To switch pest control software without losing data, export everything from the old system before you cancel (customers, properties, service plans, upcoming schedule, open balances, chemical records and estimates), import and check it in the new system, then run both side by side for a week or two before cutting over. Do it in your slow season, and keep a full copy of the old records for as long as your state requires you to keep application records.
Below is the checklist I would follow. I run PestShift, so where PestShift is mentioned I have said exactly what it does and does not import or export.
What data do I need to export before switching?
Export first, before you touch the cancel button. Some systems close access the day the subscription ends.
| Data | Why you need it | Format to ask for |
|---|---|---|
| Customers | Names, phones, emails, billing addresses | CSV or Excel |
| Properties / service addresses | One customer can have several sites | CSV, ideally one row per property |
| Service plans | Frequency, price, next due date per property | CSV or a report |
| Upcoming schedule | Booked visits for the next few months | CSV or calendar report |
| Open invoices and balances | Who owes you money right now | CSV or aging report |
| Chemical application records | Legal record of every application | CSV and PDF |
| Estimates | Open quotes you are still chasing | CSV or PDF |
| Job history and notes | Gate codes, dog warnings, past issues | CSV or report |
| Device / bait station data | If you track devices (PestShift does not track devices, so keep this file) | CSV |
Save every file in two places, for example a shared drive and a USB stick. Name them with the system and date, like oldsystem-customers-2026-11-15.csv.
How do I export data from my current pest control software?
It depends on the vendor, so start with their help center and search "export". Here is what two vendors' official help docs say.
Jobber. Jobber's help article says to go to Clients, select More Actions, then Export Clients, and choose CSV. Jobber emails you the file. The export includes "tags, property addresses, contact information, or custom fields", CSV files hold up to 1,500 rows each, only admin users can export clients, and client exporting is "available on select plans" (Jobber help).
Housecall Pro. Housecall Pro's help article says to go to Customers, open the Actions menu, choose Export, and confirm your email. A CSV of your customer list arrives by email. Jobs export the same way from the Jobs section. Only admins can export customers and jobs (Housecall Pro help).
Anything else. If you cannot find an export option, ask support in writing: "Please send me a full export of my customers, properties, service plans, scheduled visits, open invoices and chemical application records as CSV files." Ask whether there is a fee and how long it takes. Get the answer before you give notice.
Check the files. Open each one. Count the rows against the number of active customers you think you have. Spot-check five customers you know well.
What should I check in the new system before going live?
Customers and properties. Do the counts match? Are service addresses separate from billing addresses?
Service plans. Pick ten recurring customers and check frequency, price and next visit date. This is where most migrations go wrong, because every system stores plans a little differently.
Schedule. Check the next two weeks visit by visit against the old calendar.
Balances. Make a list of every customer with an open balance and how much. If the new system cannot import balances, keep collecting those invoices in the old system or record them by hand.
Chemical records. Ask whether the new system can import your old application history. If it cannot, that is fine, as long as you keep a complete export. See pesticide application record keeping and the chemical application record template for what a complete record contains.
Should I run both systems at the same time?
Yes, briefly. One or two weeks is usually enough for a small company.
During that time:
- Book all new work in the new system only.
- Let techs finish already-scheduled jobs in whichever system holds them, but enter chemical records in the new one if you can.
- Keep collecting old open invoices in the old system until they are paid or moved.
- Each evening, compare the next day's schedule in both systems.
Do not run both for months. Double entry wears people out, and data starts to drift.
When is the best time to switch pest control software?
In your slow season. In many areas that means late fall or winter, but go by your own call volume. You want time to fix import problems and let techs learn the app without a full route.
Avoid the start of your busy season, the week before a big billing run, and any week a key person is on vacation.
A simple timeline:
- Week 1: Start a trial. Import 20 real customers and run three jobs end to end.
- Week 2: Export everything from the old system. Do the full import.
- Week 3: Check data. Train techs. Book new work in the new system.
- Week 4: Cut over. Stop booking in the old system.
- Later: Cancel the old system only once you have all exports saved and checked.
The slow season guide covers other work worth doing in that window.
How do I tell my technicians about the switch?
Keep it short and practical.
- Tell them the cutover date and why you are switching (one or two reasons).
- Put the app on their phones together, in the shop, before the first day. Not in a parking lot.
- Walk through one full job: open the stop, start, add notes, enter the chemical record, complete.
- Show them what to do with no signal. If the app has an offline mode, test it with phones in airplane mode. More in offline mode: what to look for.
- Pick one person to collect questions for the first week.
How long do I need to keep records from the old system?
Keep the full export, especially chemical application records, for at least as long as your state requires you to keep application records. Retention periods vary by state, so check your state's rule rather than guessing. The application record requirements guide and the pesticide recordkeeping inspection guide are a good starting point, and what inspectors check explains what an audit looks at.
Also keep invoice and payment history as long as your accountant tells you to for tax purposes.
Store the files somewhere that does not depend on the old vendor. If the account is closed, their copy may be gone.
What does PestShift import and export?
Import (free, done for you). Send us your old system's customer export and we do the import for you at no charge. If you prefer to do it yourself, PestShift reads customer CSV files, including GorillaDesk and Jobber exports, and you can import upcoming visits and recurring service plans from a CSV with a preview before anything is saved. Details are on the switch page.
Export. From Settings you can download CSV files of your customers, properties, appointments, chemical application records and service plans at any time. Invoices and estimates are not included in the export. If you need those for your records, download them as you go or keep your accounting records elsewhere.
Setup for techs. The tech app installs to the home screen on iPhone and Android, no app store needed. See the install page.
What PestShift does not have, so you can plan for it: no autopay or saved cards, no SMS to customers, no QuickBooks sync, no GPS tracking, no bait station or barcode tracking, and no customer portal. If you rely on any of these today, check alternatives first. The best pest control software guide and cost guide compare options, and GorillaDesk alternatives, FieldRoutes alternatives and PestPac alternatives cover specific switches.
Want to test an import with your own data? Try PestShift free for 14 days.
Frequently asked questions
Will I lose my customer data if I switch pest control software?
Not if you export everything before cancelling and check the files. Export customers, properties, service plans, schedule, balances, chemical records and estimates, and save them in two places.
Can I import my old chemical application records?
Ask the new vendor, because not every system can. Either way, keep a full export of the old records and store it for your state's required retention period.
How long does a software switch take for a small pest company?
For a 1-10 tech company, plan for about two to four weeks from first trial to cutover. Most of that time is checking data and training, not the import itself.
Should I cancel my old software before or after importing?
After. Cancel only once you have exported, imported, checked the data and run the new system on real jobs.
Can I export data from Jobber or Housecall Pro?
Their help centers describe exporting customer lists as CSV files that arrive by email, and Housecall Pro also describes a jobs export. Both say only admin users can export, and Jobber says client export is available on select plans.
Does PestShift export invoices and estimates?
No. PestShift's CSV export covers customers, properties, appointments, chemical application records and service plans, but not invoices or estimates.
Sources
- Export Client Information (Jobber Help Center), checked October 8, 2026
- How to Import & Export Jobs and Customers (Housecall Pro Help Center), checked October 8, 2026