The system of record for contractor work
Every job,
on the record.
Contracht turns “redo the upstairs bathroom” into a written scope, comparable bids, a signed agreement, funding before work starts and payment released when you approve.
No lead fees · Funded at acceptance · Released on approval
“
- Not yet recorded
Scope
- Not yet recorded
Bid
- $18,400Not yet recorded
Agree
- Not yet recorded
Sign
- $18,400Not yet recorded
Fund
- $1,240Not yet recorded
Build
- Not yet recorded
Document
- Not yet recorded
Approve
- $18,400Not yet recorded
Pay
Record in progress
The problem
Most $40,000 jobs run on a text thread.
The work usually isn’t the hard part. It’s that the quote, the deposit, the change and the proof live in four different places — and none of them is an agreement. When something goes sideways, there’s nothing to point to.
The quote
“Bathroom — around 18, give or take.”
Text message · no line items
The deposit
$6,000 sent. For what, exactly?
Payment app · no reference
The change
“I thought the vanity was included.”
Phone call · no record
The proof
Photos in a group chat, somewhere.
Camera roll · unlabeled
Contracht puts all of it in one place, in order, signed — and keeps it.
How it works
From a sentence to a signed, paid, recorded job.
- 01
Describe it the way you’d say it
Type what you want done in plain English. Contracht turns it into a written scope — separate work items, split by trade, with the questions a contractor would ask answered up front.
- 02
Compare real bids against the same scope
Contractors price each item, not a number on a napkin. You see what’s included, what isn’t, the schedule and the credentials side by side.
- 03
Sign once. Fund before work starts.
Accepting a bid produces a scope of work both of you sign. The agreed amount is collected at acceptance, so the crew knows the money exists before they mobilize.
- 04
Build it on the record
Material purchases are requested and approved before they’re bought. Photos, messages and approvals attach to the job as they happen — timestamped, in one place.
- 05
Approve the work. Payment releases.
When the job matches the signed scope, you approve it and payment goes to the contractor’s bank. Both sides review a real, completed, paid job — and the record stays with the property.
The lifecycle
One line runs through the whole job.
Each stage leaves something behind. Together they’re the record: what was agreed, what changed, what was paid, and when.
01
Scope
Work items, by trade
02
Bid
Itemized prices
03
Agree
Selected bid
04
Sign
Both signatures, timestamped
05
Fund
Amount collected
06
Build
Material approvals
07
Document
Photos & messages
08
Approve
Owner sign-off
09
Pay
Transfer to contractor
10
Record
Kept with the property
Bid comparison
Three bids. One scope. Every difference visible.
The cheapest bid here leaves you to haul the debris and assumes a $600 vanity. You’d find that out on day three — or, on Contracht, before you sign.
| Signed scope · 8 items | Northline Remodel$16,90014 days · starts Nov 18 | Harbor Tile & Bath$18,40012 days · starts Nov 11 | Keel & Co.$21,2509 days · starts Dec 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demo & haul-away | Owner hauls | Included | Included |
| Floor + wall tile | Included | Included | Included |
| Vanity & top | IncludedAllowance $600 | IncludedAllowance $1,200 | IncludedAllowance $1,500 |
| Toilet | Included | Included | Included |
| Lighting + exhaust fan | Included | Included | Included |
| Tub surround regrout | Included | Included | Included |
| Paint | Included | Included | Included |
| Permit | Included | Included | Included |
| Credentials | License on fileInsurance on file | License verifiedInsurance verified | License verifiedInsurance on file |
Northline Remodel
$16,900
7 of 8 items · 14 days · starts Nov 18
- Demo & haul-awayOwner hauls
- Vanity & topIncludedAllowance $600
License on fileInsurance on file
Harbor Tile & Bath
$18,400
8 of 8 items · 12 days · starts Nov 11
- Vanity & topIncludedAllowance $1,200
License verifiedInsurance verified
Keel & Co.
$21,250
8 of 8 items · 9 days · starts Dec 2
- Vanity & topIncludedAllowance $1,500
License verifiedInsurance on file
Example comparison · names are illustrative
For owners & operators
Control without chasing.
- Know what you’re buying
- Every bid is priced against the same written scope, so “included” means the same thing in all of them.
- Compare more than price
- Inclusions, exclusions, allowances, schedule and credentials sit next to the number. The lowest bid is sometimes the one missing a line.
- Approve spending as it happens
- Material requests arrive with an amount and a reason before anything is bought.
- Pay for finished work
- Payment releases when you approve the job — not on a date, not on a promise.
- Keep the history
- Scope, agreement, photos and payments stay attached to the property for the next job, the next buyer, the next insurer.
For contractors
Clear work. Predictable pay.
- Real, scoped work
- Jobs arrive written up — items, photos, answers — so you price the work instead of chasing a site visit to find out what it is.
- Never pay to bid
- No lead fees. No pay-to-see. You don’t pay to find out a job exists.
- Know the money is there
- The job is funded when your bid is accepted. You mobilize knowing it’s real.
- Changes in writing
- Material requests and approvals are recorded, so “I thought that was included” has an answer.
- A body of work that’s yours
- Every completed, paid job and its review builds a record that’s verifiable — not a star rating anyone can buy.
Payments
Funded at acceptance. Released on approval.
The two moments that matter to each side, made explicit. The contractor knows the money exists before starting. The owner knows it moves only when the work is approved.
Payments are processed by Stripe. Larger jobs are paid by bank transfer, which costs a small fraction of card processing. Contracht is not a bank and does not provide escrow services.
- 1
Bid accepted
Agreement
Scope of work signed by both parties.
- 2
Job funded
Funded
The agreed amount is collected from the owner and held.
- 3
Materials approved
In progress
Requests with amounts and receipts, approved before purchase.
- 4
Work approved
Approved
The owner checks the work against the signed scope.
- 5
Payment released
Paid
Transferred to the contractor’s bank. Recorded.
Trust, stated precisely
“On file” is not “verified.” We never blur the two.
Contractors add their license and insurance. When a person checks a credential, it’s marked verified, with the date. Reviews come only from the two parties to a completed, paid job.
License
Verified
Checked by a person · Oct 2
Insurance
On file
Self-reported · not yet checked
Reviews
12 jobs
Each from a completed, paid job
The permanent record
A property remembers what was done to it.
Every job run through Contracht leaves a complete history: the scope, the bids, who signed what and when, every change, photo and payment. It stays with the property — useful for the next repair, the next sale, the next claim.
1418 Laurel Ave
Property record
- 2026Upstairs bathroom remodelHarbor Tile & Bath · signed · paid · reviewed$18,400
- 2025Roof — rear section replacedSummit Roofing · signed · paid · reviewed$9,850
- 2025Water heater, 50 galDelgado Plumbing · signed · paid · reviewed$2,140
- 2024Electrical panel upgradeBrightline Electric · signed · paid · reviewed$4,300
Example · 4 jobs · 163 entries
Questions
Straight answers.
Is Contracht a contractor directory?
No. Contracht doesn’t sell leads or placement. It’s where a job is scoped, bid, agreed, funded, documented, approved and paid — and where the record of that job is kept.
How does payment work?
When you accept a bid, the agreed amount is collected and held until you approve the finished work. Approval releases payment to the contractor’s bank. Payments are processed by Stripe; larger jobs are paid by bank transfer, which keeps processing costs low.
What happens if the work isn’t right?
Payment only releases when you approve. If the job doesn’t match the signed scope, you don’t approve it, and the record — scope, material approvals, messages and photos — is what both sides work from.
Are contractors vetted?
Contractors put their license and insurance on file. Where a person has actually checked a credential, Contracht shows it as verified; where it’s self-reported, it says “on file.” We never blur the two.
What does it cost contractors?
Contractors never pay to see a job or to bid on one. There are no lead fees.
Who is it for?
Homeowners and property operators who want work done correctly, and independent contractors who want clear scopes and predictable payment. It’s built for jobs large enough that a handshake isn’t enough.
Can I try it without committing to anything?
Yes. The guided tour opens a sandbox account with a sample property and live bids. Nothing in the sandbox moves real money.
Get it in writing.
Describe the job. We’ll help you turn it into something both sides can sign.