Set up scheduling settings before booking jobs for Roofing

Overview

Setting up key scheduling settings before you start booking sales appointments and install jobs ensures your team shows up on time, customers get the right notifications, and your Dispatch Board reflects real-world availability. These foundational settings include customer notifications, job durations, arrival windows, and technician shifts.

Best practices

• Set up customer notifications for booking confirmations, reminders, dispatch notifications, and arrival tracking to keep customers informed at every step.

• Configure job durations based on realistic completion times. For roofing businesses, estimates might be 2 hours while full roof installations might be 8 hours or span multiple days.

• Create arrival windows that last all day (8 AM - 5 PM) or split them into AM and PM windows to give Dispatch Pro or manual schedulers flexibility.

Set up customer notifications

Customer notifications allow you to send messages to customers based on appointment activity. These notifications help keep homeowners informed and set clear expectations.

1. Go to the top toolbar and click Settings .

2. In the side panel, click Communications > Customer Notifications. The Customer Notifications screen opens showing different notification types:         

   • Booking Confirmations: Sent when an appointment is marked as confirmed

   • Reminder Notifications: Sent for scheduled appointments (typically 24 hours before)                

     • Automated Job confirmations

   • Dispatch Notifications: Sent when a salesperson dispatches on the mobile app to indicate they are on the way

   • Arrival Notifications: Sent when arrival tracking is enabled and the technician is close to the customer's location

   • Job Completion Surveys: Sent after the job is marked complete

3. Select each notification type to configure the following:        

   • Enable or disable the notification

   • Customize the message content

   • Set timing for when notifications are sent

   • Configure delivery methods (SMS, email, or both)

4. When finished, click Save.

Configure job durations

Job durations define how long appointments take on the Dispatch Board and help prevent overbooking.

Note: Job durations directly affect how appointments appear on the Dispatch Board and capacity calculations.

1. Go to the navigation bar and click Settings .

2. In the side panel, click Operations > Job Types.
   The Job Types screen opens showing a Duration column for each job type. 

3. Click Edit next to the job type you want to update.

4. In the Duration field, enter the typical time this job type takes. Common roofing durations include:        

   • Estimate - Roofing: 2 hours

   • Install - Shingles: 8 hours (or multiple days)

   • Install - Flat Roof: 9-10 hours

   • Warranty - Service Call: 2-3 hours

   • Maintenance - Annual Inspection: 1-2 hours

5. Click Save.

Tip: Review all job types and ensure each one has a default duration set. This helps prevent overbooking and ensures the Dispatch Board reflects realistic scheduling expectations.

Set up arrival windows

Arrival windows define a time range during which a salesperson or crew may arrive and help set customer expectations.

1. Go to the top toolbar and click Settings .

2. In the side panel, go to Operations > Arrival Windows.

3. Click Add Arrival Window. 

4. In the Add a Arrival Window screen, enter the following details:         

   1. Select the applicable Business Units for this arrival window. For roofing businesses, common configurations include:                

      • Sales appointments: Exact times or 15-30 minute windows

      • Large Install jobs (ir Roof replacement): 1hour windows (8 AM - 9am.) PM

      • Smaller Install jobs (Gutter replacement) 8AM - 9AM, 12 PM - 1PM)

      • Service calls: 2-4 hour windows

   2. Select Start and End times. The arrival window duration automatically updates.

5. When finished, click Save.

The arrival window is available for selection when booking jobs.

Create technician shifts

Technician shifts define when your salespeople and installers are available to be scheduled. Even if a job type has a duration and an arrival window, a field worker cannot be scheduled outside of their assigned shifts. Shifts are for regular recurring working times. If a day or part of a day off is needed for vacation or appointments, use a non-job event instead.

Note: In ServiceTitan, technicians refer to anyone working in the field, including salespeople and installers. Shifts allow you to build schedules that reflect real-world availability.

Create a shift

1. Go to the navigation bar and click Schedule. 

2. Click Technician Shifts. 

3. Click Create Shift. 
   

   The Create Shift screen opens.

4. In the Create Shift screen, enter the following details:         

5. 1. Select the shift type:                

      1. Shift: Standard working hours

      2. Time Off: Blocks when technicians are unavailable                        

         • On Call: Availability for emergency calls

         • Overnight: Shifts that span midnight

   2. In the Title field, enter a name for the shift. Common roofing shift examples include:                

      1. Weekday Install Crew

      2. Sales Appointments - Morning

      3. Weekend Service Crew

   3. Configure the shift details:                

      1. Date Range: Select start and end dates and times for the shift

      2. Repeat: How often you want the shift to repeat                        

         • Never

         • Daily

         • Weekly

      3. Business Units: Apply the shift to one or multiple business units

      4. Technicians: Assign the shift to one or multiple technicians

      5. (Optional) Notes: Add any notes related to the shift

   4. When finished, click Add to schedule.

The shift is assigned and appears on the technician's schedule.

Note: These settings should reflect how your teams operate in the field and how precise you want arrival expectations to be for customers.

Want to learn more?

• See Use arrival windows

• See Use technician shifts

• See Set up and use job types