Step-by-step guide to starting a successful Contractors business.
Most places require a contractor license for work above a certain value, plus liability insurance, workers' compensation once you have employees, and often bonding. Requirements vary widely by location and trade, so verify with your local licensing body — unlicensed work can void your right to collect payment.
Start with smaller jobs from your personal network and document everything obsessively — photos, timelines, itemized budgets. A handful of well-documented small projects with reachable references outweighs a thin claim to bigger experience, and subcontracting under an established GC builds both portfolio and referral relationships.
Lead platforms can fill gaps early, but the same lead is often sold to several contractors, so you're bidding against everyone and margins suffer. Treat them as a bridge while you build reviews and referral relationships, which deliver clients who chose you specifically instead of leads shopping five bids.
Plenty — homeowners commonly collect multiple bids, and losing on price to underbidders is normal, not a marketing failure. Track your close rate, ask politely why you lost, and remember that the clients who pick the cheapest bid are frequently the hardest to work for; a strong reputation lets you win on confidence rather than price.