Free worksheet · use before you sign

24 questions to ask before signing for field-service software.

A software demo shows what a platform can do. Your quote and contract determine what your HVAC, plumbing, electrical or other service business will actually pay, receive and be able to leave. Use this checklist during a vendor call; ask for important answers in writing.

Important: BuyerSide is an independent, free planning tool. We do not sell the underlying software, negotiate or sign contracts for you, guarantee a vendor price, or provide legal advice. Your vendor's actual agreement controls its obligations. The boxes and answer spaces on this page stay in your browser; nothing is sent to us.

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1. What exactly is included?

1. Which features are included in the quoted tier, and which are paid add-ons?

Ask for the exact module names and monthly amounts, not a demo-only feature list.

2. How many office users, dispatchers and field technicians are included?

Confirm whether part-time staff and seasonal workers count, and what the next user costs.

3. Are phone, text, payment, marketing and financing services optional?

Separate the software subscription from third-party processing and usage charges.

4. What usage limits apply to messages, storage, calls, estimates and integrations?

Get the overage price and what happens if the limit is exceeded.

5. Which accounting, payroll, calendar and payment tools actually integrate?

Ask whether data moves both directions, how often it syncs and which integration costs extra.

6. Can my team test our real workflows before committing?

Have a dispatcher and field user test estimating, booking, dispatching and invoices with sample jobs.

2. The complete cost

7. What is the recurring monthly total with every required module?

Ask for an itemized quote with quantities, price per unit and billing frequency.

8. What implementation, migration, training or hardware fees are one-time?

Confirm whether fees are payable before go-live, in installments or after acceptance.

9. What payment-processing and financing fees apply?

Ask about card-present, keyed-in, ACH, refunds, disputes and optional financing services.

10. What discounts expire, and what triggers a price change?

Clarify promotional end dates, renewal pricing and whether the vendor can raise fees mid-term.

11. If our team grows or shrinks, when do billed seat counts change?

Ask whether decreases are permitted before renewal and whether the vendor imposes seat minimums.

12. Can we get the full first-year and stated-term total in writing?

Include setup, required subscriptions, taxes and any unavoidable commitments. Model the quote in our calculator.

3. Implementation and operating risk

13. Who imports our customers, pricebook, job history and open invoices?

Ask what fields cannot be migrated and who verifies completeness.

14. What is the rollout schedule, and who is responsible for each milestone?

Get go-live criteria and the plan if implementation runs late.

15. Is training included for current staff and future hires?

Confirm training format, office hours, recorded materials and optional paid training.

16. What happens if field connectivity is poor or the service is down?

Ask what technicians can do offline and how support and recovery actually work.

17. What support is available when our dispatch office needs help?

Check phone versus chat, support hours, escalation routes and whether priority support costs extra.

18. Can we validate real operational value before expanding seats or modules?

Choose a measurable workflow: dispatch time, estimate turnaround, or invoice collection speed.

4. Renewal and the ability to leave

19. When does the subscription start, and when does the term end?

The invoice start, go-live date and contract start may differ; get the dates written down.

20. Does the contract automatically renew, and how much advance notice is needed?

Ask exactly how cancellation notice must be delivered and what proof of receipt to keep.

21. If we cancel early, what fees or remaining payments could be due?

Request the actual agreement section and have counsel explain any ambiguous obligations.

22. Can we export customer records, invoices, estimates and attachments if we leave?

Check export formats, assistance fees and whether attachments are included.

23. How long will the vendor retain and let us access our data after cancellation?

Ask about backup exports, deletion timing, and transition access.

24. Who has authority to approve the final pricing and agreement changes?

Get the approved proposal and contract terms together; don't rely only on informal sales assurances.

Turn answers into a decision

Put the approved amounts in the single-quote calculator, model competing offers in the side-by-side comparison, if changing systems, estimate migration and training using the switching-cost calculator, then use the break-even calculator to ask what operational improvement would cover the cost. If a quote is unclear, request an itemized revision before signing.

Prepared by Project BuyerSide as a general-purpose, AI-assisted planning worksheet. It does not claim direct experience using each vendor and does not replace review of a specific contract by your attorney or adviser. No affiliate relationships are active on this page.