What SideWRK does — and what it doesn't
SideWRK helps you keep the paper straight. Every job can carry a customer authorization you can prove — their name, the amount, and the time it was approved — plus the records your specific trade is expected to keep, all printed right on the document. And it flags a job when it crosses a common threshold or hits work that usually needs a permit or a licensed trade.
To be straight with you: SideWRK doesn't make you licensed and it doesn't guarantee you're legally compliant — that's between you and your state. What it does is make the by-the-book version the easy version, so you're not cutting corners just because the paperwork was a hassle. It documents your work and follows the procedure with you; it doesn't certify you.
What you can use it for
Prove the customer said yes
The customer approves with their name, the amount, and the time logged — or you log an authorization taken in person, by phone, or by text. It prints on the document, so "I never agreed to that" doesn't hold up.
Keep the records your trade keeps
A mechanic logs the VIN and odometer, HVAC logs the refrigerant, pest control logs the product and application, a plumber runs the water-heater safety checklist — the app prompts for what your trade should document, on the job.
Catch the permit and license lines
When a job crosses a dollar threshold for unlicensed work or hits work that typically needs a permit or a licensed pro, the app flags it — a heads-up before you're in over your head, not after.
Keep a clean paper trail
Every estimate, authorization, and trade record lives in one place and prints on the document — so if there's ever a dispute, an inspection, or a question, you can back up what happened.
How to keep the paper straight
- 1
Get the authorization on the record
Send the estimate for approval — the customer approves with their name, time, and amount — or log an authorization taken in person, by phone, or by text.
- 2
Log what your trade documents
The app prompts for your trade's records as you work — the VIN, the refrigerant, the pesticide application, the safety checklist — so it's captured, not forgotten.
- 3
Watch for the flags
Permit and license-threshold reminders show up when a job crosses into that territory, so nothing sneaks up on you mid-job.
- 4
Keep it all in one place
Estimates, authorizations, and records stay together and print on the document — your paper trail, ready if anyone ever asks.
Why the paper trail is the business
The pro who keeps records and the guy who scribbles on a napkin do the same work — but only one of them can back it up when there's a dispute, an inspection, or a question about who authorized what. The paperwork is a lot of what separates a real business from a side gig.
SideWRK makes the by-the-book version the easy version. It documents; it doesn't certify. You and your state handle the license and the law — the tool does the heavy lifting on keeping the record straight.
Job records — common questions
Does SideWRK make me legally compliant?
No, and it won't claim to. It gives you the tools to document your work and follow the procedure your trade calls for — authorizations, records, permit and license flags — but being licensed and meeting the law is between you and your state. It handles the paper trail, not the law. It's not legal advice.
What records can it keep?
The things your trade is expected to document — VIN and odometer for a mechanic, refrigerant handling for HVAC, pesticide applications for pest control, a water-heater safety checklist for a plumber, and so on — captured on the job and printed on the document.
How does the authorization record work?
The customer approves with their name, the time, and the amount logged; you can also log an authorization taken in person, by phone, or by text. It prints on the document as a record of who agreed to what, and to how much.
Does it warn me about permits or licenses?
It flags when a job crosses a common threshold (like a dollar limit for unlicensed work) or hits work that usually needs a permit or a licensed trade. It's a heads-up to help you do it right — not legal advice, and not a guarantee.