Client Records for Contractors: What to Include
Keep the contact details, job and billing addresses, job history and notes contractors need before sending a proposal or an invoice.
Published · Updated · 3 min read
Quick answer
A useful contractor client record holds reliable contact details, the correct job and billing addresses, the current request, and a short history of decisions. Keep the client separate from each job, store only what your team needs, and review the record before you create a new proposal or invoice.
Key takeaways
- Keep the client (who you work with) separate from each job (the work you do).
- Store the service address and the billing address separately, with internal labels that never appear on customer documents.
- Write notes for the next teammate: decisions, access details and follow-up dates.
- Review names and addresses each time you create a customer-facing document.
- Store only what you need to serve the customer.
What a client record should hold
| Field | Why it matters | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Name and company | Appears on proposals and invoices | Avery Taylor, or a company or trust name |
| Phone and email | How you reach them and where documents are sent | Preferred contact method noted |
| Service address | Where the work happens | The house or unit being painted |
| Billing address | Where the invoice goes, if different | A property manager’s office |
| Request and notes | What they asked for and what was agreed | Repaint the living room; color to be confirmed |
| Job history | The work done for this client over time | An interior repaint this year, a fence next year |
In Estiggle only a name is required to create a client. Contact details and addresses can be added later, from the client’s page.
Separate the client from the job
The client is the person or organization you work with. A job is the specific work you do for them. Keeping those records separate lets one client have several jobs without repeating every contact detail, and keeps notes from unrelated visits from getting mixed together.
Keep addresses specific
A service address and a billing address can differ. Give each saved address an internal label that helps your team, then show only the actual address on customer-facing documents. Confirm the selected address when a proposal or invoice is created. An older document should stay an accurate snapshot of what was agreed at the time.
Write notes for the next teammate
Good notes capture decisions and practical constraints, not a transcript of every conversation. Write the access detail, the requested outcome or the follow-up date that another teammate would need. If a note changes the scope or the price, update the proposal or invoice too.
- Preferred contact method and current contact details
- Service location and billing destination
- Open request and the related proposal or job
- Decision history and the next agreed action
Keep only what you need
Store what your team needs to serve the customer, and leave out sensitive details you have no use for, such as full payment card numbers. The fewer personal details a record holds, the less there is to protect and to correct.
Review before you share
Treat the client record as a working source, not a document you send unchanged. Check names, addresses and recipient details each time you create a proposal or invoice. Estiggle keeps saved client details and document records connected, and it keeps the address copied into an existing document. See from proposal to invoice for how those records connect, and how to set up your workspace for where to add your first client.
Frequently asked questions
What information should a contractor keep for each client?
Contact details, the job address and billing address, the current request, the related jobs, and a short history of decisions and follow-ups. Keep it to what the team needs to do the work and send accurate documents.
Should the client and the job be separate records?
Yes. The client is who you work with and a job is the work. Separating them lets one client have several jobs without repeating contact details.
Is it okay to keep notes about customers?
Yes. Keep them factual and relevant to the work, and avoid personal details you do not need.
What happens to an old proposal if I change the client’s address?
In Estiggle, proposals and invoices keep the address that was copied when they were created, so later edits to the client record do not change older documents.