QR codes for plumbers, electricians, landscapers and contractors

Your van, your yard signs and your invoices are already advertising. A QR code on each one gives people a quick way to book you, ask for a quote or save your number, without typing. Here's where codes work for a trade, how big they really need to be, and what to point them at.

Vans and truck wraps: honest sizes

A code on a van only works for someone who walks up to it, such as a neighbor while you're on a job, or someone in a parking lot. The size checker's numbers for the code itself, without its border:

• Read from about 6 ft (1.8 m), standing next to the van: at least 7.1 in (18 cm).
• Read from the sidewalk, about 16 ft (5 m): at least 19.7 in (50 cm), about the size of a van door.

So put the code where people stand close, such as the rear doors or beside the side door, at the 6 ft (1.8 m) size. Keep your name and phone number big, for everyone driving past. Nobody should scan while driving.

Yard signs, door hangers, invoices and magnets

• Yard signs during a job: people read them from the sidewalk, so size them like a sign (see above). A code on a smaller rider works when people walk up to it.
• Door hangers and flyers: held in the hand, so the code needs at least 1.2 in (3 cm).
• Invoices and estimates: a code that opens your review page or your booking page. For Google, use the official review link. For a quick photo and a quote, use a WhatsApp QR code for quote requests.
• Fridge magnets: a code that saves your contact card, for the next time something breaks.

What to point the codes at

Use editable codes for anything that changes: your quote request form, your booking page, a seasonal offer, or this year's service list. When spring comes, point the yard-sign code at your spring cleanup page. The signs stay the same. Give the van, the yard signs and the door hangers each their own code, and each code's page shows when it was scanned, so you can see which one brings in calls.

For your business card or a magnet, a contact card code saves your name, number and email straight into the phone. It's a free fixed code that never expires, so keep it to the details that won't change. See QR codes for business cards.

Files for your sign and wrap maker

Send your sign maker the SVG, or the PDF or EPS if their software asks for one. All three are vector files, so the dots stay sharp at any size. Tell them the final width, border included, and ask them to keep the code dark on light, without stretching it or wrapping it over a door seam or a curve. Scan the proof, or the first van, before the rest.

If you stop paying

Your vans and signs never send people to a dead page. For 30 days, nothing changes. Then your 2 oldest website-link codes stay live on the Free plan, and the others pause with a button that still opens your page. What happens if you stop paying

Related: How big to print a QR code · Which file to use · QR codes for real estate · Pricing

For one page with your booking, website and social links, make a link in bio page on Pro or Business.

Give customers one page for your hours, contact details and the place you want them to visit. A business page QR code keeps that information together.