Ken’s Gutters: Building a Field Operations App
How we helped Ken’s Gutters streamline contractor tracking, photo capture, offline functionality, and data sync to improve field reporting accuracy across the U.S.
Overview
Ken’s Gutters is a U.S.-based company that provides gutter cleaning services through a network of over 100 contractors and subcontractors across the country. With such a large and distributed team, it became difficult to track where their workers were and what work had been completed. Most of the contractors were new hires, and the company needed a way to monitor job progress in real time.
Ken’s Gutters required a mobile app to solve this. The app had to track contractor locations, allow them to take photos of the work, and sync all this data with company systems. A major technical requirement was that the app had to function both online and offline, because many job sites had little or no mobile service.
Before approaching us, Ken’s Gutters hired a freelance developer who failed to deliver a functional product. After spending significant time and resources on a non-working prototype, they reached out to us for help. Within the first three days of starting the project, we delivered a working photo-capture proof of concept tailored to their needs. We then built a full mobile app that is now actively used by their workforce. It allows for live tracking, photo documentation, job details input, and syncing once internet is available. The app also allows for customer signatures and integrates with Ken’s Gutters’ internal backend systems.
Problem
Ken’s Gutters had a major operational challenge: managing a large network of subcontractors across the United States. These workers were often newly hired, with no long-standing relationship to the company. Because of that, it was hard to know who was working where and whether the jobs were getting done on time and to standard.
They needed proof of completed work in the form of photos, GPS data, and written notes. But collecting this data in a structured way was difficult. Many of the job locations had poor or no mobile coverage, so uploading photos and syncing data in real time was not always possible. Additionally, they wanted contractors to collect customer signatures and fill in job information, which meant the app needed to support forms and input fields.
Ken’s Gutters initially hired a freelance developer to build this system, but the result was disappointing. The app took too long to develop and didn’t function well. It failed to address key needs like fast photo capture, offline syncing, and reliable location tracking. Frustrated with the delays and lack of progress, the company realized they needed a new team to deliver a reliable, production-ready solution.
Solution
After Ken’s Gutters reached out to us, we quickly got to work. Within the first three days, we delivered a working prototype that focused on the most urgent feature: taking photos easily and quickly. This was designed specifically for use in the field by contractors who needed to snap photos and move on to the next task. Importantly, the prototype handled offline photo storage, which allowed workers to take pictures even without internet. The images would sync later once the device was back online.
After validating the prototype, we developed a full mobile application. This included live GPS tracking of contractors, offline-first photo uploads, and job detail input fields. We also added functionality for customer signature collection, so that contractors could close out jobs on-site and send proof of completion instantly or as soon as they reconnected.
To integrate the app with Ken’s Gutters’ internal operations, we worked closely with their backend team. This collaboration allowed us to push data to their internal systems in real time and fetch contractor details, job locations, and other key data. All the collected data—photos, locations, form inputs, and signatures—were securely transmitted to the backend.
The app is now fully rolled out and in use by all contractors and subcontractors. Ken’s Gutters now has clear, real-time visibility into field operations. The solution we delivered has greatly improved their accuracy, accountability, and ability to manage their remote workforce.
