Grow · Porter service
How a porter company works
A porter company sells a scope of work on a schedule, sends the same few people to the same places, and shows the community what was done. This page walks through that shape.
The scope is the product
This is our own description, written as guidance. Porter service has no official definition, so each community decides what it means, and your proposal is where you write it down.
A good scope names the areas you cover, the tasks at each one, how often, and what you leave to others. Restrooms, trash, the clubhouse, the pool deck and the walkways are common places to list. Anything not in the scope should be a separate conversation.
Schedule and crew
Most porter work is a loop: the same route, the same order, on set days. A community learns your schedule, and you keep it.
Many porter companies run a crew lead who knows the property and a small bench who can cover a shift. Whoever shows up should know the scope without asking.
Show what was done
Boards remember problems, not good weeks. A short record of each visit, with the date, who was there and what was done, answers most questions before they are asked.
How the work runs once you have it
One crew app for every trade you work: check in on arrival with a photo.
Each crew sees today’s stops across every community you serve.
Send invoices to the community and see when they are approved and paid.
What the community sees
Vendors check in on site with a photo, so you see who came, when, and what they did.
Paperwork behind the service
Your crew is on your payroll or on contract. Either way, set it up on paper before the first shift.
- The IRS common-law test for employee versus independent contractor weighs behavioral, financial and relationship evidence of control and independence. IRS, as of
- SBA's payroll checklist for a first hire includes getting an EIN, checking state and local tax IDs, deciding between contractor and employee, and collecting a completed W-4. SBA, as of
- Employers deposit and report withheld federal income tax and both the employer and employee Social Security and Medicare taxes, and report wages paid. IRS, as of
- The FLSA requires overtime at not less than one and one-half times the regular rate after 40 hours in a workweek for covered nonexempt workers. U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, as of
Sources
- Independent contractor (self-employed) or employee? Internal Revenue Service. As of .
- Manage your business (SBA counseling guide) U.S. Small Business Administration. As of .
- Employment taxes Internal Revenue Service. As of .
- Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division. As of .
Official pages change. Each line shows the day we last read it.