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Getting Started

Welcome to PorchQ. This guide covers the essential steps to get your community up and running.

Create a free account and start the same day: board meetings, minutes, and answers from your governing documents. No subscription, no monthly fee, no card to start.

After you sign up​

PorchQ opens two optional pop-ups on the AI Assistant. The same pop-ups appear if the association has not connected a bank yet, including when a demo community becomes a free account. Skip stays visible. This is not a card to use PorchQ, and it is not a wallet top-up.

1. Connect the association bank​

Connect the association's bank for resident dues. Optional. This is not a card to use PorchQ.

  1. Choose Continue in Stripe to connect the association's bank, or Skip for now.
  2. If you continue, finish the Stripe flow and return to PorchQ.

You can also connect later from Payouts or Workspace settings → Banking. See Connect the Association Bank Account.

2. Upload one governing document​

After the bank pop-up, upload one governing document (CC&Rs, bylaws, or rules). This step is also skippable.

Documents you upload become searchable by the AI assistant. You can add more later in Documents.

Calendar, fee schedules, units, and the rest stay available after you skip or finish.

Finish community setup​

Complete your community profile​

Go to Settings and update the Community profile tab:

  • Property name: Your HOA or community name
  • Address: Street address, city, state, postal code
  • Timezone: Ensures events and notifications display correctly

Set up a fee schedule​

Create your first association fee schedule when you are ready:

  1. Choose a template — monthly, quarterly, or annual billing for resident dues
  2. Set the amount — flat rate or tiered pricing by unit type
  3. Click Create Fee Schedule (or skip for now)

You can always create or modify fee schedules later in Fee Schedules. These amounts are your association's dues, not PorchQ service rates.

Add your units​

  1. Go to Units
  2. Add units individually or import a list
  3. Set unit types if using tiered pricing

See Units Management for details.

Inviting your team​

Invite board members and property managers to collaborate:

  1. Go to Residents
  2. Click Invite
  3. Enter their email address and select their role:
    • Homeowner: Full management access
    • Manager: Property management access
  4. They will receive an email invitation to create their account

Current team members appear in the Team access section on your Settings page.

Launching to residents​

Once your setup is complete:

  1. Invite residents: Use the Invite button in Residents to send portal access links
  2. Create an event: Add a welcome announcement or community meeting to the calendar
  3. Monitor activation: The Dashboard shows account status for each resident