Common challenges in Construction & Trades
Trades businesses dispatch from simple lists, not from CRMs
Most plumbing, electrical, and HVAC businesses operate from a job list, not a CRM. A Google Sheet with 'Lead received', 'Estimate scheduled', 'Quoted', 'Booked', 'Completed' statuses is more operational reality than any dashboard UI.
Lead photos and project details go with the lead
Form uploads are hard to work with in a WordPress admin. Capturing file URLs in a Sheet column, so the field tech can tap the URL from the job site, is a far better workflow.
Multi-truck operations need per-tech assignment and status
Assign leads to techs with a simple dropdown column. Each tech filters the sheet by their name. Done.
Recommended stack for Construction & Trades
- Form plugin: Gravity Forms (for file uploads) or Contact Form 7
- Base plugin: Usually enough - no add-ons needed for single-truck operations
- Add-on: Conditional Routing: Separate sheets for each service type (plumbing / electrical / HVAC) if you offer multiple
- Add-on: AI Lead Scoring: Score based on job description length and urgency words for multi-tech dispatch
Example Sheet columns
A starting column layout that covers most construction & trades workflows:
Real-world example
A three-truck electrical contractor routes every quote-request form into Sheets. The office manager works the sheet from a laptop, assigns leads to the nearest available tech via a dropdown, and updates status as quotes go out and jobs book. Photos uploaded through the form are linked in the row, so techs can review before arriving on site. No CRM, no dispatch software - just a sheet and a phone.