The CRM replacement built for US clean energy installers
Most CRMs were built to close deals. US solar and clean tech installers have an operations problem. Payaca runs the whole job on one record, from first lead to PTO and paid.
No credit card needed. ISO 27001 certified. Full data migration is available through Growth's one-off paid onboarding.
Why generic CRMs do not survive a US install
A sales CRM holds the first 5% of an installer's workflow. The other 95% is where US installer margin and compliance live.
Deals end at "Closed Won". US installs do not. Permits, inspections, interconnection, install, PTO and incentive paperwork all come after the signature. How Payaca does it →
AHJ fragmentation breaks generic workflows. Every city, county and utility runs its own process, and a generic CRM makes you model each one yourself. How Payaca does it →
Multi-technology is one customer, not three deals. Solar, storage and an EV charger is one quote, one install and one homeowner. How Payaca does it →
Crews will not log into a sales tool. Installers need today's jobs, the design and a checklist, on their phone. How Payaca does it →
How Payaca compares to Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive and an in-house build
Five tools. Ten operational dimensions US installers told us they need. The matrix below is opinionated and direct. Deeper one-on-one comparisons live in the linked pages.
PayacaShowHide
- Project as the primitive
- Yes. One record from lead to PTO and beyond.
- Compliance as a workflow gate
- Yes. Stage transitions blocked until conditions are met.
- Permits, AHJ, PTO and incentive tracking
- Native fields and stage gates.
- Multi-technology proposals
- Solar, battery, EV, heat pump on one quote.
- Materials and purchase orders on the job
- Native. Proposal items become the materials list and purchase orders.
- Install scheduling
- Built in, on the same project as the materials and the permit stages.
- Commissioning and handover
- Native checklists, photos, signatures, certificates.
- Customer portal
- Built in. Homeowners track from proposal to PTO.
- Payments (ACH, card, financing handoffs)
- Native. Deposits, milestones, balances.
- Accounting flow (QuickBooks, Xero)
- Native two-way sync.
SalesforceShowHide
- Project as the primitive
- No. Deal closes; project lives elsewhere.
- Compliance as a workflow gate
- Build it yourself with custom objects.
- Permits, AHJ, PTO and incentive tracking
- Not native; bolt-on or manual.
- Multi-technology proposals
- Custom objects per technology.
- Materials and purchase orders on the job
- Custom.
- Install scheduling
- Salesforce Field Service add-on; separate licence.
- Commissioning and handover
- Custom.
- Customer portal
- Experience Cloud add-on.
- Payments (ACH, card, financing handoffs)
- Integration partner.
- Accounting flow (QuickBooks, Xero)
- Integration partner.
HubSpotShowHide
- Project as the primitive
- No. Deal closes; project lives elsewhere.
- Compliance as a workflow gate
- Build it yourself with workflows.
- Permits, AHJ, PTO and incentive tracking
- Not native; bolt-on or manual.
- Multi-technology proposals
- Custom properties per technology.
- Materials and purchase orders on the job
- Not supported.
- Install scheduling
- Not supported.
- Commissioning and handover
- Not supported.
- Customer portal
- Service Hub add-on.
- Payments (ACH, card, financing handoffs)
- Integration partner.
- Accounting flow (QuickBooks, Xero)
- Integration partner.
PipedriveShowHide
- Project as the primitive
- No. Deal-only model.
- Compliance as a workflow gate
- Not supported.
- Permits, AHJ, PTO and incentive tracking
- Not native.
- Multi-technology proposals
- Limited.
- Materials and purchase orders on the job
- Not supported.
- Install scheduling
- Not supported.
- Commissioning and handover
- Not supported.
- Customer portal
- Not supported.
- Payments (ACH, card, financing handoffs)
- Integration partner.
- Accounting flow (QuickBooks, Xero)
- Integration partner.
In-house buildShowHide
- Project as the primitive
- Maybe. Engineering-dependent.
- Compliance as a workflow gate
- Possible, but you maintain it forever.
- Permits, AHJ, PTO and incentive tracking
- Custom build, custom maintenance.
- Multi-technology proposals
- Whatever you built.
- Materials and purchase orders on the job
- Custom build.
- Install scheduling
- Custom build.
- Commissioning and handover
- Custom build.
- Customer portal
- Custom build.
- Payments (ACH, card, financing handoffs)
- Custom build.
- Accounting flow (QuickBooks, Xero)
- Custom build.
What Payaca actually does that a CRM cannot
One job at Quarry Ridge Solar & Storage, a demo installer, from signed proposal to paid.
The unit of work is a project, not a deal.
The homeowner reads the proposal on their phone and signs it there. The signed contract and the deposit invoice land on the same project as the survey and the design.
Compliance is a stage gate, not a side-system.
Payaca pipeline guards (used in production at OVO Solar & Heating, which runs 16 franchises on one system in the UK) refuse to let a project advance until the conditions you set are met. US examples: deposit paid before procurement, plan check approved before the project moves to install, electrical inspection signed before PTO submission, incentive documentation complete before final sign-off.
Operational efficiency is the unlock, not "more pipeline visibility".
Every stage payment sits on one schedule on the project, so sales, finance and the crews work from the same record instead of reconciling a CRM against a job tracker and the accounts.
CRM replacement FAQ
What does "CRM replacement" actually mean for a US clean energy installer?
A platform that runs the operational side of the business as the primary record, not as a downstream extension of a sales pipeline. That includes lead, quote, contract, deposit, materials, plan submission, AHJ tracking, install schedule, commissioning, PTO, incentive documentation and service. Payaca is built for that scope; generic CRMs (HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive) are built around the deal.
Will my HubSpot or Salesforce data come across?
Yes. Customer records, deal history, contacts, notes and pipeline stages migrate during onboarding. We map your existing fields to Payaca and import structured data. Onboarding is guided from start to finish.
How does Payaca handle US permits and inspections?
Permits, plan checks, electrical inspections, final inspections and PTO live as pipeline stages. Custom fields capture permit numbers, AHJ contacts and inspection dates. Stage transitions can be blocked until the right document or approval exists. AHJ-specific workflows are configurable per region.
Does Payaca cover incentive documentation?
Yes. Incentive documentation lives on the project, not in a separate folder, for commercial and third-party-owned projects claiming under Section 48E and for state and utility incentive programs. Required artifacts (system specs, commissioning evidence, interconnection approval, customer sign-off) are attached to the project record, ready for whoever files the claim.
How does it compare to ServiceTitan or JobNimbus?
ServiceTitan is excellent for HVAC and plumbing but does not natively understand solar, heat pump or EV charger workflows. JobNimbus is roofing-first; solar is bolted on. See Payaca vs ServiceTitan, Payaca vs JobNimbus and the dedicated solar installer CRM hub for deeper comparisons.
Is Payaca a good fit for a 10-person installer or a 50-person business?
Both, and you do not have to migrate again when you hire. A 10-person installer can run quoting and proposals, the install pipeline, permit and inspection stages, scheduling, field work, and invoicing in Payaca. A 50-person business can add separate pipelines for residential and commercial projects, each with their own stages and required fields, while an operations manager tracks install capacity and AHJ stages and automations handle team handoffs. See current plans and what each includes at https://payaca.com/pricing/us.
See Payaca on your actual workflow
30-minute demo, tailored to your install volume, design tools and ops stack. Not a generic walkthrough.