“Shouldn’t finding a plumbing, home repair or lawn care service be easier?"
We work constantly to ensure that our customers are receiving the best services at the best prices.
Customer Safety
How to keep yourself safe when hiring a service provider
While we do our best to ensure that only accredited providers are solicited on our website, we cannot guarantee the safety of the customer when a provider enters their home. It is the customer’s responsibility to do their due diligence when researching, hiring and inviting a provider into their home.
Research the Service Pro
- Read their profiles thoroughly: iLafe provider profiles are in place to help you learn more about your provider before you hire them. With a pro’s profile, you will see examples of their work, their licensing, credentials and why you should consider hiring them.
- Visit their website: A pro’s website should be professional, up-to-date and informative. A pro’s website will tell you everything you need to know about their services, how they do business and what to expect from their work.
- Read reviews: Read what other customers are saying about the pro and how the pro responds to customers. These reviews and responses will tell you how a pro typically interacts with their customers--are they friendly and positive or grumpy and passive?
- Ask questions: Still not sure if you should hire the pro? Chat with the pro directly through the app or give them a call. Ask any questions you have about their pricing, dependability, timeliness or for references from previous customers.
Double check!
- A Pro’s permits and licensing: Be sure to double-check the validity of a pro’s licensing and permits. The required permits and licensing depends on your city, state and the job you’re requesting services for (you can call your local government for specific questions or visit their website for general licensing information).
- Your insurance: Be prepared for the unexpected; double-check your insurance and make sure you’re covered!
- Written agreement: Ask for a written agreement for the expected service, payment and date of service. It is important to get the “who”, “what”, “where” and “when” of your project in writing so that if something doesn’t go to plan, you have a reference point without the “he said, she said”.
Tips on Pro’s Licensing
- A business license and an occupational license are two different things. A business license means that the pro is registered to do business within a specific city or state. This is not an authorization for a pro to do any specific kinds of specialized work on projects. An occupational license, on the other hand, gives the pro authorization to do specialized work on projects where occupational licensing is required or recommended.
- To verify your pro’s occupational licensing you can check your local government’s website and/or request a license verification.
- In some states, there may be additional licensing requirements; for instance, federal licensing. Be sure to check the requirements on your city and state government websites for more information.