Posting a work order
Tell ContractShield what you want done. Eligible contractors bid within hours. Compare, choose, accept — the project starts from there. Most jobs get 3-5 bids in the first 72 hours.
Why post here
Multiple competing bids in 24-72 hours
Vetted contractors across your area see your work order as soon as you post. Most listings have 3-5 bids within three days — no chasing, no calling around.
1% platform fee, no flat lead cost
ContractShield charges 1% to clients (and 1% to contractors) at project completion. No subscription, no posting fee, no per-lead surcharge — you pay only when work happens.
Side-by-side bid comparison
When bids come in, the My Approvals screen shows them grouped by work order with totals, line items, contractor verification tier, and reviews. Decide on quality, not just price.
Vetted contractors only
Every contractor on the platform has at minimum a verified email and profile. Most have license + insurance verification badges. Filter to verified_pro tier if compliance matters.
Step-by-step
Posting takes 5-10 minutes. The bigger the job, the more time pays off in bid quality.
1. Open /post-work-order
From the dashboard, click 'Post a work order' or use the AI assistant: 'I want to post a new project.' Both routes land on the same form.
2. Title — be specific
Write the job in 5-10 words. "Replace 3 windows in dining room" beats "Window stuff." The contractor pool that bids depends on what they read in the title.
3. Description — include the why
Explain what you want done AND why. "Replace single-pane windows with double-pane to reduce drafts" gives contractors enough to suggest alternatives if your assumption is off. Aim for 2-3 paragraphs.
4. Category & trade
Pick the closest match. Multi-trade jobs (kitchen remodel touches plumbing + electrical + cabinetry) post under General Contracting; single-trade jobs (water heater swap) under the specific trade.
5. Property address
Required so contractors know if you're in their service area. Address is shared with contractors who bid; not shown publicly until you accept a bid.
6. Budget range
Provide a min and max. Contractors interpret 'no budget' as 'tire kicker' and skip — you'll get fewer bids. If you don't know, give a wide range ($5K-$25K) and let bids inform you.
7. Urgency & timeline
Low/medium/high/emergency. 'High' and 'emergency' get faster response but smaller bid pool because not all contractors can move that fast. Be honest — false urgency tanks your bid quality.
8. Photos
Upload 3-8 photos of the area. This is the single biggest factor in bid quality. Without photos, contractors over-pad to cover scope risk and your bids come in 20-40% high.
9. Submit
Posting goes live immediately. Eligible contractors see it on their job board within seconds. You'll get notifications as bids arrive — usually first one within 4 hours.
Common scenarios
Not sure what scope to write
Post the work order with a 'Discovery' label in the title and ask contractors to provide assumptions in their bid cover note. Their assumptions tell you what scope you didn't realize you needed.
Want both a quick fix bid and a full-renovation bid
Post twice — one work order titled "Stop-gap repair" and one titled "Full replacement." Different bidders self-select. Compare the spread to decide which makes sense.
Need an estimate before financing/insurance
In the description, explicitly say 'For insurance estimate purposes — please provide a written quote with itemized line items.' Contractors will write quotes optimized for paperwork, not just for winning.
Project is sensitive (occupied home, kids, pets)
Mention it in the description ('toddler in the home, work hours need to end by 5pm'). It filters out contractors who can't accommodate, leaving you a relevant bid pool.
What to watch out for
Got 0 bids in 3 days
Three usual causes: (1) Budget too low for the scope — bump the max by 30%. (2) Too few photos — add 3-5 more. (3) Too far from any active contractors — your area is thin. Try widening to a nearby metro by setting the property address to a nearby suburb if the job allows.
Got 12 bids and can't decide
Use My Approvals to side-by-side the top 4. Filter out anything below verified_pro tier if the job is high-stakes. Among the rest, message your top 2 with a clarifying question — fastest, clearest reply usually correlates with project quality.
A contractor is messaging me before bidding
That's a good sign — they're scoping properly. Answer their questions in the work-order chat (visible to all bidders, so it improves all bids). Don't take that conversation off-platform until you've accepted a bid.
Bids are wildly different ($5K vs $18K for same job)
Either the scope is unclear (re-post with more detail) OR contractors are interpreting it differently. Read line items — the $5K bid probably skips something the $18K bid includes. Ask the cheaper bidder what's NOT in their quote.
Or just ask the assistant
"I need a contractor to replace 3 windows in my dining room — about $5K-$10K, low urgency." The AI assistant captures the details, fills the form, and confirms before posting.