WHO IT'S FOR
TourLog for contractors and site walkthroughs
"While you're here, can you look at the gutter?" "We want the outlet moved to this side." "Oh, and the closet door sticks." Twenty minutes into a walkthrough the client has pointed at ten things, and you have a tape measure in one hand and your phone camera in the other. The notes get written in the truck, from memory. The thing you missed is the one that turns into a change-order argument a month later.
TourLog records the walk, with the client's agreement, and turns it into a speaker-labeled transcript on your phone.
Ask first: the law on recording
Pennsylvania requires everyone's consent. Under Pennsylvania's Wiretap Act, recording an in-person conversation where people expect privacy requires the consent of everyone in it. Recording without it is a third-degree felony, and the person recorded can also sue for damages of $100 a day or $1,000, whichever is greater. Several other states have all-party rules too.
Make consent part of the routine. Say it at the door: "I record walkthroughs so I don't miss anything you ask for. Is that okay?" Then record your question and their yes at the start of the file. Most clients like it, because it means their requests are kept in their own words.
A walkthrough, step by step
Get the client's OK, then tap the mic at the front door.
Walk and talk. TourLog keeps recording with the screen off while you measure and take photos.
Tap the big bookmark button at anything that matters: a measurement, a promise, a "can you also".
Afterward, ideally while the phone charges, TourLog builds the transcript on the phone.
Export it as text with bookmarks and notes first, and drop it into your estimate.
What to bookmark on a walk
"Can you also...": Each one is a line item or a clear "not included"
Measurements read aloud: Saves a second trip
Materials the client names: Tile, paint color, fixture model
Deadlines: "We need it done before the baby comes in March"
What you promised: Your own words, so the quote matches them
Questions contractors ask
Is the audio uploaded anywhere?
No. Speech recognition and speaker labels run on the phone. The audio is never sent to us or to a transcription service.
Does it work in a basement with no signal?
Yes. After a one-time download of the speech models, about 245 MB on wifi, it works offline.
What happens if I take a video during the walk?
The phone gives the mic to the video app. TourLog picks up again when it is released and marks the break as a gap.
Can I trust the transcript word for word?
No transcript is perfect. Check anything important against the recording, which is why bookmarks point you straight to the moment.