How do you set up recurring jobs?
Recurring jobs are easiest to set up through your CRM or scheduling software—most have a template or repeat feature built in. You can also run them manually if you're only handling a handful. Here's what actually works at different scales.
Start with a manual schedule if you have few recurring jobs
If you've got three or four recurring clients—weekly lawn maintenance, monthly HVAC checks, seasonal gutter cleaning—you can block them out in your calendar or scheduling tool without automation. Write them down once, then duplicate the job entry every month or quarter. This takes 10 minutes per job setup and works fine when you're not drowning in repeats. The catch: you have to remember to create each one. You'll forget. Someone always forgets. That's why most contractors move past this pretty fast.
Use your CRM's built-in repeat or template feature
Most modern CRMs—Lowkly, Jobber, ServiceTitan, HubSpot—have a repeat function that auto-creates jobs at your chosen interval. You set it once: 'This job repeats every month on the 15th' or 'Every quarter starting in January.' The system then generates a new job automatically, assigns it to a crew, and sends notifications. This cuts manual work to almost zero. Setup takes five minutes per recurring job. The downside: if you need to customize that job each time—different scope, different crew, different price—you'll still need to manually edit it before dispatch. That's normal.
Tie recurring jobs to client contracts for accountability
Link each recurring job to the original service agreement so you know the scope, price, and frequency upfront. Example: 'Weekly landscaping visit, $250, every Thursday.' Then build reminders 48 hours before each recurrence so your office can confirm the client still wants it that week (weather cancellations, scheduling changes happen). Attach the contract terms to the job in your system so the crew doesn't have to ask what they're supposed to do. This prevents scope creep and ensures consistency across months.
Set crew assignments and route them together
If the same crew handles the same recurring jobs, assign them by default in your template. A weekly maintenance job for Customer A on Tuesdays always goes to Crew B. This builds efficiency—they know the route, the client, the rhythm. If you rotate crews, make a note in the job so whoever picks it up knows what happened last time. Use your CRM's notes or history feature so there's a paper trail. Nothing wastes time faster than a crew showing up unprepared because nobody told them what the last visit involved.
Bottom line
Pick your CRM's repeat or template feature—it saves hours monthly compared to manual scheduling. Link each recurring job to its contract so scope and price stay consistent, and assign crews in advance so they know what to expect.