Job IntakeExcavation
First estimate in minutes for excavation jobs
Site prep, trenches, drainage and foundations. Customers answer a few questions on your website, day or night, including access and buried lines, and add photos. You get a job report by email.
On your website
What your customer sees
A homeowner taps "Get a free estimate" and the chat opens. It asks one question at a time and takes photos straight from the phone camera.
- Chat: Hi! I'm the automated intake assistant for Tieton Talpa Excavation. I'll ask a few quick questions so the team has everything they need, then they'll get back to you. What do you need done?
- Customer: We need a trench for a water line out to the new shop, about 90 feet.
- Chat: Got it. What's the ZIP code where the work would be done?
- Customer: 98360
- Chat: Thanks. Do you know of anything buried along that route, like gas, sewer, septic or sprinkler lines? Utility lines get marked through 811 before any digging.
- Customer: The septic is on the other side of the house. Not sure about anything else.
- Chat: That helps. If you can, add a photo of the route from the house and one of the gate or path in. You can add up to 5.
Excavation questions
The questions it asks for excavation jobs
Each trade gets its own question set. These are the ones for excavation work.
- 01
What needs doing
Site prep or grading, a foundation dig, a trench, drainage, septic or a driveway
- 02
Size and depth
How big an area, or how long and deep the dig needs to be
- 03
Equipment access
Gate or path width, and whether the ground is flat or sloped
- 04
Anything buried
Known gas, water, sewer, septic or sprinkler lines; lines get marked through 811 first
- 05
Permit or plan
Whether the county or an engineer has a permit or plan in place
- 06
Timing
As soon as possible, before the rains, or just planning
- 07
Photos of the site
The area from a corner, the way in, and any meters or markings
- 08
ZIP code
Checked against your service area before anything else
Photos
Photos it asks for
The chat asks for each photo by name, with a short tip. Customers can add up to 5.
-
The whole area from a corner
Wide enough to show the size and the house
-
The route or the dig line
From one end, with any existing pipe or marks in view
-
The way in for equipment
The gate, driveway or path, and how wide it is
-
Meters, covers and markings
Gas and water meters, cleanouts, and any paint or flags; no digging to look
The job report
What you get
A job report by email for every request, with the answers, the photos and a suggested range from your price list. The customer sees no price until you approve it.
Trench about 90 feet for a water line to a new shop
Urgency: Planned- Customer
- Jordan Pike
- Phone
- (555) 010-0114
- [email protected]
- ZIP
- 98360
$1,500 to $6,000
Matched: Trench for water, sewer or power lines Approve and send to customer The customer sees nothing until you approve.-
Urgency up top
The job in one line, marked Planned or Emergency.
Trench about 90 feet for a water line to a new shop
Urgency: Planned -
Questions to ask on the call
Based on what the customer said and what is still missing.
Ask on the call
- How deep does the line need to be for frost and code?
- Is a plumber laying the pipe, or should we?
- Any driveway or pavement to cross?
- Has an 811 locate been requested yet?
-
What the photos can't confirm
So you know what to check when you see the job.
What the photos can't confirm
- Rock or hardpan below the topsoil
- Private buried lines that 811 does not mark
- Exact route and grade between the house and the shop
Urgent calls
Urgent calls
When a homeowner types words like these, the chat stops asking questions and points them to you right away.
- hit a gas line
- hissing
- hit a power line
- trench caved in
- someone is buried
- water main broke
Shows the call card
A call button with your number, and a line to call 911 if anyone is in danger.
Alerts you
An email marked Possible emergency, with the customer's number when they gave it.
- Chat: Hi! I'm the automated intake assistant for Tieton Talpa Excavation. I'll ask a few quick questions so the team has everything they need, then they'll get back to you. What do you need done?
- Customer: Our crew hit a gas line by the garage and it is hissing.
Please call the team
This could be urgent. If anyone is in danger, or you see fire or smoke or smell gas, call 911 now. If a line was hit or a trench has caved in, move everyone away first; don't go into the trench. Then call 911 and the utility. Otherwise please call Tieton Talpa Excavation right away at (555) 010-0139.
Call (555) 010-0139Tieton Talpa Excavation: possible emergency
Possible emergency
Drew Kessler reported a gas line hit near the garage, hissing, at 2:20 PM.
They were told to call you at (555) 010-0139. Their number is (555) 010-0113.
Call Drew Kessler Open the job report Powered by GKTech SolutionsBy the numbers
By the numbers
-
38%
Average chance that excavators couldn’t start work as scheduled because locate requests came back incomplete.
Source: Common Ground Alliance, 2024 DIRT Report, Executive Summary
-
26%
Share of underground utility damages traced to notification failures, which include not calling 811.
Source: Common Ground Alliance, 2024 DIRT Report, Executive Summary
-
24%
Share of damages involving water and sewer work, the leading type of work.
Source: Common Ground Alliance, 2024 DIRT Report, Executive Summary
FAQ
Questions owners ask
Something else on your mind? Ask us when you try the demo.
Will it work with my website?
Most likely. Job Intake is added to your site as a short script tag or a "Get a free estimate" button, and the chat opens on top of your page. If your website lets you add a snippet of code, it can run there. If you are not sure, we check it with you.
Who sees the price?
You do, first. The job report suggests a range from your own price list. The customer sees a price only after you tap Approve and send.
What if it's an emergency?
When a customer types words like hit a gas line, trench caved in or water main broke, the chat stops asking questions and shows a card with your phone number, a line to call 911 if anyone is in danger, and a line to move everyone away and stay out of the trench. You get an email marked Possible emergency, with their number when they gave it.
What does setup take?
We set it up with you: your service area, the questions for your trade, your price list and the inbox for job reports. On your website it is one script tag or button.
What happens to customer data?
Each business's requests are stored separately, and the details go only to that business. Photos are kept in private storage, and the link in each job report is signed and expires.
Live demo
Try it as a customer
Play the homeowner. The job report goes to your inbox, the way your customers' requests would reach you.
- 01Tell us where to send the report
- 02Answer as a homeowner on an example business site
- 03Open the job report in your email
Demo running
You're the homeowner now
Answer the way your customers would. When you send the request, the job report goes to your inbox.
- 01Describe a job, for example a trench for a water line or grading for a patio
- 02Add a photo or two from your phone
- 03Send it, then check your email
The demo is open
Check your inbox.
The job report for this demo is on its way to .
The request isn't sent yet.
The job report goes to after you tap Send to the team at the end of the chat.
You've run a few demos today. Come back tomorrow, or book a call and we'll walk you through it.
Example screens use fictional businesses and demo data.