Our rules, plainly stated
Every rule that shapes what you see on this site, and the reasoning behind each one.
Reviews
Only homeowners who hired a contractor through Project Express can review that contractor. If the job did not happen here, there is no review, no matter how strongly anyone feels.
This rule costs us review volume. It is worth it, because it is the only version of the rule that cannot be gamed. A contractor cannot review themselves, cannot have their cousin post, and cannot buy a rating.
A contractor may respond once to a review left about them. Once, not a back-and-forth. Reviews are never edited or removed in exchange for money, membership tier, or anything else. A review may be hidden if it violates our content rules, and the original is retained.
Your privacy as a homeowner
To browse we ask for a full name, ZIP code, phone number and a verified email address. We ask for your street address only when you decide to engage a specific contractor.
Contractors are not told who viewed their listing. Nobody is contacted until you choose to reach out. We do not sell your contact details, and we do not have an advertising business that would give us a reason to.
How listings are ordered
Members are shown before free listings in directory results, and paid listings carry a Verified Member badge.
We state this openly because ranking by membership is a commercial decision and hiding it would undermine everything else on this page. What membership never affects is a contractor's rating. Position can be earned commercially; reputation cannot.
Free and paid listings
Listing in the directory is free. A free listing shows the business, the trades, the licence status and the reviews.
A paid membership is what lets a contractor submit quotes on projects. The tiers differ in how many quotes can be sent each month. Membership does not buy a better rating, does not remove a bad review, and does not exempt anyone from the licence requirement.
What we do not do
- We do not sell leads or charge contractors per contact.
- We do not take a percentage of your project.
- We do not charge homeowners for any feature.
- We do not let anyone pay to alter a review.
- We do not describe a contractor as licensed unless the licence is verifiably current.
- We do not require a licence where the law does not, and we do not imply one where none is held.
Content rules
Reviews should describe your own experience with work done through the platform. We remove content that is abusive, discloses someone's private information, contains threats, or is demonstrably about a different business.
Disagreeing with a contractor is not a violation. A negative review that describes real events stays up.
Disputes
Where a homeowner and a contractor cannot resolve something between them, our dispute resolution service offers a route that is faster and cheaper than court, at flat fees quoted up front. Jobs booked through Project Express are charged at a lower rate.
Using it is voluntary for both sides. It does not remove your right to pursue any other remedy, including a complaint to the CSLB.
Questions about any of this?
If a policy is unclear or a contractor has told you something that contradicts it, we would rather know.
Contact us