If you’re evaluating CompanyCam, you can create an account, invite your crew, start your first project, and take your first documented photo in a few minutes from your phone.
This guide covers what CompanyCam does, how setup works, and what your crew can expect during the first week. You’ll also see what you need before getting started and how setup compares with other types of contractor software.
What is CompanyCam?
CompanyCam is a photo-first documentation app built for contractors. Your crew captures photos and videos in the app, where they’re organized by project and synced to the cloud. Your office can review progress, communicate about the job, generate reports, and share updates using the same project record.
CompanyCam also integrates with 50+ tools contractors use for accounting, scheduling, and project management, so job documentation can stay connected to the rest of your workflow.
How do you set up CompanyCam?
Getting set up with CompanyCam takes four steps. You can complete the initial setup from your phone and start documenting a project right away.
- Create your account. Download CompanyCam from the App Store or Google Play, get started for free, and enter your work email and a password.
- Invite your crew. Go to the Team area, invite users by email, and assign each person a role. Standard is the default role, so you can get people into the app before adjusting permissions as needed.
- Create your first project. Add a project name and address to give your crew a shared place for job photos, videos, and other documentation.
- Take your first photo. Open the project, tap the camera, and capture the photo. CompanyCam records the time and location and files the image under the project.
CompanyCam says you can get a team up and running in less than three minutes. Since the initial setup happens from a phone and doesn’t require additional hardware, crews can start using the core photo documentation workflow during their first job.
How long does it take to get a crew using CompanyCam?
You can set up CompanyCam in minutes, and most people can learn the core features in about thirty minutes. Crews can start with photo documentation on day one and add other features as they become part of how the team manages jobs.
Start with photo capture
The initial process centers on three actions:
- Open the app.
- Select the project.
- Take the photo.
Keeping the first day focused on photo capture gives crews a process they can use while they’re already moving through the job. Photos immediately start building a project record that both the field and office can reference.
Add more features as your crew gets comfortable
Once photo capture becomes familiar, your team can start using photo tags, comments, reports, and other CompanyCam features. Crews can add these tools based on how they document jobs and communicate about the work.
As your team grows, you can also use a consistent process for onboarding new hires so they can learn how your company documents jobs in CompanyCam from their first day.
What happens in your first week?
Your first week with CompanyCam is about getting your crew comfortable documenting jobs as they work. As more photos and videos are added, each project builds a visual record that the field and office can reference throughout the job.
The Beginner’s Guide to CompanyCam can help your team learn the core features as they get started. You can introduce additional tools throughout the week based on how your company documents and manages its projects.
Start building project records
Crews can begin by capturing photos and videos inside the correct project. CompanyCam organizes that documentation by project, giving everyone with access a shared place to review what happened on the job.
Encourage crews to capture the parts of the job your company regularly needs to reference, such as existing conditions, completed work, or project changes. Over the course of the week, those photos build a visual history your team can use to review progress and answer questions about the job.
Organize photos as you capture them
Once your crew is comfortable taking photos, start adding photo tags to make specific documentation easier to find later. Your company can create tags around the types of work, locations, or project details your team regularly documents.
Crews can also add comments and annotations when a photo needs more context. Instead of relying on the image alone, your team can keep relevant details connected to the photo and project where everyone can reference them.
Keep the office updated from the field
As crews add documentation, office teams can follow project activity without waiting for photos to be sent separately. They can review recent photos, check project progress, and reference the project timeline when they need to see what happened and when.
This shared project record can also support communication between the field and office. Team members can comment on photos and mention coworkers when they need an answer or want to call attention to a specific job detail.
Document jobs without cell service
With offline mode, crews can continue capturing photos at jobsites with limited or no cell service. CompanyCam stores the photos on the device and uploads them after it reconnects to Wi-Fi or cell service.
Offline mode lets crews document work throughout the day, including jobs in areas with unreliable service. Once the photos upload, they become part of the project record for the rest of the team to review.
Start sharing project updates
By the end of the first week, your team can start using the documentation they’ve collected to communicate with customers and other project partners. Photo galleries give you a way to share selected project photos without giving someone access to your full CompanyCam account.
Your team can also use its project documentation to create reports and other updates based on the work captured in the field. As crews continue using CompanyCam, these records become a useful source for showing progress, documenting completed work, and keeping project information together.
How is CompanyCam different from other contractor software?
Contractor software covers a wide range of business needs, and setup depends on how much a platform manages. Enterprise construction platforms and all-in-one field service systems can include scheduling, CRM, accounting, project management, and other business functions, which can require additional configuration before teams use the full system.
Start with jobsite documentation
CompanyCam starts with jobsite photo documentation, giving crews a process they can use as soon as the first project is created. Teams can begin with photo capture and basic organization, then introduce additional features based on how they manage their jobs.
Starting with photos also gives the office useful project information from the first day. Each new photo adds to the project record without requiring crews to change how they complete the work itself.
Use the same process across trades
The basic photo capture process works across different trades and company sizes. A roofing crew can document an inspection, while a landscaper can capture installation progress throughout a project.
General contractors can use the same process to maintain a visual record across multiple phases of construction. Teams can adjust how they organize and use that documentation based on the type of work they perform.
What do you need before you start?
Getting started requires a compatible phone, work email addresses for the crew members you want to invite, and a few minutes for setup. CompanyCam runs on iOS and Android, while office teams can also access projects through a web browser.
Before creating your first project, it helps to have:
- Work email addresses for the crew members you want to invite
- The name and address of your first project
- An idea of which crew members need access to that project
- The CompanyCam app installed on the phones your crew will use
Clients can also view galleries and project updates you share without creating a CompanyCam account. On select plans, Guest Access lets customers and other project partners view updates and add photos to a project without joining your company account.
Start documenting your first job
You can create your CompanyCam account, invite your crew, and begin documenting a project from your phone. Starting with the core photo workflow gives your crew a simple process they can use during their first day, while your office gets a shared visual record of the work.
Book a demo to watch CompanyCam in action and see how jobsite documentation works across the field and office. You can also start a free 14-day trial with no credit card required.
Frequently asked questions
How do you get started with CompanyCam?
Start by downloading CompanyCam from the App Store or Google Play and creating an account with your work email. From there, invite your crew, assign roles, create your first project with a name and address, and take your first photo inside the project.
CompanyCam records information such as the photo’s timestamp and location and organizes it under the project. Other team members with access to the project can then view the documentation from the app or web.
How long does it take to set up CompanyCam?
CompanyCam says you can get a team up and running in less than three minutes, while most people can learn the app in about thirty minutes. The initial workflow centers on opening the app, selecting the correct project, and taking a photo.
Crews can begin with those core actions and add features such as tags, comments, and reports as they become familiar with the app. This gives teams a practical starting point for using CompanyCam on active jobs.
Do you need a credit card to try CompanyCam?
You can start a free 14-day trial without a credit card. The trial gives your team time to create projects and use CompanyCam on active jobs before choosing a plan.
If you want to see the workflow before starting a trial, you can book a demo. The demo walks through how CompanyCam can fit into your field and office workflows.
Does CompanyCam work without cell service on a jobsite?
Yes. You can capture photos at a jobsite without cell service, and CompanyCam stores them on your device until you reconnect.
Once the device has Wi-Fi or cell service again, the photos upload to CompanyCam. The timestamp and location information captured with the photo stay attached to the documentation.
Do your crew and clients each need an account?
Crew members who use CompanyCam as part of your company need user accounts, which you can create by inviting them with their work email and assigning a role. This gives them access to the projects and tools available to their role. Clients can view galleries, timelines, and reports you share without creating an account.
