Understanding Job Types: Service vs Job Walk

The Basics

"Service" Jobs

  • Complete work and bill customer

  • Parts are consumed from inventory

  • Can be converted to invoices

  • Status when completed: "Uninvoiced"

"Job Walk" Jobs

  • Create estimates for work that needs customer approval

  • Parts are NOT consumed from inventory

  • Can be converted to estimates

  • Status when completed: "Unestimated"

When to Use Each Type

Use Service when:

  • Work will be completed within this job (even if it takes multiple visits)

  • Customer has already approved the work

  • Parts are available or can be ordered without needing an estimate first

Important: If you need to pause work or wait for parts but don't need an estimate, keep it as Service and put it on hold. Don't convert to Job Walk.

Use Job Walk when:

  • An estimate is required before proceeding with work

  • You started as Service but discovered an estimate is needed

Key point: Job Walk is specifically for creating estimates. If you just need to pause work, stay as Service.

Common Workflow

Most jobs follow this pattern:

  1. Create Service job

  2. Technician arrives on-site

  3. Can we complete work within this job?

    • YES → Complete work → Create invoice → Done

    • NO → Continue to next step

  4. Do we need an estimate to proceed?

    • NO → Put job on hold (stays Service)

    • YES → Convert to Job Walk

  5. Complete assessment

  6. Create estimate

  7. Customer approves estimate

  8. Create new Service job from the estimate

  9. Complete the work

  10. Create invoice

You can convert between types anytime before finalizing. Inventory adjusts automatically.

How to Convert Job Types

Office Staff

  1. Open the job you need to convert

  2. Click the "Edit" button

  3. Find the "Job Type" toggle switch (near the top of the job form)

  4. Click to toggle between Service and Job Walk

  5. Click "Save"

Technicians

Important: By default, technicians cannot change job types from the mobile app. To enable this capability, contact a Roopairs team member to adjust your technician permissions.

What technicians should do:

  • Call or message the office when an estimate is needed

  • Add detailed notes and photos during assessment

  • Complete the job summary with all findings

Inventory Behavior

"Service" Jobs

Parts are deducted from inventory each time the technician updates the job summary with line item changes. The system tracks the delta (additions, removals, quantity changes) and adjusts inventory accordingly.

"Job Walk" Jobs

Parts are never deducted from inventory, regardless of whether they were actually used or are just planned.

Important: A Job Walk may include:

  • Parts that were already used during the assessment

  • Parts that are needed for full job completion

None of these parts affect inventory while the job is a Job Walk. Inventory is only deducted later when you create a Servicejob from the approved estimate and complete the work.

When You Convert

  • Service → Job Walk: All parts return to inventory

  • Job Walk → Service: All parts deduct from inventory

  • You can convert multiple times - inventory adjusts with each change

What Transfers When Creating Estimates or Invoices

"Job Walk" → Estimate

What transfers automatically:

  • All line items (parts, labor, service charges, discounts)

  • Customer and service location

  • Equipment

  • Tax settings

What doesn't transfer:

  • Photos and attachments

"Service" → Invoice

What transfers automatically:

  • All line items (parts, labor, service charges, discounts)

  • Customer and service location

  • Tax settings

  • Service name

What doesn't transfer:

  • Equipment

  • Photos and attachments

Estimate → "Service" Job (After Approval)

What transfers automatically:

  • All line items (parts, labor, service charges, discounts)

  • Customer and service location

  • Equipment

  • Tax settings

What doesn't transfer:

  • Photos and attachments

Job Status & Where Jobs Appear

When you complete a Service or Job Walk job, it moves to the "Completed" section. What happens next depends on whether you've created an estimate or invoice.

Scenario #1: No Estimate or Invoice Created

Location: Completed section of the Job list view

Status display:

  • Service jobs show "Uninvoiced"

  • Job Walk jobs show "Unestimated"

When you open the job, you'll see:

  • Service jobs: "Create Invoice" or "Mark as Invoiced" buttons

  • Job Walk jobs: "Create Estimate" or "Mark as Estimated" buttons

Scenario #2: Draft Estimate or Invoice Created

Location: Still in Completed section

Status display:

  • Service jobs show "Uninvoiced"

  • Job Walk jobs show "Unestimated"

When you open the job, you'll see:

  • Service jobs: "Resume Invoice" button

  • Job Walk jobs: "Resume Estimate" button

The job stays in "Completed" because their related estimate or invoice hasn't been sent yet.

State 3: Estimate or Invoice Sent (Finalized)

Location: Finalized section (moved automatically)

What happened: When you send (finalize) the estimate or invoice, the related job automatically moves from "Completed" to "Finalized." It's now a historical record.

Key point: Jobs only move to "Finalized" when you send the estimate or invoice. Saving as draft keeps them in "Completed."

Understanding the Three Records

When a Job Walk leads to approved work, you'll see three separate records:

  1. Original Job Walk job - The assessment visit (in Finalized section)

  2. Estimate - The proposal document

  3. New Service job - The actual work (in Completed or Finalized, depending on invoice status)

Why? This creates a complete audit trail showing when you assessed the problem, what you proposed with the approved price, and when you completed the work.

Common Scenarios

Scenario 1: Ideal Service Call

Tech has parts on truck and completes work immediately.

Flow: Service job → Complete → Create invoice → Done

Job location: Moves from Completed to Finalized when invoice is sent

Scenario 2: Need Parts, No Estimate

Customer already approved work, just waiting on parts.

Flow: Service job → Put on hold → Order parts → Reschedule → Resume → Complete → Create invoice → Done

Job location: Stays in Completed (showing "Uninvoiced") until invoice is sent

Scenario 3: Started Work, Need Approval

Tech finds additional problems requiring customer approval.

Flow:

  1. Service job → Convert to Job Walk

  2. Complete assessment → Create estimate (job stays in Completed showing "Unestimated")

  3. Draft estimate (job now shows "Resume Estimate" button)

  4. Send estimate (job moves to Finalized)

  5. Customer approves → Convert into new Service job

  6. Complete work → Create invoice → Done

Job locations: Original Job Walk in Finalized, new Service job follows normal flow

Scenario 4: Pre-Planned Assessment

Customer requested an assessment and estimate before starting any work.

Flow:

  1. Create Job Walk → Complete assessment

  2. Create estimate → Send estimate (job moves to Finalized)

  3. Customer approves → Create new Service job from estimate

  4. Complete work → Create invoice → Done

Troubleshooting

Q: My job is stuck showing "Uninvoiced" or "Unestimated" - why?

A: Check if you have a draft estimate or invoice. If you see a "Resume" button when you open the job, you started creating the estimate/invoice but haven't sent it yet. Send it to move the job to Finalized.

If you see "Create" buttons, you haven't started the estimate/invoice yet.

Q: I can't create an estimate from my Service job

A: Convert it to Job Walk first. Edit the job, toggle to Job Walk, save, then the "Create Estimate" button will appear.

Q: My inventory count changed after converting job types - is this wrong?

A: No, this is correct. Converting between Service and Job Walk automatically adjusts inventory:

  • Service → Job Walk: Parts return to inventory

  • Job Walk → Service: Parts deduct from inventory

Q: Why do I see two jobs linked to an invoice?

A: This is normal when a Job Walk becomes an estimate and then approved work. You have:

  1. The assessment Job Walk (in Finalized)

  2. The estimate document

  3. The new Service job for the actual work

Each serves a different purpose in your audit trail.

Q: I can't create an invoice or estimate from my completed job

A: Check your job type:

  • To create an invoice: Job must be Service

  • To create an estimate: Job must be Job Walk

Edit the job and convert to the correct type if needed.

Q: Photos and attachments didn't transfer to my estimate/invoice

A: This is expected. Photos and attachments must be manually re-uploaded to the estimate or invoice.

Key Takeaways

  1. Start with Service - It's the right choice 80% of the time

  2. Use Job Walk only for estimates - Not for pausing or rescheduling work

  3. Pausing work ≠ Job Walk - Use "On Hold" status for Service jobs waiting on parts or scheduling

  4. Inventory adjusts automatically - Converting job types handles all inventory changes

  5. Equipment transfers to estimates - But NOT to invoices

  6. Photos never transfer - Must re-upload to estimates and invoices

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