9 HVAC Work Order Apps to Consider for Your Business

If you’re in the market for an HVAC work order app, there are two main software solutions available:

• HVAC work order point solutions: The sole purpose of these apps is to facilitate HVAC service work orders.  

• HVAC contractor software: This software integrates work order management with other essential business functions, such as scheduling and dispatching, creating estimates and proposals, invoicing, and payments.

Compared to HVAC contractor software, work order point solutions have some distinct disadvantages:

• Workflow inefficiencies: Point solutions don’t tend to connect seamlessly with the other apps you use to run your business. This means you (or someone at the office) needs to repeatedly enter the same job details from the work order into a variety of other apps or spreadsheets as you progress through the job.

• Increased likelihood of errors: This repetitive manual data entry increases the likelihood of costly errors, such as delivering inaccurate HVAC invoices to customers.

• The need to pay for several different apps: Paying for several disconnected apps isn’t optimal financially, nor is having to train your employees to use them.    

Together, these drawbacks can significantly impact the efficiency and profitability of an HVAC service business.  As a result, many HVAC contractors can benefit far more from holistic HVAC software solutions (also known as field service management software) like ServiceTitan.

In this article, we’re going to explain how ServiceTitan streamlines work order management and seamlessly connects work orders to the rest of an HVAC business workflow. Then, we’ll share eight other software solutions you can consider as well.

In total, we’ll cover:

9 HVAC Work Order Apps 

• ServiceTitan

• Jobber

• Service Fusion

• FieldEdge

• Housecall Pro

• Kickserv

• ServiceTrade

• Smart Service

• Sera

Want to see how ServiceTitan works to streamline your HVAC business operations? Schedule a call to get a free, live, one-on-one walk-through of the features we describe throughout this article.

How ServiceTitan Connects Work Orders to the Rest of the HVAC Service Workflow

Ensuring that work orders are thorough, accurate, and easily shareable between field and office staff is fundamental to HVAC business operations because every subsequent step of delivering HVAC services is informed by the work order, including:

• Scheduling and Dispatching: Ensuring that dispatchers have the information they need to get the right field technicians to the right jobs, and to be fully informed when they show up to a business or residence.  

• Creating Estimates and Proposals: Ensuring that estimates and proposals reflect the appropriate solutions (repairs, replacements, etc.) and customer information.  

• Creating Invoices and Getting Paid: Ensuring that invoices and payment information reflect the same job and customer information that were documented in the initial work order and estimate. 

Using a work order point solution to digitize work orders might solve some organizational challenges, but it won’t do much to prevent manual entry errors when the same information has to be re-entered into different apps throughout the rest of the job.

ServiceTitan’s all-in-one software automates much of the job management process by seamlessly integrating the work order into the rest of the workflow, thus increasing efficiency, productivity, and ultimately profitability.

Let’s look at how ServiceTitan improves and connects these processes. 

Creating Work Orders in ServiceTitan: A Guided Workflow That Ensures CSRs Capture All Necessary Job Details

When calls come in, ServiceTitan’s intuitive Call Booking feature guides CSRs through the process of collecting all necessary customer information, and auto-fills this information into a work order (referred to as the Job Overview page in ServiceTitan).

If the caller is already a customer, CSRs can easily access their complete job history, property data, and any associated warranty or membership information. 

CSRs are prompted to complete drop-down menus and text boxes that populate the work order fields, including:

• Job type 

• Job priority 

• Job summary 

• Marketing campaign information

• Additional details, such as security gate codes, notification of pets on premises, etc.

Techs can then access this information via their mobile device so that they’re fully prepared upon arrival to the job site. 

Crucially, once this information is captured, it doesn’t need to be entered or reentered again and again throughout the job. All of the details can be entered once and then automatically transfer into the subsequent documents needed to complete the job. 

Seamlessly Move from Work Order Creation to Scheduling and Dispatching

Once the specific job type and priority is indicated in the work order, ServiceTitan displays scheduling options directly from the call booking screen. When the customer agrees to an available date and time slot, the CSR can select an available technician within an arrival window time and book the job.

Additionally, our scheduling system includes:

• Call recordings that allow dispatchers and techs to reference the original service call when they need clarification about job details.

• Adjustable Capacity Planning, which ensures that only appointments that meet your capacity goals and strategy are available at any given time (and also prevents overbooking).

• A user-friendly website widget that allows customers to book their own appointments online without ever talking to a CSR. It still collects all the necessary job details that a CSR would on a call.

• Automated Job Confirmations that send appointment confirmation requests to the customer according to their preference (text or email), and then automatically changes scheduled appointments to confirmations on the dispatch board.

Once a job is booked and scheduled, it’s viewable directly through the dispatch board, where dispatchers can access all of the same information and functionality discussed above. 

ServiceTitan’s easy-to-use dispatch board allows dispatchers to perform most of their tasks without having to leave the board. This includes being able to easily see which jobs are unassigned, unconfirmed, dispatched, working, paused, and more. 

Additional convenient Dispatch features include:

• Drag-and-drop (and right-click) functionality that allows dispatchers to easily assign or reassign a tech; confirm or reschedule a job; view property data; and more. 

• An Activity Feed that allows dispatchers to see real-time job activity (e.g., Arrived, Paused, Complete) and to direct-message and communicate with techs (individually or en masse). 

• Alerts that notify the dispatcher of unusual activity or problems that need to be addressed.

• GPS tracking that allows dispatchers (and clients when this notification option is enabled) to track techs’ location as they’re on their way to a job.

• Schedule Optimization and Optimize Technician Route options that help dispatchers coordinate appointments with techs in an efficient way, including identifying jobs in locations where a tech is already working.

Create Estimates and Proposals Based on Work Order Details

ServiceTitan’s mobile app enables field technicians to create professional-quality proposals—strategically designed to maximize profitability—and then present them to customers via their tablet. 

Techs can leverate customizable estimate templates for increased efficiency, or build estimates from scratch with our built-in pricebook functionality. This allows them to quickly create line-item, flat-rate, or Good Better Best proposals (helping to increase average ticket prices) for customers. 

Additional estimating features include the ability to:

• Add photos or videos to an estimate to provide visual evidence of damage that needs to be repaired or images of suggested materials or equipment presented in the estimate.

• Include a written summary of the findings, work to be done, or other important information about the job.

• Provide access to financing for big-ticket items right within the proposal, allowing costumes to get approved on-the-spot.

• Present the estimate to the customer on a mobile device (iPhone, Android, iPad, or other iOS device), with the ability for the client to immediately accept the proposal and authorize the work.

Get Paid Faster with Integrated Invoicing and Payments

Once a job is complete, everything you need to create an invoice and receive payment is already up-to-date and ready to deliver to the customer. 

Simply click on the “Generate Invoice” button, and ServiceTitan generates a professional-looking, accurate invoice that you can mail, fax, text, or email to your customer (including a link where they can pay online).

Additional invoicing features include:

• Customizable invoice templates that allow you to add your company name and logo and choose the colors and fonts in line with your company image.

• The ability to attach videos and photos to an invoice, such as before and after photos of the work done.

• An optional field where you can add service suggestions, warranty information, membership promotions, etc. 

• Automatically storing the invoice in the customer database so it’s easily accessible in the future if you need to access the customer’s service history.

Multiple options for accepting payment give customers flexibility and help ensure that you get paid quickly:

• HVAC technicians can take a picture of a check and auto-deposit it immediately using the mobile app.

• Credit card payments can be processed using a Bluetooth Card Reader with a tap/swipe of the card or via a link to a customer portal where customers can pay online.

• Google Pay™ and Apple Pay® integration provide another flexible payment option.

If a customer applied for and was approved for financing through the estimate, payment is already taken care of.

Beyond the Work Order: Streamline Operations with Comprehensive HVAC Business Software

ServiceTitan helps to facilitate every step of an HVAC job, providing user-friendly functions that help prevent common errors or frustrations and ensure a seamless start-to-finish workflow. 

Other key ServiceTitan features that improve HVAC business workflows include:

• Payroll features that decrease payroll prep time by automatically providing time tracking (while syncing with the dispatch board); calculating overtime, commissions and bonuses; and helping you track and monitor crucial job-costing data in real time.

• Accounting software integration with Viewpoint Vista, QuickBooks®, and Intacct.

• Customer relationship management (CRM) tools that help improve office organization and workflow in addition to improving the customer experience.

• Service Agreement Software that helps you grow and manage preventative maintenance contracts.   

• Field Reporting Software that helps you monitor key financial performance indicators (KPIs), such as CSR and technician metrics, revenue trends, and more.

We help HVAC companies streamline and improve their work order processes to increase efficiency and grow profits. Want to see ServiceTitan in action? Schedule a call for a free product tour of our HVAC service software.

Other HVAC Apps with Work Order Management

Jobber

Jobber is a field service scheduling software that also offers a wide range of other features for field service business management. Like ServiceTitan, it offers functionality for estimating, quotes, scheduling, invoicing, and more.

However, when compared to Jobber, ServiceTitan offers:

• More robust, native pricebook functionality

• In-app access to top industry supplier equipment catalogs

• Extensive marketing functionality that reduce the need for third-party marketing hires

• More flexibility and customization for membership plans and recurring services

• Offline functionality for our mobile app that allows techs to work seamlessly (even when they’re out of cell service zones)

• Deeper reporting capabilities that allow business owners to drill down into the sources of their data

Service Fusion

Service Fusion describes itself as an “All-In-One Field Service Management Software.” Like ServiceTitan, it offers a wide range of features, including estimates, customer management, scheduling and dispatching, and more. 

However, when compared to Service Fusion, ServiceTitan offers the following as a part of our base product (while Service Fusion charges extra for many of these features):

• Robust membership billing capabilities (bulk membership billing, and automated monthly or annual billing options)

• Scheduled report automations

• Call booking automations for easier job booking and better customer experiences

• Property data to spot sales opportunities and drive revenue

FieldEdge

FieldEdge offers a wide range of features like ServiceTitan, including functionality for quotes and invoicing, scheduling and dispatching, service agreements, and more. 

However, when compared to FieldEdge, ServiceTitan offers:

• For residential service businesses

  • Integration with Google Local Services Ads

  • Seamless access to membership information during call booking

  • Adjustable capacity planning to optimize schedules for max profitability

  • Real-time technician tracking

  • Greater customization and drill-down capabilities for reports

• For commercial service businesses

  • Ability to create customer-specific pricing

  • Built-in customer portal with base subscription

  • A suite of project management and project tracking tools for longer-term projects

  • Dynamic form capabilities that ensure staff follow best practices and improve data quality

  • Native equipment tracking and inventory management

HouseCall Pro

Housecall Pro is a mobile field service management software solution for home service businesses. Similar to ServiceTitan, it offers a wide range of features outside of invoicing, such as scheduling and dispatching, estimates, QuickBooks integration, and more. 

However, when compared to Housecall Pro, ServiceTitan offers:

• Greater native pricebook functionality

• Ability to drill down further into reporting metrics and trust your numbers

• Automated tagging features that help increase revenue

• Gated work sequences and customizable forms to facilitate accountability across the organization

• Offline functionality that allows techs to use our mobile app when out of cell service zones

Kickserv

Kickserv is another field service management software offering a variety of tools for large and small businesses. Like other FSM software, they provide a mobile app as well as desktop features for job management, scheduling, managing your workforce, and more. 

However, when compared to Kickserv, ServiceTitan offers:

• Mobile app with customer convenience features with stable offline functionality

• Customizable forms and pricing tools in the field

• Two-way SMS text messaging for customer inquiries and scheduling changes

• Pre-appointment GPS Tech Tracking for accurate arrival times

• End-to-End presentation mode: A visual pricing tool and estimate builder with good, better, best options

• And more

ServiceTrade

ServiceTrade is a mobile-first business software built specifically for commercial service contractors. Like other FSMs, its functions include scheduling, real-time dispatching, time tracking, payroll integration, and more.

However, when compared to ServiceTrade, ServiceTitan offers:

• Tools to support both commercial and residential service (for businesses that serve both business divisions)

• Greater capabilities to drill down into reporting numbers

• Advanced features for automating the booking process and customer relationship management 

• Robust, built-in pricebook functionality and direct access to top industry suppliers

Smart Service

Smart Service describes itself as a field service scheduling software for QuickBooks. Like other FSMs, its functions include scheduling and dispatch, electronic work orders, invoicing, and time tracking, while also integrating with QuickBooks. 

Sera

Sera is a field service management software for home service businesses. It provides scheduling, dispatching, managing pricebooks, building estimates, invoicing, and financial and KPI reporting. 

However, when compared to Sera, ServiceTitan offers:

• CSR call recordings to ensure technicians always have the context and details they need to provide the best possible service while on jobs

• Greater reporting and inventory management capabilities

• Integrated customer financing for increasing average ticket prices

• More robust customer service and product resources

Want to see how ServiceTitan works to streamline your HVAC business operations? Schedule a call to get a free, live, one-on-one walk-through of our features.