How we vet pros

A pro does not see a single request until every item below is done. The check dates are shown on their card.

Insurance

We hold a current certificate of liability insurance for every pro and we record the expiry date. When it lapses, they stop receiving requests until a new one is on file.

Licenses, where Illinois requires them

Illinois licenses plumbers statewide, and the law covers repairs and fixture swaps, not just new construction. Any plumbing request goes only to a pro whose state plumber license and contractor registration we have checked against the Department of Public Health.

Electrical licensing in Illinois is handled by each village, and towns do not always honor each other’s licenses. We record which villages each electrical pro is licensed in, and we only send them requests from those towns.

Carpentry, trim, cabinets, drywall, paint, tile, and flooring do not require a state license in Illinois. For those jobs the pro’s insurance, background check, and track record are the vetting.

Background check

Every pro passes a background check through a national provider before they are listed. The date of the check is on their card.

A conversation

We talk to every pro before they are listed. Ten minutes about the work they do, the jobs they want, and how they treat the people they work for. We do not list anyone we would not send to our own parents.

Older homes

Homes built before 1978 can have lead paint. Federal rules require renovators who disturb painted surfaces in those homes to be certified in lead-safe work. We ask the year your home was built and send certified pros first on those jobs. Popcorn ceilings from before the early 1980s can contain asbestos, so that job always starts with a test.

After the job

We ask you how it went. Reviews come only from homeowners we matched, after the work is done, so there are no fakes. A pro who dodges fees, pressures homeowners, or tries to take a job off the site is removed.