# How InstaBids works
One job description, the same scope for every contractor who bids, and one contractor you choose to connect with; here is each step with the honest answer to the question people ask at it.

## Quick answers

### How do I start a request on InstaBids?
One description, in your own words, plus photos; for a roof that means at least 2 wide shots from the ground and 1 close-up of the problem. The intake assistant builds a written scope card, and nothing is sent until you publish it.

### Do homeowners pay to use InstaBids?
No. Homeowners pay InstaBids nothing. Contractors who take part estimate from your photos and a written scope card.

### Does InstaBids handle payment for the work?
No, InstaBids does not hold payment for the work; you pay the contractor directly on the terms of the bid you accepted. Check the payment schedule before accepting a bid.

### Can I see contractor names before I choose?
No, each bidder appears under a stable label such as Contractor A, so you judge the work, not the brand. Contact details stay hidden until you choose one bid and the contractor confirms the connection.

### What does a bid on InstaBids show?
Three things: an estimate, the percentage it may move and a proposal, under a label such as Contractor A. Compare any bids you receive against your written scope.


**[ Start a bid card ]** → `/intake`

## What do I do first?
Describe the job once, in your own words, and add photos; for a roof that means at least 2 wide shots from the ground and 1 close-up of the problem. The intake assistant asks the questions a contractor would ask for that trade and builds a written scope card. Nothing is sent until you publish it.

## Who sees my request?
Contractors in your trade see the scope card, your photos and your 5-digit ZIP code. Contact details stay hidden until the homeowner picks a contractor and they confirm the connection. Each bidder appears under a stable label, so you judge the work, not the brand.

## How do I get a contractor quote without a home visit? <!--method-->
Contractors who take part estimate from your photos and a written scope card, so nobody visits before you see any prices. Homeowners pay InstaBids nothing. Contact details stay hidden until the homeowner picks a contractor and they confirm the connection. The contractor you pick may visit once before settling the final price against the percentage the bid stated.

## How do I compare the bids?
Compare any bids you receive against your written scope. A bid shows an estimate, the percentage it may move and a proposal under a label such as Contractor A. You can message a contractor who submits a bid. The contact-detail filter can miss disguised contact details.

## Does InstaBids tell me what the job should cost?
No, InstaBids never estimates a price, because every number you see is written by a contractor who is bidding on your written scope. The intake assistant is instructed never to ask what you can spend. You compare real bids side by side on one scope, not against a guess.

## What happens when I choose one?
Choose one bid. Contact details stay hidden until the homeowner picks a contractor and they confirm the connection. That contractor has a time window to confirm; if the window runs out, InstaBids tells you and asks whether to keep waiting or move to your second choice. You decide, and nobody is promoted automatically.

## Will the contractor still come to my house?
Possibly, once. The contractor you pick may visit once before settling the final price against the percentage the bid stated. Bids come from your photos and the written scope card, so you do not schedule five strangers into your house to get five numbers. The shopping happens without anyone at your door; the work still needs a visit.

## Does InstaBids hold my money or guarantee the work?
No. InstaBids does not hold payment for the work; you pay the contractor directly on the terms of the bid you accepted. InstaBids does not guarantee the work. Check the payment schedule before accepting a bid.

## What does it cost a contractor to bid?
Nothing to bid, and nothing at all during our pilot. After it, a contractor pays InstaBids once, after the homeowner chooses them, with a one-time fee set by the size of the bid you accepted. You price from photos and a written scope, with no trip out to bid, and never pay for the chance to bid.

## Start a bid card
Describe the job once, add photos, and use the written scope to describe the work. Contact details stay hidden until the homeowner picks a contractor and they confirm the connection.

InstaBids is in an early pilot in Broward and Palm Beach counties. We are still building our contractor network, so a job may not get bids yet. Your request page shows whether any bids have come in.

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Contractor? [Create an account](/contractor/join). Bidding is free, and there's no fee during our pilot.
Last checked: 21 September 2026