The contractor directory you can't buy your way into.
Every other directory sells placement. Ours is earned from your customer reviews. Strong reviews qualify you for a free Elite listing, a badge for your own website, and a place in the directory homeowners search before they hire. You cannot pay to get in, and you cannot pay to move up.
Loading live network availability.
The pay-to-play directories, and the earned alternative
| Platform | Cost | How you appear | Same request sold to rivals | Followed link to your site |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Angi / HomeAdvisor | Plan plus per-request fees | Pay to appear | Yes | No |
| Thumbtack | Charged per request, win or lose | Pay to appear | Yes | No |
| Google Local Services | Budget plus per-contact fees | Pay to appear | By category | No |
| BBB | Annual accreditation | Pay for the mark | No routing | No |
| BBN Elite | Free | Earned from your reviews | Never, one pro per metro | Followed link |
The Elite marks, trade by trade. Homeowners learn them at a glance.
A useful listing, not another bill
As demand grows in your metro, a homeowner goes to one recognized contractor. We never resell the same request across four trucks.
Your homeowner reviews earn the mark. Money cannot buy it.
Your Elite profile links to your website with a real followed link. Most directories withhold that. We put our name behind you, so the link carries it.
No contractor payment moves a number in the cost index. The endorsement carries weight because the data behind it is not for sale.
Available trade and metro reports use the same local costs, wages, permit figures, and fair margin math homeowners see.
No bot approves an Elite listing. "I read the review history on every claim before the mark goes live." Chuck Thompson, retired builder, LC Thompson Construction Co.
Members also get the SEO letter. Short, practical local search moves for contractors.
You cannot buy your way onto this list.
Your own homeowners decide whether the Elite mark fits. We use real customer reviews. A contractor cannot pay to look cheaper, move above another shop, or change a number in the cost index. It is a fair exchange. We put our name behind you and put you in front of homeowners, and you carry the badge that lets them know at a glance they are dealing with someone we recommend.
A fair bid includes your margin.
The Bid Fairness Checker starts with labor hours, local wages, materials, permit cost, and overhead. That cost to deliver is the break-even. The fair range sits above it because nobody works for free.
A straight bid gets an independent answer from a site you did not pay. Bring the public methodology to the kitchen table when a customer asks where the number came from.
Cost to deliver is the break-even. A fair contractor margin belongs above it.
Open the live checkerSee the contractors already carrying the mark
You pressure-test our data. We put homeowners in front of you.
We don't treat our contractors as a revenue stream. You're far more important than that. When your real bids and receipts disagree with one of our numbers, we take it back to the primary sources and re-verify. Nothing changes on say-so, and no contractor moves a published figure. That is exactly why the badge is worth carrying: our name goes on your site, your work goes in front of our homeowners, and the data behind both is not for sale.
How the paid options work
Angi and HomeAdvisor sell the same homeowner request to several contractors. Published contractor accounts commonly report $15 to $100 for each shared request, depending on the job and market, plus plan costs. You pay to compete for a customer who was handed to your rivals too.
Thumbtack charges you for the customer request whether or not you win the job. The price varies by category and market.
Google Local Services runs on a budget and a charge each time a homeowner makes contact. Published home service ranges commonly land around $25 to $50, but the market sets the rate.
BBB accreditation charges an annual fee set by the local bureau and business size. It is a trust mark, not a customer routing service.
Cite the index in your proposal
Trade bid checkers are free to embed. You can also cite any cost figure in a proposal or bid walkthrough. Credit TheFatBook and link to the page where the number appears.
Claim the listing your homeowners earned.
Each trade and metro carries a limited set of Elite positions, and smaller metros carry fewer. Claiming takes a couple of minutes: a business email and a service area. Claimed today, reviewed today: your listing goes live the moment a person confirms your review history, usually same day. The live check below sends you to your existing directory listings when a position is claim ready. If none is open, leave one email and we will contact you when one is.
Common questions
How do the paid directories charge contractors?
Angi and HomeAdvisor sell the same homeowner request to several contractors at once. Thumbtack charges you per customer request whether or not you win the work. Google Local Services charges against a budget each time a homeowner makes contact. You pay to compete for a customer who was handed to your rivals too.
What does a BBN Elite listing cost?
It is free to claim. Elite status comes from the reviews your own homeowners give you. A contractor cannot pay for the mark or a better position.
Does an Elite spot bring me work?
BBN is built around one homeowner and one contractor, not a shared bidding pool. As homeowner demand grows in your metro, that interest goes to the recognized Elite pro for the trade. It is earned standing, not a purchased customer stream, and the network is still growing.
What comes with an Elite listing?
You get the BBN Elite mark, a directory profile that links to your website, and a local market report where the report is available for your trade and metro. The member newsletter and QR estimate tool are still being built and are labeled that way on this page.
Can a contractor pay to change a cost number or rank higher?
No. No contractor payment has ever moved a number in the cost index and none ever will. We do sell marketing services to a small number of contractors and we say so plainly, but that money buys services, never a price or a placement. Homeowner reviews earn Elite status. Payment cannot change the index, the mark, or the order.