HomeAdvisor is an online marketplace allowing customers to connect with local service professionals – among them cleaning companies for homes and offices. The company was founded in 1998 and is based in Colorado. Through HomeAdvisor, customers can specify the service they are looking for and – based on their specification – receive quotes from suitable professionals. Services can be found in all big US cities as well as in large parts of Canada.
In October 2017, the HomeAdvisor merged with the online platform Angie’s List, which lists several hundred different types of services.
How HomeAdvisor works
On the HomeAdvisor homepage you can find a local professional by entering the service you are looking for into a query form or by selecting the relevant service category.
HomeAdvisor – Homepage
After selecting the required service, the customer needs to answer a set of questions in order to specify the exact need for the cleaning job (please note that hundreds of other services are available on HomeAdvisor as well).
In a first step, the customer needs to enter the zip code for the cleaning.
HomeAdvisor – Booking Process I
Through HomeAvisor, not only housekeeping professionals and maid services for the residential space can be found, but also janitorial services for offices. This becomes evident in the next question the customer needs to answer:
HomeAdvisor – Booking Process II
After indicating whether the need for a cleaning professional results from an emergeny or not, the customer can determine the type of cleaning that is needed – the options are one-time, recurring, move-out or post-construction.
HomeAdvisor – Booking Process III
If the customer needs a recurring cleaning for his home or office, he or she can define the frequency in the next step (daily, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly or bi-monthly), before giving a rough indication on the size of the home.
HomeAdvisor – Booking Process IV
The last steps of specifying the exact need for the professional cleaning support include choosing a status for the project (planning & budgeting or ready to hire), defining when the job shall be done and providing additional project details (optional).
HomeAdvisor – Booking Process V
In a final step, the customer needs to provide the exact address for the project as well as his or her contact information.
HomeAdvisor – Booking Process VI
Now, prescreened local cleaning professionals are shown and the customer is able to request a quote and schedule an appointment online.
HomeAdvisor – Booking Process – Available Professionals
HomdeAdvisor Prices
Similar to online platforms like Angie’s List or Thumbtack, HomeAdvisor aggregates the services of local professionals. Prices are determined by the individual cleaning companies enlisted on the platform and not by HomeAdvisor. Prices for housekeeping and maid services start at 20-25 USD per hour for individual cleaning companies, but vary widely as there are no standardized prices.
HomeAdvisor is completely free for customers. The platform makes money with advertising fees paid by the service professionals for each customer lead.
Based on the huge amounts of data gathered by the platform, HomeAdvisor can display distribution curves for all services enlisted in a particular city. This service is called “True Cost Guide”.
Training, Insurance & Key
It is the individual housekeeping company’s responsibility to train its staff and get a liability insurance in order to protect customers ins case of damages caused while performing a job. As a consequence, the quality of the cleaning service provided by different professionals can vary significantly. All professionals enlisted on HomeAdvisor, are screened and approved in the course of the application process. Among other things, the screening covers a check of the required trade licensing, a search for criminal records and an identity verification.
The customer should also check if the service provider he or she plans to hire is sufficiently insured – a general HomeAdivsor insurance does not exist.
Whether key can be handed over to the cleaning professionals in case of recurring jobs, should also be discussed with the individual provider.
Summary
Just like Angie’s List or Thumbtack, HomeAdvisor offers an easy way to get an overview of local providers. The information on each service professional enlisted is enriched with client reviews and resulting ratings, providing helpful guidance.
Customers should be aware, however, that the quality of the cleaning companies enlisted may vary and carefully check if the providers do have sufficient insurance coverage.
Gary - November 2, 2017 @ 20:50
Great overview of companies im my home town. But which company to pick?? Wanted to try out Handy, but they are not available in my town.
Martin - November 12, 2017 @ 22:07
Easy to use, great if you like to check several options before making a decision
Margaret S. - November 16, 2017 @ 13:14
Feel like all questions i had to answer online were asked again when the cleaning company called. wtf?
Jerry - January 13, 2018 @ 20:29
I like HomeAdvisor because it’s so easy, perfect for convenient people like me, and has a very diverse offer. I already had two good home cleanings with this platform.
Lilian - January 15, 2018 @ 19:04
I often use this website to find handy services. They have already connected me to so many different professionals who helped me to make my sweet home look the way it does now.Thanks!