Migrating from Joist to Housecall Pro

Why you might make this switch

Outgrew quotes and invoices; need team scheduling and dispatching as the crew grows. What our data says about the two tools:

• Housecall Pro is listed as best for: Home service businesses that want payments, consumer financing, online booking and review requests built into one platform.
• Joist's listed weaknesses: Scheduling and jobs only on the new Run plan ($100/mo list, offered at an introductory $58.33/mo billed annually or $70/mo billed monthly); below that it is quote-and-invoice only with no dispatching. Outgrown quickly past 3 techs.

Features listed for Housecall Pro but not for Joist

Our feature lists are not exhaustive and name features differently between tools, so check each one on the vendor's site.

• scheduling
• dispatching
• credit card processing
• consumer financing
• marketing automation
• instapay

Features listed for Joist but not for Housecall Pro

• credit card payments
• client signatures
• photo attachments

Cost-of-switch analysis

Three cost components when migrating from Joist to Housecall Pro:

• Software-cost change: about $51/month more on Housecall Pro at the starting price ($59/mo against $8.34/mo), or about $608 a year. These starting prices are not like for like: Joist charges per company and Housecall Pro charges per company with some users included, plus a fee per extra user, so compare them at your team size.
• Implementation fees: Check Housecall Pro's pricing note and confirm its setup fee in writing: some vendors include onboarding in the subscription and others charge for it.
• Staff time: setup, data checks and training take time from office staff and techs. We have no measured figure for it; the cost-of-switch calculator adds it from stated assumptions that you can scale to your own hours and wages.

Migration steps, in order

We have no measured durations for these steps; ask Housecall Pro for a written onboarding plan with dates.

1. Set up Housecall Pro

Configure company settings, users and permissions, and your price book if you use one. Get this right before you import anything.

2. Import your data

Export your customer list and active jobs from Joist and import them into Housecall Pro. Check a sample of customers and jobs against Joist. Check recurring service agreements one by one, and ask Housecall Pro whether its import carries them over.

3. Train the team and run both systems

Train dispatchers and office staff first, then field techs. While both systems run, enter new jobs in Housecall Pro and complete jobs already booked in Joist.

4. Cut over

Stop entering new data in Joist. Export all historical data before you cancel, then cancel the Joist subscription.

5. After the switch

Set up the automations and reports you planned to use in Housecall Pro, and check them against the reasons you switched.

Data export checklist (before cancelling Joist)

Export everything from Joist before you cancel, and ask Joist how long you keep access afterwards. Your checklist:

• Customer records: full export with names, addresses, contact info, custom fields, service notes
• Active job data: open work orders, scheduled appointments, recurring service agreements
• Historical invoices: as many years as your accountant needs for tax and audit records
• Payment records: past payments and outstanding balances
• Photo and document attachments: job site photos, signed agreements, equipment photos
• Price book / service catalog: your service offerings with their prices
• Membership/maintenance plan data: recurring billing setups, plan tiers, member status
• Integration configurations: screenshot or write down your QuickBooks sync, payment setup and Zapier workflows so you can re-create them
• User accounts and permissions: list of staff with their role assignments
• Reports and saved views: note custom dashboards or reports you'll need to rebuild

Integration checklist

From the integrations our data lists for each tool. The lists are not exhaustive, so confirm each one with the vendor.

Listed for both tools (you will still need to connect each one to Housecall Pro and check how it syncs):

• quickbooks online

Listed for Housecall Pro but not for Joist (worth evaluating during migration):

• quickbooks desktop
• zapier
• google local services
• mailchimp
• callrail
• companycam
• thumbtack

Migration pitfalls to plan for

• Cancelling Joist too early. Don't cancel until you've checked the exported data and Housecall Pro is running your daily work. Keep both subscriptions while they overlap.
• Trusting an imported price book unchecked. If you use a price book, check every imported item and price in Housecall Pro, or rebuild it there, before you send quotes from it.
• Forgetting custom workflows. If your office built custom workflows or automations in Joist (dispatch rules, email templates, automated billing), list every one and ask Housecall Pro how to rebuild each before cutover.
• Skipping the team. Have the team members least comfortable with software try Housecall Pro before you sign. Train a few willing people first and have them help the rest.
• Switching in your busiest months. Setup, data checks and training take office time you need for customers when demand peaks.
• Not budgeting for the overlap. While both tools run, you keep paying for Joist: $8.34/mo at its starting price, or more on a higher plan.

Things to verify BEFORE you sign the new contract

• Data export from Joist. Confirm you can export customers, jobs and invoices in a format Housecall Pro can import.
• QuickBooks integration. If you keep your books in QuickBooks, check that Housecall Pro supports your version (Online or Desktop) and the sync direction you need. Our data lists quickbooks online and quickbooks desktop for Housecall Pro.
• Cancellation terms on Joist. Check your contract for a minimum term or annual commitment and the notice period.
• Implementation cost on Housecall Pro. Ask for the setup or onboarding fee in writing.
• Team adoption. Have the team members least comfortable with software try Housecall Pro before you sign.

When to hold off

• You're in your busiest months. Setup and training compete with customer work.
• Your current pain is a single missing feature that the new tool also doesn't solve. Verify the feature gap closes before signing.
• Your team adopted Joist recently. Another change soon after can wear on a team; make sure the move is worth it.