Documentation
Everything you need to know about using dwellscribe
Most Common Tasks
Add Your First Home
Start tracking your property in under 2 minutes
Log Work
Document repairs, maintenance, or improvements
Set Up Reminders
Never miss important home tasks
Save a Contractor
Build your trusted contractor network
Contents
Quick Start Guide
Get up and running with dwellscribe in just a few minutes:
- Sign up for a free account at dwellscribe.com/signup
- Add your first home with basic property information
- Log your first entry - start with a recent repair or maintenance task
- Upload documents - add warranties, manuals, or receipts
- Set up reminders for recurring tasks
Creating Your Account
Setting up your dwellscribe account is quick and easy:
- Visit dwellscribe.com/signup
- Enter your email address and create a secure password
- Verify your email address
- Complete your profile with your name and preferences
Adding Your First Home
When you first sign in, you'll be guided through a quick onboarding wizard:
- Enter your home's name and address
- Select equipment you have (HVAC, water heater, appliances, etc.)
- Choose recurring maintenance reminders to get started
- Tell us a bit about yourself (optional)
After onboarding, you'll land on your dashboard with your first home ready to go. To add more homes later, go to My Homes and click "Add Home."
Common Workflows
Here are the most common ways people use dwellscribe:
When Something Breaks or Gets Fixed
- Go to Log → Click Add Entry
- Choose category:
- Repair - Something broke and you fixed it
- Improvement - You upgraded or renovated something
- Inspection - You had an inspection done
- Maintenance - You completed routine upkeep (see note below)
- Other - Anything else
- Add title (e.g., "Fixed leaking kitchen faucet"), date, and cost
- Optional: Link to the asset (e.g., "Kitchen Sink"), add contractor, attach photos
- Save — now you have a permanent log of what was done
Note: You don't need to log every routine task. If you just want reminders, use Reminders instead (see next workflow). Log work when you want to track costs or document specific work.
Setting Up Recurring Reminders
- Go to Reminders → Click Add Reminder
- Enter task name (e.g., "Change HVAC filter")
- Choose frequency: Monthly, Quarterly, Semi-Annual, or Annual
- Optional: Add last completed date if you know it
- Save — dwellscribe will track when it's due and show overdue alerts
Tip: When you mark a reminder complete, you'll have the option to log the work with cost details. The next due date is automatically calculated based on the frequency.
Saving a Contractor You Trust
- Go to Contractors → Click Add Contractor
- Enter name, phone, email, and specialty (e.g., "Plumbing")
- Add a rating (1-5 stars) and notes about their work
- Save — now you can quickly find them next time you need help
Tip: When logging work, you can link it to a contractor to track who did what.
Tracking a Home Improvement Project
- Go to Projects → Click Add Project
- Enter project name (e.g., "Kitchen Remodel"), set budget and status
- As work happens, log work and link entries to the project
- The project page shows total actual cost vs budget
- Mark project complete when done
Managing Multiple Properties
- Add all your properties from the dashboard
- Use the home selector dropdown at the top of any page to switch between properties
- Select "All Homes" to see combined data across all properties
- Use the Timeline page to see activity across all homes in one view
Tip: Each home has its own log entries, assets, projects, and contractors — they don't mix unless you view "All Homes."
Finding Past Work Quickly
- Use the search bar on any page (Log, Assets, Projects, Contractors)
- Search by keyword, vendor name, or description
- Use Timeline to browse chronologically
- Click on any item to see full details and linked information
Managing Homes
dwellscribe keeps a complete history for each of your properties. Each home has its own set of log entries, assets, projects, and reminders.
Adding a Home
- Click "Add Home" from your dashboard
- Enter property details (name, address, purchase date, etc.)
- Add optional information like square footage and year built
- Save and start logging work
Switching Between Properties
At the top of every page, you'll see a home selector dropdown. Use it to:
- View one property: Select a specific home to see only its data
- View all properties: Select "All Homes" to see combined data across your portfolio
- Quick switching: The dropdown remembers your last selection as you navigate
For Landlords & Multi-Property Owners: Use the Timeline page with "All Homes" selected to see activity across your entire portfolio. This makes it easy to spot which properties need attention.
Sharing Access
Invite family members or property managers to collaborate on a home:
- Owner: Full access, can manage users
- Editor: Can create, edit, and delete log entries
- Viewer: Read-only access
To share a home, open the home details and use the Shared Access section to invite by email.
Log
The Log is the history of everything that happens to your home. Every time work is done, document it here. Entries are organized by category:
- Repair: Something broke, you fixed it
- Maintenance: Routine upkeep (filter changed, gutters cleaned)
- Improvement: Upgrades and renovations that add value
- Inspection: Formal inspections and findings
- Weather Event: Storms, floods, or weather-related damage
- Insurance: Claims filed, adjusters, policy changes
- Permit: Permits pulled or closed out
- Estimate: Quotes from contractors (work not yet done)
- Purchase: Bought something for the home (materials, parts, supplies)
- Other: Anything else worth documenting
Each entry can be linked to a project, an asset, or a contractor — and can include cost, vendor, and notes. The Log is a permanent record; it captures what happened and when.
Log vs. Reminders: A log entry is a historical record — something that already happened. A reminder is a recurring task for something that needs to happen on a schedule. When you complete a reminder (like changing your HVAC filter), you can also log the work to document costs and details.
Asset Management
Track all your home's appliances, systems, and equipment in one place. Assets help you remember what you own, when you bought it, and when warranties expire.
What to Track
- Appliances: Refrigerator, washer, dryer, dishwasher, oven
- HVAC Systems: Furnace, air conditioner, water heater
- Home Systems: Roof, garage door opener, sump pump
- Electronics: Security system, smart thermostat, doorbell camera
Key Information to Store
- Model and serial numbers (for warranty claims and repairs)
- Purchase date and warranty expiration
- Installation date (if different from purchase)
- Manufacturer and where you bought it
- Notes about maintenance needs or quirks
Pro Tip: When you log maintenance work (like "Serviced furnace"), link it to the asset. This builds a complete service history for each item — helpful when selling your home or filing warranty claims.
Project Planning
Projects help you organize and track home improvements from planning to completion. Each project can have a budget, status, and linked records.
How Projects Work
- Create a project with a name, budget, and status (Planning, In Progress, Completed)
- Link records to the project as work happens — each record can include costs
- Track budget vs actual — the project page shows total spent vs budget
- Assign contractors to see who's working on what
- Mark complete when done to archive the project
Project Statuses
- Planning: Researching, getting quotes, not started yet
- In Progress: Work is actively happening
- Completed: Project is finished
- On Hold: Paused for now
For Renovators & Flippers: Create a project for each major renovation. As you pay contractors or buy materials, log the work with costs and link entries to the project. This gives you real-time budget tracking and a complete cost history for tax purposes.
Contractor Database
Build your personal network of trusted contractors. Never lose a phone number or forget who did great work.
What to Store
- Contact info: Phone, email, website
- Specialty: Plumbing, electrical, HVAC, general handyman, etc.
- Rating: 1-5 stars based on your experience
- Notes: What they're good at, pricing, responsiveness, quality
- License & insurance: Track credentials for peace of mind
Contractor Details
On the contractor's detail page, you'll see their phone number, email, website, and specialty — all the info you need to reach them when something comes up.
Pro Tip: When you log work, link it to the contractor. This builds a history of who did what — making it easy to call the same person next time or avoid contractors who didn't work out.
Reminders
Set up recurring reminders for routine home tasks. dwellscribe tracks what's due, what's overdue, and when tasks were last completed.
How It Works
- Create a task with a title and frequency (weekly, monthly, quarterly, etc.)
- Optional: Add the last completed date if you know it
- dwellscribe calculates the next due date automatically
- When it's time, the task appears in your "Overdue" or "Upcoming" list
- Mark it complete — the next due date is automatically set
Common Reminders
- Monthly: Change HVAC filter, test smoke/CO detectors
- Quarterly: Clean gutters, inspect roof, check sump pump
- Semi-Annual: Service HVAC system, clean dryer vent
- Annual: Chimney inspection, water heater flush, septic pumping
Reminders vs Log: A reminder is for something that needs to happen regularly. A log entry is for something that already happened. When you complete a reminder, you can also log the work to document costs and contractor details.
Documents
Store important home-level files that don't belong to a specific log entry or asset. Documents gives you a centralized place for reference files you need to find quickly.
What to store here
- Insurance policies — homeowner's, flood, umbrella
- Mortgage & deed — closing docs, title, HOA covenants
- Manuals & diagrams — wiring diagrams, plumbing layouts, appliance manuals
- Tax records — property tax bills, improvement receipts for cost basis
- Permits & inspections — building permits, inspection reports
- Paint colors & finishes — room-by-room color records
How it works
- Upload PDFs, images, and common document formats
- Categorize by type (insurance, legal, manual, tax, other)
- Search by filename or category
- Download anytime from any device
Tip: For files tied to a specific repair or asset (like a receipt for a water heater replacement), use Attachments on the log entry or asset instead. Documents is for standalone reference files.
Team Collaboration
Share your home with family members, property managers, or anyone who helps care for it:
- Invite users via email from the home details page
- Set role-based permissions (Owner, Editor, Viewer)
- Each person gets their own login and access level
Your plan determines how many people can share a home. See the pricing page for details.
Data Export
Your data is always yours. Export it anytime:
- CSV Export: Download records as spreadsheets
- PDF Reports: Generate printable home reports
- JSON Export: Download your complete record history as structured data
API Access
Coming Soon: Public API access is planned for a future release. Stay tuned for updates.
We plan to offer developers programmatic access to dwellscribe data, including:
- RESTful API with full CRUD operations
- API keys for authentication
- Webhooks for real-time notifications
- Full API documentation
Security & Privacy
Your home data stays yours. Period.
- Encrypted: Your data is encrypted and stored securely on AWS
- Private: We never sell, share, or look at your data
- Yours: Export or delete your data anytime, no questions asked
Mobile Access
dwellscribe works on any device — phone, tablet, or computer. The interface automatically adapts to your screen size.
Using dwellscribe on Your Phone
- Open your phone's web browser (Safari, Chrome, etc.)
- Go to your dwellscribe URL and log in
- All features work the same as on desktop
- Add to your home screen for quick access (optional)
Common Mobile Use Cases
- At the hardware store: Look up what filter size you need or what brand you used last time
- When something breaks: Find your trusted contractor's phone number and call them
- Meeting with a contractor: Show them past work history or warranty info
- After work is done: Log the work right away while details are fresh