---
title: "Keep job histories by address so AI troubleshoots from past visits"
description: "Record each address's system details, visit history, parts, and customer rules so AI starts a callback diagnosis from what you already found and fixed."
canonical: "https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/ai-for-plumbers"
date: "2026-01-28"
modified: "2026-09-25"
---
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# Keep job histories by address so AI troubleshoots from past visits.

A plumber gets a callback from an address serviced eight months ago. The complaint is the same, but the plumber cannot remember whether the flapper was replaced or the chain was adjusted. The truck holds three water heater parts that might fit, and the plumber is not sure which one matches this unit's model year.

A general AI assistant cannot help. It does not know the drain at this address was snaked twice already. It does not know the house has galvanized supply lines, or that the customer refuses PEX.

Address files fix that. Each file holds the system details, the visit history, the parts installed, and the customer's rules. The files are plain text on your computer, so they last as long as you keep them, whatever assistant you use.

## What a plumber needs the assistant to remember

Job history matters when you troubleshoot. The water heater you installed three years ago is still under warranty. The pressure regulator failed once already. The main line has a belly that catches debris. Without records, each visit starts the diagnosis from scratch.

System details decide parts and labor. Is it a cast iron stack or PVC? City water or a well? Tankless or tank? Separate shut-offs or one main valve? You photograph job sites, but the photos rarely end up where you can find them six months later.

Customer preferences change every estimate. Some customers want builder-grade fixtures because the house is a rental. Others want spec sheets for every part. A few insist on same-brand replacements even when a better option exists.

Parts knowledge lives in your head until it does not. You know which supply house stocks a given cartridge and which one has better terms on ABS fittings. You know which rep gives volume discounts.

## Why diagnostics need the record

Low water pressure has about a dozen possible causes. You work through them in order. If you ruled out six at this address last year, you repeat work unless the record says so.

Intermittent problems need patterns. The toilet runs at night but not during the day. The drain backs up only when the washing machine runs. The leak appears after heavy rain. You need the notes from earlier visits to see the pattern.

Code requirements vary by jurisdiction and by the year the house was built. A 1980 house has different requirements from new construction. The city inspector cares about vent layout; the county does not. Record the local rules you work under, with the code section and the date you checked it.

## What the files hold

| File | Contents |
|---|---|
| Address file | System type, fixture brands and model numbers, pipe materials, water source, shut-off locations, access notes, warranty dates, visit log, recurring problems, customer rules |
| Diagnostic checklists | The check order for each common symptom, with your own tally of which fix solved it |
| Parts notes | Cross-references, truck stock by bin, supplier terms, lead times for special-order items |
| Local rules | Code notes by jurisdiction, permit triggers, inspector preferences, each with a source |

A small shop can keep all of it in one folder. A multi-truck operation can split jobs, inventory, suppliers, and equipment maintenance into separate files. The layout in an [AI context manifest](/articles/ai-context-manifest-template) shows how to list which files each job reads.

## Inspect an address file

This is a synthetic example.

```markdown
# 1420 Oak St (synthetic)

updated:: 2026.09.25
customer_rules:: text updates, no calls; pre-approves repairs under the agreed limit; no PEX

## System
- City water. Galvanized supply lines, copper at the water heater.
- Cast iron stack; PVC branch lines in the 2015 addition.
- Main shut-off: behind the dryer. Crawlspace entry: north side.

## Equipment
- Water heater: 50 gal gas, model <MODEL-NUMBER>, installed 2023-04.
  warranty:: tank term per registration card; registered 2023-04
- Sump pump: installed 2023-10.

## Visit log
- 2025-01-14: kitchen drain clog; augered 25 ft. Slope too flat under sink.
- 2026-01-20: same clog; augered again. Recommended re-pitch; customer declined.
- 2026-09-02: running toilet, upstairs; replaced flapper. Fill valve OK.

## Recurring
- Kitchen drain clogs yearly from poor slope. Next time, quote the re-pitch first.
- Shower valve cartridge failed twice: upgrade, do not replace like for like.
```

## Load the files and update after each job

Claude Code reads a file named `CLAUDE.md` from the working folder when a session starts ([Claude Code memory documentation](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/memory), checked 2026.09.25). Keep `CLAUDE.md` short and list where the address, checklist, and parts files live. Mention an address, and ask Claude Code to read that file. It then knows the water heater model, the last service date, and that the customer wants texts, not calls.

After each job, update the file: parts installed, time spent, problems found, and follow-up needed. Ask Claude Code to write the visit entry from your notes, then check it. The next callback starts with the history loaded. The guide to [plain text as the durable layer for AI memory](/articles/plain-text-ai-memory) explains why this format outlasts any one product.

## Build diagnostic checklists from your own jobs

A running toilet: check the flapper seal, chain length, fill valve, flush valve seat, and tank-to-bowl gasket. Record the order you use and which part fixed each call. After a season, your own tally shows which check to make first at your jobs.

No hot water: confirm power or gas supply first. On an electric unit, check the breaker, the high-limit reset, the thermostats, and the elements. On a gas unit, check the pilot or igniter, the thermocouple or flame sensor, and the gas control valve. Tankless units add flow-rate and error-code checks. The file holds the model-specific steps you logged before.

A slow drain: plunger, snake at the fixture, pull the trap, camera inspection, hydro jet, check the vent. Severity decides the method. Your notes show which drains responded to augering and which needed jetting.

The assistant walks through your checklist with you, skips the causes the address file already ruled out, and records the result. You make the diagnosis.

## Keep parts and supplier notes

Cross-references save trips. A universal fill valve fits most standard two-piece toilets. A 1.5-inch P-trap adapter works with both ABS and PVC. The 3/4-inch push-fit coupling is in truck stock, bin 3. Check each cross-reference against the manufacturer's fit guide before you rely on it.

Supplier terms matter when margins are thin. Record which supply house offers contractor terms and which local shop matches online prices on request. Note which store is open late but does not stock pro-grade backflow preventers. The assistant checks these notes before it suggests where to source a part.

Special-order parts need lead time. A European faucet cartridge takes two weeks. A commercial backflow assembly needs a certified installer. A grinder pump impeller is special order only. The file keeps you from promising same-day service on a part you cannot get.

## Record customer communication rules

Some customers want photos of every problem before you fix it. Others say to handle it and send the invoice. One needs itemized estimates for insurance. Another pre-approves repairs under a set limit. Record these rules so you ask once.

Scheduling rules matter too. The rental property manager wants all work coordinated through the tenant. The commercial account needs after-hours service. An older homeowner needs extra notice and a walk-through of the work. The assistant surfaces these notes when you book. For customer messages that span texts, email, and your field-service software, the guide on [keeping customer conversation history across tools](/articles/customer-conversation-memory-across-tools) shows where each record belongs.

## Set the limits

The assistant recalls and drafts. It does not diagnose remotely, tell a customer to work on gas or electrical equipment, promise a part date, or send a message. You review estimates and customer messages before they go out.

The files stay on your computer. The text Claude Code reads goes to Anthropic for processing, and Claude Code needs a paid Claude plan. Retention and training terms depend on that plan. Keep door codes, alarm codes, and payment details out of the files.

## What the record prevents

Weigh the setup time against the misses that the record prevents:

- a wasted trip for a special part you forgot;
- a callback because you repeated a fix that did not work last time;
- a lost estimate because you could not remember the customer's fixture brand.

Start with the ten addresses that call you most. Add the rest as they call. The general case for this kind of record is in [stop re-explaining your business to AI](/articles/stop-re-explaining-your-business-to-ai).

----

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```