Job Checklists & Inspections
Job Checklists & Inspections lets your team build reusable inspection templates, start them for specific jobs, and track whether field work is pending, in progress, complete, or voided.
When to use this
Use Job Checklists & Inspections when your business needs repeatable field procedures: safety walk-throughs, tune-up steps, install quality checks, post-job cleanup lists, or any inspection that should be completed the same way every time.
Before you start
- Confirm the plugin is included in your plan.
- Open Settings → Features and make sure Job Checklists & Inspections is enabled.
- Decide who can create templates and who can start or complete checklists on jobs.
- List the first one or two field workflows you want to standardize before creating templates.
How to use Job Checklists & Inspections
Open Job Checklists & Inspections from the main navigation. The page shows checklist health at a glance, then separates reusable Templates from Active Checklists that have been started for jobs.
Recommended workflow:
Click New Template.
Name the template for the job type or inspection, such as “Spring maintenance inspection.”
Add a category like HVAC, Safety, Post-Job, or Install so the template is easy to find later.
Add a short description that tells your team when to use it.
Keep Active turned on if the template should be available for new jobs, then save it.
Use Edit Items on the saved template to add each inspection step.
Click Start Checklist when a job needs that template, assign it to the job or technician, and have the field team fill it out item by item.
Only Active templates appear in the Start Checklist template picker. Click Deactivate to retire a template from future jobs while keeping its history, then Reactivate it if the procedure returns to service.
Build checklist items
Each template item has a Label, Type, Required toggle, and optional Help Text for the technician. Use the item types to match the evidence you need from the field:
- Pass / Fail — quality or safety checks that should be marked pass, fail, or not applicable.
- Yes / No — compliance questions or customer sign-off steps.
- Checkbox — simple acknowledgement items.
- Text — notes, serial numbers, observations, or explanations.
- Number — measurements such as pressure, temperature, quantity, or reading values.
Required items must be answered before the checklist can be marked complete. Optional items can stay blank when they do not apply to the job.
Review active checklists
Use the Active Checklists tab to review checklists that are Pending, In Progress, Complete, or Void. The filter tabs let you focus on one status at a time. Open a pending or in-progress checklist with Fill out; completed and voided checklists open read-only with View so the job record stays intact.
Settings
In the page header, select Checklists setup. The setup page controls the defaults ToolbagCRM applies when someone starts a checklist or adds a new template item.
Recommended setup flow:
- Choose a Default template if most jobs should start with the same inspection list. Leave it as No default if dispatchers should choose each time.
- Choose the Default item type new template steps should use first. Steps can still be changed individually while editing the template.
- Turn Require completion before job close on if jobs should stay open until required checklists are finished.
- Click Save changes.
Tips
- Start with one office-approved workflow before rolling checklists out to every technician.
- Keep template-editing permissions tight so field procedures stay consistent.
- Use short step names, clear help text, and the right response type so technicians can complete checklists quickly in the field.
- Keep required items limited to the evidence that must be captured before closeout; make seasonal or situational items optional.
- Review active templates after each season or service-line change so field steps match the work your team actually performs.
- Retire outdated templates instead of deleting historical inspection context.
- Revisit the job-close policy before busy season so required checklists do not surprise dispatchers at closeout time.
Troubleshooting
The checklist form will not save
A template needs a Name, and a new checklist needs a Template and Job. ToolbagCRM uses the selected job's current title, so choose the correct job and try again.
A checklist item is missing from the form
Checklist items can be marked as Required or Optional in the template editor. If an item was recently added, make sure the template was saved after the change.
Mark Complete fails on a checklist
Required items must be answered before a checklist can move to Complete. Open the checklist with Fill out, look for items with the required marker, and answer each one before selecting Mark Complete again. If every required item is answered but ToolbagCRM shows We couldn't complete the checklist, select Mark Complete again; the action stays available after a failed request.
I need to retire or restore a template
Use Deactivate instead of deleting a template. The template stays in history but cannot start new checklists until you click Reactivate.