Migrating to PorchQ
Switching to PorchQ is straightforward. Most communities complete a full migration in under two hours. This guide walks you through what moves over, what stays behind, and how to get started.
What Can Be Migrated
PorchQ supports importing the data that matters most for day-to-day HOA management:
| Data | Migrated? | How |
|---|---|---|
| Homeowner names & contact info | ✅ Yes | CSV import |
| Unit addresses | ✅ Yes | CSV import |
| Email addresses | ✅ Yes | CSV import |
| Phone numbers | ✅ Yes | CSV import |
| Community documents (CC&Rs, bylaws) | ✅ Yes | Manual upload |
| Payment history | ❌ No | Stays in your old system |
| Open violations | ❌ No | Re-enter manually if needed |
| Work order history | ❌ No | Stays in your old system |
| Vendor contacts | ❌ No | Re-enter manually |
Payment history and violation records remain in your previous system for reference. We recommend keeping your old account active (read-only if possible) for 90 days after migration.
Time Estimate
For a typical small HOA (under 200 units):
- Export from your old system: 10–20 minutes
- Format & clean your CSV: 15–30 minutes
- Import into PorchQ: 5 minutes
- Invite homeowners: 10 minutes
- Upload documents & finish setup: 20–30 minutes
Total: under 2 hours for most communities.
Larger associations (200+ units) may take longer depending on data quality in the export.
What PorchQ Imports
When you run the homeowner import, PorchQ creates:
- Unit records for each address in your CSV
- Homeowner profiles linked to their unit
- Pending invitations so homeowners can activate their accounts
PorchQ does not automatically send invitation emails during import. You control when invites go out.
What Stays Behind
Some data simply doesn't transfer between HOA platforms:
- Payment history: Your financial records stay in your old system. You'll start fresh in PorchQ from the date you go live.
- Violation history: Open or closed violations are not imported. Re-enter any active violations manually after migration.
- Work orders: Historical maintenance requests remain in your previous system.
- Vendor information: Re-add your vendors and preferred contractors in PorchQ.
Migration Steps
- Export your homeowner list from your current platform (see From Your Current System →)
- Format the CSV to match PorchQ's import template (see Homeowner Import →)
- Import the CSV in PorchQ under Residents → Import
- Upload your community documents in Documents & Forms
- Complete setup using the Onboarding Checklist →
- Invite homeowners when you're ready to go live