Frequently Asked Questions

Yes — always. Residents never pay anything to find or connect with local providers.

Just type what you need in the chat box. The assistant finds local providers, asks a couple of quick questions, and sends your request. You'll get a text when someone accepts.

No. Just your name and phone number when you send your first request. That's all we need to connect you with a provider.

Providers are rated by residents like you after every job. Verified providers have had their license and insurance confirmed by our local team. Providers who fall below 2.5 stars stop receiving leads automatically.

We send your request to up to 3 local providers at once. You may hear back from more than one — get quotes from everyone who responds before you decide. The choice is always yours.

Tell the assistant you're still looking and it will help you find someone else. If you know a local provider we don't have listed yet, let us know — we'll reach out to them.

Let us know via the chat or by replying to your confirmation text. We'll notify the provider and give them 48 hours to respond. Three no-show reports suspend a listing automatically.

Yes — we'll send you a text after the job with a rating link. It takes about 30 seconds and helps your neighbors find good trades.

Use the Contact Us page and select "Right to be forgotten." We'll process your request within 5 business days under Connecticut's Data Privacy Act (CTDPA).

Yes — listing is completely free. You only pay when a qualified lead is delivered to you. Your first 3 leads are on us, no credit card required.

When a resident needs your service in your area, we text you the job request. Reply YES to accept or NO to decline. Your first 3 leads are free — after that, you use prepaid credits.

Credits are prepaid lead tokens. A lead costs 1–3 credits depending on the trade (lawn care 1 credit, painting 2, plumbing 3). Urgent requests cost double. Packages start at $89 for 10 credits — founding providers get 25% off for their first year. Credits are charged on delivery, not on acceptance — so declining doesn't cost an additional credit.

Every 10 completed and rated jobs earns you 2 bonus credits automatically — no action needed.

Credits do not expire during normal operation. They are non-transferable and belong to the registered individual. Credits are forfeited if you voluntarily request removal of your listing.

Never more than 3. Your request goes to the top-matched providers in the resident's area simultaneously. No membership fees, no contracts — just pay for the leads you receive.

Reply NO and the resident will be matched with another provider. If you can't take it, it's better to decline quickly so the resident can find help faster.

Your rating is the biggest lever. HandyInTown is a marketplace — we match residents with available providers and show the highest-rated ones first. A provider with a 4.8 rating will consistently be matched before one with a 3.2, all else equal. The best way to raise your rating is simply to do good work and ask satisfied customers to rate you — we send them a reminder automatically, and you can send one too from your dashboard.

Beyond rating: respond within your chosen window, keep your service area zip codes current, and consider getting a Verified badge (license + insurance confirmed). Verified providers rank above unverified ones at the same rating.

Residents rate you after each completed job — 1 to 5 stars with an optional comment. Your rating average is shown on your profile and in search results. Ratings are left by real residents who went through HandyInTown — we send them a text after every job. The higher your rating, the higher you rank in matches, which means more leads coming your way.

Ratings below 2.5 stars (after at least 5 ratings) will pause your leads until your score improves. Every 10 completed and rated jobs earns you 2 bonus credits automatically.

You can respond publicly to any rating from your dashboard. If a rating appears fraudulent, flag it for our team to review.

You can respond publicly to any review from your dashboard. If you believe a review is fraudulent, you can flag it for our local team to review.

Yes — add your YouTube channel or video link in your profile. It appears as an embedded player for residents to watch. A short before/after video is one of the best ways to stand out.

Use the Contact Us page and select "Request provider removal." We'll archive your listing within 5 business days.

We seed the directory from publicly available community sources like local Facebook groups and Nextdoor. You can claim your listing, update it, or request removal at any time at no cost.