Housecall Pro Review

Housecall Pro is a simple but powerful cloud-based software option for field service managers tasked with monitoring a team of technicians while invoicing and communicating with customers. It is easy to get started with the software, and while it is somewhat on the pricey side, it will help most field service businesses run better.

Running a company that involves sending technicians out into the field is a challenging endeavor, whether you're in plumbing or HVAC or carpentry. You've got a lot of moving pieces, you're constantly drawing up invoices, and there's a million things that can go wrong -- messing up your day or even your bottom line.

Enter Housecall Pro software. This cloud-based platform aims to make things simple for field service managers, providing a simple way to monitor your team while also automating a lot of the tasks that you probably do manually now, like notifying customers or invoicing.

We were very impressed with this software, and while there are a few drawbacks that may be deal-breakers for some, we believe Housecall Pro will help most managers simplify their operations and free up time.

Who is Housecall Pro for?

Housecall Pro is a simple, cloud-based field service management software platform aimed at helping companies keep track of jobs, monitor technician activity, and produce invoices easily.

It comes as both a browser-based software and as an app, and it is aimed primarily at industries such as maid services, HVAC installation and maintenance, plumbing, and similar professions. It has lots of automation features and allows customers to book services through the HouseCall mobile app, making it ideal for companies that want to cut down on a lot of the manual data entry and filling out forms.

The dashboard provides a bird's-eye view of your company. Image source: Author

Housecall Pro's features

Housecall Pro does a great job of making a simple, easy-to-use platform, and it has some really solid features that make it easy to manage your team as well as your relationship with your customers.

Customer database

One of the best things about Housecall Pro is its customer database, which is easy to access whether you're on the browser or accessing it on your smartphone. It's easy to dial up any contact and see full customer history and any outstanding jobs or invoices. You can also use it to connect directly with customers, either personally or automatically via notifications.

There are also options for adding "customer attachments," useful for keeping any files associated with that customer, and you can set recurring automatic invoices if it's someone you do business with a lot.

A handy database helps you keep track of your customers. Image source: Author

Scheduling

The software features a scheduling calendar that can be toggled between day, week, and month.

Scheduling is as easy as clicking on a time slot, choosing between "job," "estimate," and "event," and then choosing a customer to associate it with and any other notes or attachments that need to be included. Once it's in the schedule, it will show up on the dashboard when its due date approaches.

Scheduling jobs or events can be done with minimal clicks. Image source: Author

Invoicing

Housecall Pro creates invoices very easily, certainly one of the software's strengths.

When you go to a job, there are a list of icons at the top that shows where the job stands in terms of progress, and when you click "invoice," the software immediately pops up an invoice that is already filled out with all the details. After giving it a quick look-over, you can click "next," which will then pop up an email with all the fields filled out, which you can modify as needed and then hit "send."

Also, the system makes payment easy for the customer, as they can pay directly from the invoice without having to log in to a website or portal.

Additionally, the software integrates with Quickbooks, which makes bookkeeping a lot easier.

The software automatically generates invoices, a big time-saver. Image source: Author

App

For a lot of software options out there, field service or otherwise, the app is an afterthought -- barebones and often glitchy.

That's not the case with the Housecall Pro app, which is just as simple to use as the Housecall Pro desktop version and offers basically the same features. You get a similar dashboard look as you would in the browser and handy icons at the bottom help you navigate.

Another cool feature: when you tap on a customer, it automatically loads a picture of the address assigned to that customer via Google Maps, which can be helpful when technicians are out in the field trying to find the location.

The app's dashboard is fairly similar to the desktop version. Image source: Author

Housecall Pro's ease of use

In this area, the software really shines. The dashboard is split up into blocks showing things like the sales leaderboard, upcoming jobs, today's states, open estimates, open invoices, paid invoices, jobs by tags, and custom reports. You can customize the layout, moving blocks around to increase visibility and adding or removing blocks depending on what you want to see.

The six icons in the top left help you easily navigate to the most important parts of the software: dashboard, schedule, customers, map, my apps, and my money.

And then there's the app, which somehow manages to take the web version and port a very similar look to your phone, so it's seamless to move from one to the other. Because it's on the cloud, any update you make on either the phone or browser will automatically update both.

Housecall Pro's pricing

The software is a bit on the pricey side, starting at $49/month for one user if you sign up for a year or $65/month if you want to go month-to-month. It's $109/month with an annual plan, or $149/month if not, for one to five users. For both options, it's $30/month for each additional user.

And if you have more than five users, you're going to want to sign up for their XL version, which does not have a listed price. Instead, the website directs you to contact them for pricing and states that the XL version is "built for current (and future) million dollar businesses."

They do offer a free 14-day trial with no credit card required, so it's easy to at least try Housecall Pro for a couple weeks if you're unsure whether it's worth the price.

Housecall Pro's support

Housecall Pro's support is solid, but it does have its downsides. Customers will generally be directed to contact support through the chat bubble that pops up on the website. There doesn't appear to be a way to contact support through the app.

If you want more support than that, be prepared to pay for it. A one-on-one onboarding coach is available only after you sign up for the second subscription tier, and if you want a dedicated account manager and escalated phone support, you'll need to pony up for XL.

Benefits of Housecall Pro

Housecall Pro has surprisingly powerful features for a cloud-based app, but its true strength is its ease of use. It does many tasks for you automatically, which is a boon for field service managers tired of manually entering data and filling out forms.

And you can get started right away, without the need for a lot of onboarding or training. It's intuitive, meaning you can start using it as soon as you sign up for an account.

Dialing up a job shows all the relevant details in one place. Image source: Author

Also, the mobile app is rock-solid, making it truly feel like you're taking the software with you on the go rather than a shadow of it with only the most basic of features. It also has a nice Google Maps feature that shows your technicians what the building looks like when they're on their way to the job site.

Housecall Pro impresses with its features, simplicity

All in all, we were really impressed with Housecall Pro. It's simple, cloud-based software, but it has excellent features and it makes field service a lot easier, which is ultimately what it's all about.

It's not perfect, of course. Subscriptions can get expensive, many extra features require an upgrade, and you'll have to pay extra for technical support that goes beyond online chat. Additionally, we would have liked more personalization options for the automatic email and text notifications that go to clients.

However, even the most basic version of this software without all the paid extras does a great job of organizing customers, automating tasks, communicating with clients, and keeping on top of your team. You can pick it up right away and start using it, and it definitely will simplify your business.