How can we help?

Trusavo is an escrow-protected renovation marketplace. Homeowners post projects, verified contractors bid, the project is funded into escrow, and money is released milestone by milestone — only after an independent inspector approves the work.

For homeowners, yes — completely. No escrow fees, no transaction fees, no membership. Contractors can browse and bid free; the optional Contractor Pro subscription is $49/month.

Two ways: while project funds sit in escrow they earn interest, which Trusavo keeps instead of charging you fees; and contractors can subscribe to Contractor Pro. We monetize time, not tolls.

Neither, directly. You fund your project into escrow through the platform, and the escrow system pays your contractor as milestones are verified. You never hand a contractor a check, and the contractor never has to chase you for payment.

No. Lead-gen sites introduce you to contractors and step away — your money is unprotected from that point on. On Trusavo the money itself is protected: held in escrow, released only on inspected work. We stay in the deal until it's done.

South Florida today — Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties — expanding quickly across Florida and going national very soon. See the Coverage page to get notified when we reach your market.

No. Posting a project is free and carries no obligation. You choose whether to accept any bid — and nothing is binding until you both sign the contract and you fund escrow.

Yes. Roles are separate for safety and clarity, but you can hold both — many builders renovate their own homes too. Email support and we'll link your accounts.

Email support@trusavo.com — 100% of our customer service runs through email for both homeowners and contractors, so there's a written record of everything. We typically respond within a few business hours, and money-related issues are prioritized.

Renovation disputes are won and lost on records. Email gives every conversation a timestamped paper trail that protects you, your contractor, and your money — and it lets us route your question straight to the person who can actually fix it.

Describe your renovation in plain language — typed or spoken, English or Spanish. Trusavo's AI turns it into a structured scope with categories and line items. Add photos, confirm the address, set a budget range and timeline, review, and publish. Most projects take under ten minutes.

It converts 'my kitchen is from 1987 and I want it modern' into the scope a contractor needs: demolition, cabinets, counters, electrical, plumbing, finishes — with line items you can edit. Better scopes get better, more comparable bids.

Yes, everything. The AI drafts; you decide. Add, remove, or reword any line item before publishing — and contractors can propose scope adjustments in their bids.

No. The AI estimator suggests a realistic range for your scope and area. You can publish with that range, your own number, or 'open to bids' — though projects with a stated range get more serious bids.

Not required, but strongly recommended — projects with photos get significantly more and better bids because contractors can price with confidence instead of padding for surprises.

Sí. The AI intake works in English and Spanish, and your project is presented to contractors in both.

Yes, until you accept a bid. Contractors who already bid are notified of material changes so they can update their pricing. After a contract is signed, changes go through the change-order process instead.

Yes — each project gets its own scope, bids, escrow account, and milestone schedule. If it's one big renovation, one project with well-designed milestones usually works better than several small posts.

Any unfunded project can be closed from its page at any time, no questions asked. Funded projects follow the cancellation process (see Changes, cancellations & disputes).

Verified contractors in your area see your project and submit structured bids: line-item pricing, timeline, and any scope notes or attachments. You compare them side by side in your dashboard.

Line items mapped to your scope, a total price, a proposed milestone schedule, estimated start and duration, and the contractor's profile — license status, verification badge, portfolio, and reviews.

It varies by trade, scope quality, and season — well-scoped projects with photos typically attract several bids within a few days. If yours is quiet, email support@trusavo.com and we'll look at how your listing can be improved.

Yes. Use project messaging to ask questions or request a revised bid. Contractors can edit bids until you accept one — everything stays documented on the platform.

Each bid carries an expiry date set by the contractor (prices for materials and labor move). An expired bid can be renewed by the contractor on request.

The platform generates a contract from the scope, price, and milestone schedule. Both parties e-sign, then you fund escrow. Work begins once the contractor sees the money is committed.

Yes — it's a real construction agreement, e-signed by both parties, with the scope and milestones locked in writing. That contract is also what governs releases, changes, and disputes.

Yes — invite them to join. They complete the same verification as everyone else (license, background check), and then your project gets the same escrow and inspection protection.

Decline, and email support@trusavo.com. Off-platform payment removes every protection — the escrow, the inspections, the dispute process — and soliciting it violates our terms. It's the single biggest red flag we ask you to report.

Un-accept and choose another bid — nothing is committed until both signatures and funding are in place. Repeated unresponsiveness affects a contractor's standing on the platform.

A neutral holding arrangement: your project money is committed and protected before work starts, but the contractor can't touch it until the agreed conditions — verified milestones — are met. Neither side has to trust the other with the money.

In a dedicated escrow account within Trusavo's escrow system, held exclusively at regulated, FDIC-insured US banks — never in non-bank accounts. An independent third-party oversight firm supervises and audits the escrow portfolio.

Escrow funds sit in accounts at FDIC-insured US depository institutions. FDIC insurance protects deposits against bank failure up to applicable limits; the independent oversight of our escrow ledger protects the record of what's yours.

Your funds aren't Trusavo's money and don't sit on our balance sheet — they're in bank-held escrow accounts with an independent oversight firm supervising the portfolio and the ledger of who owns what. Wind-down procedures return escrowed funds to their owners.

Trusavo does, where permitted by law — and we're direct about it because it's why you pay nothing. Interest earned on held balances replaces the transaction fees every other platform charges. It's in our Terms of Service, not fine print.

Link your bank securely through Plaid and transfer by ACH. Larger projects can fund by wire. Funding typically clears within 1–3 business days for ACH, same-day for wires received before the cutoff.

Plaid is the bank-connection service used by major financial apps. You log in through Plaid's secure window; Trusavo never sees or stores your bank credentials. Plaid is free to you.

Try again in a private browser window first (bank sites are picky). If it still fails, we'll verify the account with micro-deposits — two tiny amounts you confirm — or you can fund by wire. Email support@trusavo.com and we'll walk you through it.

The full contract amount is funded at signing — that's what makes the contractor's commitment real and your protection complete. For very large projects, phased funding schedules can be written into the contract with support's help.

No platform maximum for typical residential projects. Very large transfers may trigger standard bank verification steps; wires avoid most ACH limits your own bank may impose.

ACH transfers take 1–3 business days to clear, and your dashboard updates when the money lands, not when it leaves your account. If it's been more than three business days, email support@trusavo.com with the transfer date and we'll trace it.

Yes — every project has a full ledger (deposits, holds, releases, refunds) you can view anytime and download as a statement for your records, lender, or accountant.

The project broken into inspectable chunks — e.g. demolition, rough-in, finishes — each with its own dollar amount. Money releases per milestone, so payment always tracks completed, verified work.

It's proposed in the contractor's bid, negotiated by you, and locked into the contract. Good schedules have 3–7 milestones with no single one dominating the budget. Templates for common projects are built in.

When three things happen: the contractor submits the milestone with proof, the independent inspector approves it, and you confirm. Then the release executes automatically and lands in the contractor's account within days.

Each milestone has an agreed auto-release window (set in the contract) after inspection approval. If you take no action and raise no flag within it, funds release — this protects contractors from silent stalling. You'll get reminders by email and text first.

No — and that's deliberate. The inspection gate is the protection. If a milestone genuinely needs restructuring (say, materials deposits), handle it as a contract change, not a shortcut around verification.

Yes, through change orders: both parties agree in writing on the platform, the contract and escrow schedule update, and any additional funds are deposited before the new work proceeds.

Any change to scope, price, or schedule after signing — discovering rot behind a wall, upgrading finishes, adding a room. Trusavo generates the amendment, both parties e-sign, and escrow adjusts. Never handle extras with cash on the side; they lose all protection.

You can flag the milestone within your confirmation window, which pauses the release and opens the dispute process. Be specific about what falls short of the contracted scope — 'approved but disputed' cases turn on documentation.

The last milestone typically includes final inspection and your walkthrough. Once approved and confirmed, the remaining escrow balance releases and the project closes — with the full ledger and documentation archived for your records and warranty.

Your project dashboard shows the live escrow balance: total funded, released so far, and what's held for remaining milestones — the same numbers your contractor sees.

Independent, credentialed professionals — licensed inspectors and vetted construction veterans — with no stake in your project. They're paid by Trusavo per inspection, never by the homeowner or contractor, so their only incentive is being right.

Nothing. Milestone inspections are included — they're the heart of the protection, not an upsell.

That the milestone's contracted scope is complete and workmanlike: the line items delivered, installed correctly, and matching the submitted photo/video proof. They verify work against the contract, not taste.

When a contractor submits a milestone, a nearby inspector is assigned and notified automatically. Most inspections happen within a couple of business days; you'll see the appointment in your dashboard.

Usually not, if the contractor can provide access — but you're always welcome to attend. Many homeowners join the final walkthrough inspection.

The inspector flags it with specifics. The contractor fixes and resubmits — most flags resolve this way, quickly, because the money creates the incentive. If disagreement persists, it escalates to the dispute process. Funds stay locked either way.

Yes. Either party can contest a decision with evidence; a second review or senior inspector can be assigned. The process is symmetrical — inspectors protect the work, not one side.

No — municipal permit inspections check code compliance and are still required where applicable (your contractor handles them). Trusavo inspections verify contract completion for payment. Complementary, not substitutes.

Yes. If you cancel after funding but before work begins, escrowed funds return to you, less any contracted mobilization costs the contractor has genuinely incurred (materials ordered, permits pulled) — that's spelled out in your contract.

Refunds go back to the funding bank account via the same rails, typically 3–5 business days after the refund is authorized. Every refund appears on your project ledger.

Yes, per your contract's termination terms: completed, verified milestones stay paid; unreleased funds for unstarted work return to you; partially complete work is assessed by an inspector and settled through the resolution process. It's orderly — nobody walks away with money for work not done.

This is exactly what escrow is for: they've only been paid for verified, completed milestones — the rest of your money is still protected. Report it to support@trusavo.com; we document the abandonment, resolve the balance back to you, and help you rebid the remaining work. Abandonment ends a contractor's time on Trusavo.

The auto-release window protects you: an inspected, approved milestone releases after the confirmation window even if the homeowner goes silent. For mid-milestone unresponsiveness, email support@trusavo.com — documented non-cooperation is handled through the dispute process.

Flag the milestone in your dashboard or email support@trusavo.com. You'll state the issue, attach evidence (photos, messages, documents), and the other party responds on a set timeline. Everything happens in writing, on the record.

Funds for the disputed milestone freeze. Both sides submit evidence; an inspector re-examines if needed; our resolution team mediates against the contract. Outcomes can include full release, partial release, rework requirements, or refund. Most disputes resolve in days to a couple of weeks.

Yes — that's common and often fair: the verified portion of a milestone pays out, the deficient portion is refunded or held for rework. The double-entry ledger makes split settlements clean.

Document it immediately (photos, dates) and email support@trusavo.com. Verified contractors carry insurance — damage claims route to their policy, and the dispute process can hold relevant milestone funds while it's assessed.

Your contract commits both parties to Trusavo's resolution process, including mediation, first — it's faster and cheaper than court, and the escrow means there's actually money to resolve with. Legal rights beyond that process are preserved per your contract and state law.

Escrow doesn't evaporate — funds stay protected while timelines extend under the contract's force-majeure terms. When work resumes, milestones pick up where they left off. In South Florida, we built for this.

Sign up at app.trusavo.com, choose the contractor role, and complete onboarding: business profile, license details, service areas, and verification. You can browse projects immediately; bidding unlocks when verification completes.

License verification (state/county), a background check through Checkr, business identity (KYB), and insurance documentation. It protects you too — every contractor you compete against passed the same bar, and homeowners fund real money because they trust the pool.

Usually 2–5 business days, mostly driven by the background check and license lookup. You'll get email updates at each step; stalled checks are worth a nudge to support@trusavo.com.

Common causes: license number mismatch with the state registry, expired insurance certificate, or blurry document photos. The rejection email says exactly what failed. Most rejections are fixable with corrected documents — resubmit or email support@trusavo.com.

The mark homeowners see on your profile and every bid, confirming license, background check, and insurance are current. Badged contractors win measurably more work — it's the trust signal doing your selling.

No. Browsing and bidding are free — there is no per-lead charge, ever. Contractor Pro is a flat $49/month for priority placement and pro tools. You'll never get a bill because a homeowner clicked your profile.

The verified badge displayed prominently, priority bid placement, bid and project templates, advanced reporting, and team seats. Cancel anytime; it ends at the close of the billing period.

Yes — team roles let your office manager handle bids and messages while payouts stay locked to the business owner. Enterprise plans add finer-grained permissions.

Your profile links out to external review profiles, but Trusavo ratings are earned only from completed, escrow-verified projects on the platform — that's why homeowners trust them. They accumulate fast once you're working.

The Discover feed filters by trade, ZIP radius, and budget. Every project shows an AI-structured scope with photos — you're pricing real information, and every homeowner posting has signaled intent to fund escrow.

Line items that map to the posted scope, a realistic milestone schedule, and a personal note showing you read the project. Homeowners compare structured bids side by side — vague totals lose to transparent breakdowns.

Per milestone: submit with proof → inspector approves → homeowner confirms (or the auto-release window lapses) → payout executes to your linked bank. From inspection approval, money typically lands in 2–4 business days.

First: was the milestone approved AND confirmed (or auto-released)? Check its status in your dashboard. Second: is your payout account verified? First payouts take an extra day or two for bank verification. If a release shows executed and it's been 4+ business days, email support@trusavo.com with the milestone link — payout traces are our top-priority queue.

Link your business bank account via Plaid in Payout Settings. If instant linking fails, micro-deposit verification takes 1–2 days. Do this during onboarding — not the day your first milestone releases.

No — this is a structural advantage of escrow over cards and payment apps. Funds were the homeowner's own cleared deposit, released on documented inspection. There's no card network to reverse it. Released means released.

Build them into the milestone schedule — a first milestone for mobilization/materials (with receipts as proof) is standard and releases fast. The full project funding means you're never floating the whole job on your own credit.

No separate retainage — the milestone structure itself serves that function. Each milestone pays out 100% when verified. The final milestone typically covers punch-list completion, which is the closest analog.

Yes, for everything completed and verified — that money is yours and already protected in escrow. Work in progress at cancellation is assessed by an inspector and settled per the contract's termination terms.

Yes — payouts are reported and you'll receive a 1099-K per IRS thresholds each January, with your full payout history downloadable anytime for your accountant. Trusavo doesn't withhold taxes; you're an independent business.

Yes — invite your own customer to run the project through Trusavo. You get funded certainty and fast verified payouts; they get free escrow protection. Many pros use it as their closing tool: 'your money sits in escrow, not my pocket.'

Timelines are contractual, but escrow doesn't auto-penalize lateness — the homeowner sees status and you should communicate early through project messaging. Chronic, uncommunicated delays feed your performance record and can be dispute grounds.

Only parties to a completed (or terminated) Trusavo project — homeowners review contractors and contractors review homeowners. No drive-by reviews from people you never worked with.

After the final milestone closes — or after a project terminates through the resolution process. You'll get an email prompt; reviews stay open for 30 days after close.

Every review is attached to a funded, inspected, escrow-verified project — the reviewer provably hired (or worked for) the person, and the money and inspections are on record. It can't be bought, botted, or faked by a cousin.

You can edit within the 30-day review window. After that it's part of the record — email support@trusavo.com for corrections of factual errors.

Respond publicly and professionally first — homeowners read responses as closely as reviews. If it violates guidelines (false claims contradicted by inspection records, harassment, off-platform disputes), email support@trusavo.com with specifics; inspection documentation makes review disputes unusually resolvable here.

Yes, against published guidelines: no personal attacks, no doxxing, claims must relate to the project on record. Because every project has an inspection trail, factual disputes get checked against evidence, not vibes.

Yes — contractors rate communication, access, and payment behavior (which on Trusavo is mostly automatic). Good homeowner ratings attract better bids on your next project.

Use 'Forgot password' on the sign-in page at app.trusavo.com — you'll get a reset link by email. If the email never arrives, check spam, then email support@trusavo.com from your account address.

Yes — SMS and authenticator-app 2FA, and we strongly recommend enabling it. Accounts moving renovation money deserve bank-grade login protection.

In account settings, with verification of both the old and new contact — that friction is deliberate, since email and phone are how money-movement confirmations reach you.

Email support@trusavo.com from your account email. Accounts with active funded projects must complete or resolve them first. Financial records are retained as required by law (typically 7 years) even after account deletion; personal data beyond that is removed.

No. We share data only with the services that operate the platform (banking, identity verification, communications) and the other party to your project as needed. Details in the Privacy Policy.

Notification settings let you tune email and SMS by type. Transactional messages about money movements and inspections can't be disabled while you have an active project — they're part of the protection.

Never. All escrow funding happens inside your dashboard through your linked bank. Anyone emailing you 'updated wiring instructions' is a fraudster — real estate wire fraud is rampant. Forward anything suspicious to support@trusavo.com.

Email security@trusavo.com. We take responsible disclosure seriously and respond quickly.

The web app at app.trusavo.com is fully mobile-optimized — contractors submit milestone proof from the job site with their phone camera. Native apps are on the roadmap.

Switch your 2FA to an authenticator app in security settings, or email support@trusavo.com from your account address to verify identity another way.

$49/month to the card on file, on your signup anniversary date. Receipts land in your email and live in billing settings.

Billing settings → Cancel — effective at the end of the current period, no phone calls or retention scripts. Your verification and history remain; you keep bidding on the free tier.

Yes — new verified contractors get a trial of Pro so the badge and priority placement can prove themselves on real bids before you pay.

Yes — monthly invoices with your business details are downloadable from billing settings.

We retry over several days and email you. Pro benefits pause (never your project payouts or escrow access) until billing succeeds. Update your card in billing settings to restore instantly.

Yes — multi-crew teams and franchises get custom plans with roles, permissions, API access, and dedicated support. Email support@trusavo.com with your company size and we'll set it up.