas line sizing and pressure test, conduit and wire between unit and switch, load shed modules if specified, and battery install. Each step asks for a photo or a reading before the next one opens.
At startup the installer records voltage and frequency, runs a simulated outage, sets the exercise schedule and ticks off the homeowner walkthrough. A flag about a corroded main panel goes straight to the office so sales can quote the repair while the crew packs up.
- Job card with site visit notes, meter photo and fuel type
- Clearance and pad placement photos for the inspector
- Gas pressure test and startup readings in fixed fields
- Simulated outage confirmation before the job can close
- Homeowner walkthrough checkbox with the exercise day recorded
03
Code, Clearances and What the Inspector Will Ask to See
Standby installs fall under the National Electrical Code articles for optional standby systems, NFPA 37 for engine placement, the manufacturer's installation manual and whatever amendments your local authority enforces. The app should not pretend to certify compliance; it should collect the evidence your crew needs when the inspector arrives.
Gas work brings its own rules, often handled by a licensed plumber or a separate crew, and your checklist must reflect who is allowed to sign off on each step. We would build role permissions so an apprentice cannot close a pressure test reserved for a licensed tradesperson.
Inside the shop, the main privacy concern is customer data on personal phones. Gate codes, alarm details and medical notes belong in the app with a remote wipe option, not in text threads.
What you get
Key features
Inspector-Ready Photo Sets
Pictures are tagged to the job and the step they prove, so clearance, grounding and gas test evidence can be pulled up in seconds.
Offline Capture
Readings, notes and photos save on the phone and sync when the truck regains signal.
Shop Flags
Crews raise issues such as an undersized meter or a failing panel, and the right person in the office gets notified.
04
Shortcuts That Cost Generator Crews More Than They Save
One common mistake is building a single universal checklist. A liquid-cooled commercial unit, a home standby swap and a quarterly service visit share very little, and crews forced through irrelevant steps start tapping through without reading.
Another is skipping offline mode. Plenty of installs happen in rural areas or behind brick homes with weak signal, and an app that loses half a startup log is worse than a clipboard.
A third is leaving the service techs out of the design. Installers get attention because installs bring revenue, but maintenance techs open the app far more often, and their oil, filter, plug and battery routine deserves its own fast path.
05
What Shapes the Budget and Schedule of the Build
Mobile apps start at $4,500 with SIZ Group, and the main cost drivers here are the number of distinct checklists, the depth of integration with your field service platform, offline sync and role permissions. A crew app reading jobs from ServiceTitan or Housecall Pro is a different job from one that has to manage scheduling itself.
To keep scope under control, start with the two job types that fill most of your calendar, usually residential installs and annual maintenance. Commercial load bank testing, parts inventory and timecards can follow once crews trust the basics.
Every change request after kickoff gets weighed against that first release. We confirm scope and price in writing before any build begins, so additions are a decision rather than a surprise.
06
Measuring Whether the Crew App Earns Its Place
The clearest signals live in your existing records. Track them for a stretch before launch so the comparison means something.
Ask the crews too. If the lead installer says the startup log takes longer than the paper form did, the checklist needs trimming before the next busy season.
- Failed inspections caused by missing photos or paperwork
- Return trips to finish a startup or walkthrough
- Time from install completion to invoice
- Callbacks within the first service interval after install
Can the crew app pull jobs from our current field service software?+
Usually, yes. Platforms such as ServiceTitan and Housecall Pro expose APIs for jobs and appointments, and we check what yours allows during scoping. Checklist results and photos can be written back where the platform supports it.
Will it handle both installs and maintenance visits?+
Yes. Each job type gets its own checklist, so a maintenance tech sees oil, filter, plug and battery steps while an installer sees pad, gas and transfer switch steps. Your service manager can adjust either list later.
What happens when a tech has no signal at the site?+
Everything they enter is stored on the device and synced automatically once a connection returns. We test this on the actual phones your crews carry.
Can subcontracted electricians or plumbers use it?+
They can, with limited access. We set roles so a subcontractor sees only the jobs and steps assigned to them, and their access can be switched off when the work ends.
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Let's make it happen
Put the Install Checklist Where the Crew Already Looks
Talk to us on a free scoping call about your job types, inspection requirements and field software, and leave with a clear plan for a crew app.