3 ideas are worth a look.
For electricians and plumbers, selling to self-employed electricians, plumbers and small trade firms. We explored 6 ideas and searched for each one. 3 already exist.
Already exists, so we dropped them
- Site Photo LogCompanyCam and WorkPhotos already do photo capture, tagging and auto PDF reports for plumbers and contractors. youtube.com
- Quote Follow-UpTradify, Jobber, YourTradebase and QuoteIQ already include automatic quote follow-up reminders. tradifyhq.com
- Trade Parts FinderThe results show inventory and supplier ordering tools, not a live community stock check, so this is not X, but the evidence for the pain is weak and the buyer will not pay for it. buildops.com
Apprentice Log
A photo-first app for electricians and plumbers to log apprentice hours and on-site training evidence so certification is provable without paperwork.
- Who pays
- Self-employed electricians and plumbers who employ apprentices
- The problem
- Apprentices are told to keep every pay stub because that is the only proof of hours the board accepts. Employers get audited and have to hand over all the time sheets that record those hours.
- The gap
- The results show no product that captures apprentice hours and training evidence for the employer. Apprenticeship.gov is a government resource hub, not a logging tool. The gap is a simple employer-side log that produces board-ready evidence.
- Already out there
- Apprenticeship.gov apprenticeship.gov
Government resource hub for apprenticeship programs. It does not log hours or store training evidence for a small firm.
- Apprenticeship.gov apprenticeship.gov
- People asking for it
- Keep all your pay stubs reddit.com
Apprentice is told pay stubs are the most valid proof of hours.
- They can audit the company records reddit.com
Commenter says the board can audit company records and demand all time sheets.
- How do I log my hours reddit.com
Apprentice asks how to log hours after two years of full time work.
- Keep all your pay stubs reddit.com
- The big assumption
- Employers will pay for software to log apprentice hours instead of leaving it to the apprentice and the pay stubs.
- Test it this week
- Ask ten electricians and plumbers who employ apprentices what they currently hand a board auditor, and whether they would pay for a photo log.
Compliance Cert Wallet
A digital wallet for electricians and plumbers to store, update and share certification documents, insurance and licenses with clients and inspectors.
- Who pays
- Self-employed electricians and plumbers
- The problem
- People lose certification letters and cards and then have to phone a state office and wait for a replacement. One electrician emailed an application with all paperwork and got no response for months.
- The gap
- SkillCat runs exams and issues certificates but does not store or share a tradesperson's full document set. The results show no wallet for licenses, insurance and certs that a solo tradesperson can send to a client or inspector.
- Already out there
- SkillCat skillcatapp.com
EPA approved certifying organization running online exams and issuing certificates. It does not hold a tradesperson's insurance, license and other documents in one shareable place.
- SkillCat skillcatapp.com
- People asking for it
- CA certification program is screwing me reddit.com
Electrician emailed an application with all paperwork and got no response, then chased by phone.
- Lost letter replacement dir.ca.gov
Official FAQ tells people to phone and request another copy if they lose the letter.
- Retired electrician, no certificates reddit.com
Discussion of missing certificates and having to get work re-inspected and re-certified.
- CA certification program is screwing me reddit.com
- The big assumption
- Tradespeople will keep documents in a new app rather than in their phone photos, email or a folder in the van.
- Test it this week
- Ask ten self-employed electricians and plumbers to show you where their certs and insurance live today, and whether they have ever had to replace a lost one.
WhatsApp Job Log
A service that turns WhatsApp messages about jobs into a structured job log so electricians and plumbers stop scrolling through chats for verbal requests and changes.
- Who pays
- Small trade firms
- The problem
- Job changes and verbal requests arrive in chat and get buried. The results show no direct quote from a tradesperson about this, so the pain is assumed, not proven.
- Already out there
- WhatsApp businessinsider.com
Messages can be set to disappear after 24 hours, 7 days or 90 days, which makes chat a poor record of job changes.
- WhatsApp businessinsider.com
- People asking for it
No public complaints turned up. Treat demand as unproven until you run the test below.
- The big assumption
- Tradespeople will let a third party tool read their WhatsApp job chats.
- Test it this week
- Ask ten small trade firms to forward you a week of job chats and see if a manual log is useful to them.