Partner agreement
What our partner contractor signs
We refer homeowners to one licensed partner contractor. Here's what we check before every introduction, what the partner agreement requires on every job, and how we hold the contractor to it.
- Free for homeowners
- Licenses checked at CSLB
- You contract directly with your pro
Most lead platforms sell the same request to whoever pays, then let strangers race to the phone. We do the opposite: one introduction, to one licensed partner contractor, only with the homeowner's OK. This page is the plain-English version of what that contractor has to hold and sign.
What we check before every introduction
- An active CSLB license in the classifications the job needs (for example B, C-6 cabinet and millwork, C-54 tile), checked at cslb.ca.gov, with no unresolved disciplinary action.
- A current contractor's bond.
- Workers' compensation on file with the CSLB, or a valid exemption with no employees on the job.
- General liability insurance, with a current certificate on file and the expiration date tracked.
- Registered Home Improvement Salespersons for anyone who sells in homes on the contractor's behalf.
- A city business license for each valley city where it takes work.
- A clean track record. We review the contractor's CSLB complaint and disciplinary history, search court records in Riverside County and the counties where it has worked for a pattern of lawsuits, judgments or mechanics' liens from customers, and read its public reviews and Better Business Bureau file. A pattern of disputes with homeowners means we don't work with that contractor, however good the price.
We re-check license, bond, workers' compensation and insurance before every new introduction and at least monthly. We repeat the court-record and complaint search at least every three months. A certificate within 30 days of expiring puts introductions on hold until we have the renewal.
What our partner agreement requires on every job
The agreement includes our standard. On every job, that means:
- Down payment no more than 10% of the price or $1,000, whichever is less, with progress payments that never run ahead of the work done and materials delivered.
- An itemized written scope with allowances, exclusions, permit responsibility, start and estimated completion dates, and every notice California requires, including the mechanics lien warning and the right-to-cancel form (five business days for buyers 65 and older who sign at home).
- Signed change orders with price and schedule impact before the work. No charge for unsigned changes.
- Field-verified measurements and owner-approved drawings or templates before cabinets or stone are ordered or cut.
- Subcontractors disclosed in writing, holding the right license and insurance.
- Protection and cleanup: floor and dust protection, stone cut outside or with dust extraction, debris hauled away, broom-clean daily.
- At least a one-year written workmanship warranty.
How an introduction works
- A homeowner submits a request and a local coordinator calls them to confirm scope, budget range, timeline, ownership, occupancy, HOA status and access. Coordinators qualify and book; they never quote, negotiate or sell.
- We check fit: license classification, service area, job size and the contractor's calendar. If it doesn't fit, the homeowner hears that from us, and nobody else gets their details.
- The homeowner approves the contractor by name. They see the legal name and CSLB license number first. Only then does the contractor get their details.
- First contact and the estimate visit happen within the times set in the partner agreement, or the contractor tells us it can't take the job and we tell the homeowner.
- We follow up after the estimate, at the start, the midpoint, completion and 30 days.
The contact rules
- Contact only the homeowners we introduce, about their project, between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. Pacific. Honor STOP or “don't call me” within 24 hours.
- No resale or sharing of homeowner information, and no adding them to marketing lists.
- No prerecorded or AI-voice calls without a live person opening the call and the homeowner's consent.
- No door-knocking, no “today only” pricing, no cash-only or personal-account payments.
- Privacy requests passed down. If a homeowner asks us to delete their information or opt out, the contractor is told and honors it.
How we hold the contractor to it
When a homeowner raises a problem, we collect photos, the contract and change orders from both sides and propose a resolution within 10 business days. A deposit over the legal cap, charging for unsigned changes, or a lapsed license or insurance policy ends the referrals.
The contractor's legal name, CSLB license number and classification are on our contractor partner page.
Common questions
Do you sell the same request to a dozen contractors?
No. We work with one partner contractor. A request goes to that contractor only, only if the job fits its license and calendar, and only after the homeowner approves it by name. Nobody bids on a list.
Does the partner need a CSLB license for small jobs too?
Yes. We refer only to a contractor with an active California license in the classification the job needs, including handyman work. That keeps every job clear of the $1,000 minor-work limit and the permit rules.
Do you negotiate or sign contracts?
No. We're a referral service. Our coordinators qualify the homeowner and book the estimate; they never quote, negotiate or sign. The contractor prices the job and contracts with the homeowner directly.
Are you recruiting more contractors?
Not at the moment. If a project is outside what our partner contractor is licensed or available for, we tell the homeowner so instead of promising a contractor we don't have.
Last reviewed . Prices and rules change; confirm details with your contractor and your city or county building department.