The 30-second version
CrewBrief writes down the work as it happens, so nobody has to argue about it later. You create a job and add your worker by phone number. The worker signs the paperwork once, from their own phone. Then every work day they just tap Clock in — the app grabs the time, the GPS location, and photos automatically. At the end you approve the day and it gets locked into a permanent PDF. If there's ever a disagreement, the record — not memory — settles it.
The proof chain is the product.
Step by step — for contractors
1. Create a job
Go to Jobs and fill in the form: a job title, the job site address, and whether the worker is a 1099 contractor or a W-2 employee. Every field is explained below, and a step tracker on the job card shows you what to do next at every point.
2. Add your worker — name and phone, that's it
Right after creating the job, type the worker's name and phone number. CrewBrief texts them the invite link automatically. The worker does NOT need an account first — tapping the link and confirming a code sent to their phone sets everything up on their end.
3. Set the pay and send the paperwork
Assign the worker to the job and set their rate (hourly or flat). That sends two things to the worker's phone to sign: the master agreement (the "how we work together" contract — signed once per worker) and the Job Terms (the pay and details for THIS job).
4. The worker signs — from their own phone
Your job card shows "Waiting on worker" until they sign both documents on their own phone (that's the law — a signature only counts if the worker makes it themselves). The signed pay rate is frozen: if you change the rate later, they sign a new version, and days already worked keep their old rate.
5. The worker works — taps, not paperwork
Signing only happens once. After that, every work day is just taps on the worker's phone: Clock in, arrival photo if you require one, breaks, supply runs, Clock out, Submit day. Time, GPS, and photos are captured automatically with every tap. You don't have to be at the site — that's the point.
6. Review, approve, seal
When the worker submits a day, it shows up in your Sessions tab. Check the hours, GPS points, and photos, then tap Approve & seal. That locks the day into a permanent PDF record, in English and Spanish, that neither of you can change.
7. Objections and corrections
If either of you thinks a sealed day is wrong, you raise an objection. Fixes are made as corrections that BOTH of you sign — the original sealed record never changes, so there's always an honest history.
The Create Job form, field by field
Every box on the Create Job page, in plain English:
Job title
What you call this job. Example: "Oakwood Apts — LVP flooring". Just for you and the worker to recognize it.
Description (optional)
Extra details for your records. Example: "Install 1,200 sq ft, units 101–104". You can leave it blank.
Classification — 1099 or W-2
1099 = independent contractor (own tools, own schedule). W-2 = your employee. This decides which agreement the worker signs. If unsure, ask your accountant — it's a tax and labor-law question.
Job site address
Where the work happens — this is where the worker clocks in and out. If the job covers more than one place, tap "+ Add another job site".
Material runs are on the clock
If checked, trips to the supply store count as paid time. Uncheck it if store runs are on the worker's own time.
Require arrival photo
If checked, the worker must snap a photo when they arrive — photo proof they were really on site, not just their phone.
Reading the Sessions tab
A session is one worker's work day on one job — think of it as a timecard with proof attached. Each card shows who worked, on which job, and the day's evidence: clock-in and clock-out times, GPS points, photos, and any breaks, travel, or material runs.
The badge tells you where the day stands. Active: the worker is on the clock right now. Submitted: the worker finished and sent the day to you — it's your turn to review. Sealed: you approved it and it's locked into the permanent PDF record.
Your only job here: when a day shows Submitted, open it, check the hours and photos, and tap Approve & seal. Hours times the signed rate is calculated for you — that's what feeds the payment tracker and tax totals.
What workers see
The worker taps your invite link and lands in their own portal — just their jobs, their pay, their paperwork. They read the full agreement and Job Terms (in English or Spanish), draw their signature with a finger, and confirm with a code texted to their phone. No work can start until they've signed.
During the day, workers control their own clock: clock in and out per work site, start breaks, travel, and material runs. GPS is captured as snapshots at punch events — not continuous tracking.
The Records tab is the worker's permanent file: every signed agreement, every signed Job Terms, and every sealed work record — across all contractors — downloadable as PDF in English or Spanish, and it stays with the worker.
Only tracked workers are protected — an untracked crew member is an unprotected crew member.
The agreements, in plain English
Master agreement (ICA or W-2 acknowledgment)
The relationship contract, signed once per contractor-worker relationship. For 1099 work it is an Independent Contractor Agreement; for employees it is a W-2 acknowledgment. It covers how the two parties work together — it does not set the pay for any specific job.
Job Terms
The per-work-order terms: rate, travel policy, and work sites, signed for each job. The signed rate is frozen onto every work session started under it. If terms change, a new version is offered and signed — earlier sessions keep the rate they were worked under.
Why two documents?
Because the relationship and the work order change at different speeds. The master agreement rarely changes; rates and scopes change job to job. Splitting them means every rate change is its own signed, dated record — no ambiguity about what was agreed when.
This page explains how CrewBrief works; it is not legal advice. Consult your own attorney about your contracting and employment practices.
What "sealed" means
When a session is approved it is sealed: the record is frozen into a PDF whose SHA-256 fingerprint is stored, so any alteration is detectable. Timestamps keep both the device time and the server-received time, and GPS snapshots carry a mock-location flag.
Sealed records are never edited — not by the contractor, not by the worker, not by CrewBrief. Corrections happen as separate counter-signed amendments layered on top. That is why the record holds up when there's a disagreement.
Billing
Free forever for up to 2 active workers a month — full proof records, signed agreements, and PDFs included, never gated. Need more crew? The Crew plan is $59/month including 10 active workers, then $7 per additional active worker. Only workers who actually worked that month count as active — no per-job fees, no charge for idle names on your roster.
Common questions
Where does CrewBrief work?
Nationwide, from day one. Labor rules that vary by state (like break classification) are handled per jurisdiction inside the record.
Is it in Spanish?
Yes. The entire app — and every generated PDF — is available in English and Spanish. Each person picks their own language, and signed documents record which language the signer actually used.
Does CrewBrief track workers' location all day?
No. GPS is captured as snapshots at specific punch events (clock-in, clock-out) — never continuous background tracking. No GPS or photos are captured during breaks.
Who owns the records?
Both parties keep them. Contractors hold the records for their jobs; workers keep permanent access to everything they signed and every sealed record of their own work, even across contractors.
What happens when someone objects to a session?
Either party can raise an objection. It can be resolved as-is, escalated externally, or corrected with an amendment both parties counter-sign. The sealed original always remains intact underneath.