7-Day Launch Checklist for an Excavation Company — Portland, OR

Get your AI front desk up and running in seven days so you stop losing bids to missed calls during rain windows and morning site checks. This checklist focuses on Portland-specific needs: intake for permits, access, utility locates, and booking rules that protect crew days.

Day 1 — Define services, territories and booking rules

List the excavation services you offer and the critical intake details for each: site prep, foundations, ADU/infill digs, trenching, demolition, hauling, and storm stabilization.

Map your service area with clear boundaries (e.g., Multnomah, Clackamas, Washington counties, downtown Portland, SE/NW neighborhoods, Beaverton, Lake Oswego, Tigard, Gresham). Identify cross-state or airport/PDX corridor jobs that need special routing.

Set booking rules that save crew time: which jobs qualify for phone quotes, which require on-site estimates, wet-season mobilization limits, and prerequisites like permits or locates.

• Services: site prep, grading, trenching, hauling, demolition, storm repairs.
• Territory: define county/suburb boundaries and special cross-state handling.
• Booking rules: phone-quote thresholds, on-site estimate triggers, emergency slots.

Day 2 — Design the call flow and emergency routing

Create a simple decision tree: caller type (homeowner/builder/contractor), job address, project type, permit/locate status, access constraints, presence of rock or heavy disposal, and urgency.

Define emergency criteria (washout, sinkhole, active collapse, utility strike) and the same-day response process so urgent calls are flagged, messaged to the on-call foreman, and offered immediate windows.

• Call flow: caller role → address → permit/locate → scope → access → urgency.
• Emergency triggers: active collapse, exposed utilities, major erosion/washout.
• Emergency actions: high-priority flag, SMS to on-call, offer same-day mobilization.

Day 3 — Build the qualification script and price-rule examples

Write the exact short questions the front desk will ask so intake is fast and consistent: address, project type, permit status, access (alley/driveway/curb cut), haul needs, rock, timeline.

Define pricing rules to guide whether a call gets a tentative phone quote or a booked estimate (example: phone quotes for trenches <100 ft with known soil; on-site estimates for full-lot digs or unknown disposal).

• Key fields: address, project type, permit/locate status, access constraints, disposal/haul needs, start timeline.
• Phone-quote rule: small utility trenches with known conditions.
• On-site required: full-lot, ADU/foundation, unknown rock/disposal.

Day 4 — Configure notifications and the handoff workflow

Decide notification channels and recipients: immediate SMS summaries for urgent calls, detailed emails for scheduling, and saved transcripts for records. Include address, permit status, access notes, and requested start date.

Set handoff rules: when to tentatively book a site visit, how crew confirmation works before committing mobilization, and how intake is logged into job-tracking for permit and locate follow-up.

• Outputs: short SMS for urgent items, detailed scheduling email, transcript saved to job folder.
• Handoff: schedule visits within 48 hours for estimate-ready jobs; require crew confirmation for mobilization.
• Record-keeping: log intake to start permitting and utility-locate checks immediately.

Day 5 — Run tests with real call scenarios

Test using typical Portland scenarios: ADU with a permit window, builder needing delayed mobilization in spring rain, contractor coordinating a trench across I-205, and a storm washout emergency. Run multiple variants to catch edge cases.

During testing verify three things: all required intake fields are captured, emergency flags and notifications work, and crews clearly understand handoff instructions. Log missing prompts and tighten the script.

• Scenario tests: ADU permit, contractor coordination, utility trench, storm washout.
• Test goals: complete intake capture, working emergency alerts, correct SMS/email summaries.
• Iterate until intake reliably captures access, permit status, and disposal needs.

Day 6 — Train staff and finalize go-live rules

Train office and field staff on the intake format, where transcripts/recordings appear, and how SMS alerts are handled. Show foremen how to confirm mobilizations and update permit status.

Lock final go-live rules: hours for tentative bookings, number of same-day emergency slots, rescheduling policy during wet months, and who has final authority to commit crew days.

• Staff training: read transcripts, confirm mobilizations, update intake records and permit status.
• Go-live rules: booking hours, emergency slot limits, reschedule policy for rain.
• Authority: designate who approves same-day mobilizations and final scheduling.

Questions excavation owners in Portland ask

How quickly can an AI front desk book an estimate?

It depends on your booking rules. For Portland jobs with confirmed permits and straightforward access, the front desk can schedule site visits within 24–48 hours; small utility trenches may get a phone quote. Define 'estimate-ready' clearly so the system acts consistently.

Will callers accept an AI handling excavation intake?

Most Portland callers accept an AI front desk if it asks short, relevant questions and provides a clear next step (site-visit window or same-day emergency slot). Surface human handoffs for complex or emotional calls and log transcripts for transparency.

How do you handle permits and utility locates on the first call?

Make permit and locate status required intake fields. If locates or permits are missing, flag the job as dependent and schedule estimates accordingly so crews don't arrive unprepared.

What happens with emergency calls during storms?

Define emergency triggers and reserve same-day slots. The front desk should flag the call, send an SMS to the on-call foreman, and offer the caller an immediate window to secure emergency mobilizations.

Can the intake distinguish commercial and public-works jobs?

Yes. Include caller-type early in the flow to route commercial or public-works calls to a different workflow and capture owner, contracting entity, bonding and insurance notes for large scopes.