Why job texts get lost
On most jobs, the real record lives in text messages. A crew lead texts that drywall is done. The owner asks for a different tile. The electrician says the inspection moved. Each message is clear on its own, but a week later nobody can find it.
- Messages sit on personal phones, not in one place.
- Every sub-contractor has a separate thread.
- Photos arrive without the job name or date.
- Decisions get made in passing and never written down.
1. One thread per project
Name group chats by job address, not by person: "1420 Maple Ave · crew". When someone texts you directly about a job, forward the key part into that thread.
2. Write down decisions the same day
Any change to scope or price goes into a change order, not just a reply. "Sure, go darker on the tile" is a decision. Write it up with the price and get a signature before the work starts.
3. Save photos with the job and date
Keep location on for job photos, and save them to a folder per job. A photo with a date and an address is a record. A photo in a camera roll is a memory.
4. Turn the day into a daily report
At the end of each day, write three lines per job: what got done, what's blocked, what's next. If your crew speaks Spanish, keep their original words next to your summary.
Doing it automatically
PunchXero does these four steps for you. No app for the field. Works over text, iMessage and WhatsApp. Messages are filed by project, translated, and drafted into daily reports and change orders for you to approve.