Community Guidelines

Welcome to doBid

What doBid is for: doBid is a marketplace for residential home services that do not require a state license— for example, painting, cleaning, landscaping and lawn care, pressure washing, junk hauling, furniture assembly, gutter cleaning, minor repairs, and general handyman work. Jobs that require a licensed trade — electrical, plumbing, HVAC, roofing, gas, or structural/foundation work — are not offered on doBid and may not be posted or bid on. If a job turns out to need licensed work, the right move is to decline that part and let the Customer know (see the Acceptable Use Policy § 3 and Pro Agreement § 3.1).

doBid is a professional marketplace where homeowners and service professionals build trust through fair dealings, clear communication, and quality work. These guidelines explain what successful doBid users tend to do. They are recommendations, not rules. For binding obligations and prohibited conduct, see the Pro (Service Provider) Agreement, the Acceptable Use Policy, and the Terms of Service.

For Service Providers ("Pros")

Important — how to read this section: Everything below is a recommended best practice. None of it is a direction from doBid about how, when, or by what method to perform your work. As an independent contractor, you control the manner and means of your services, set your own schedule, and decide which jobs to accept. Any response-time or arrival expectation is a commitment you choose to make to a Customer in a particular bid or message — not a requirement doBid imposes on your business. The few genuine obligations (completing the work you bid on, uploading completion photos before marking a job complete, keeping payment on-platform, carrying required insurance/licensing, and not harassing or discriminating) are set out in the Pro Agreement and Acceptable Use Policy, which control.

What Successful Pros on doBid Tend to Do

1. Respond Promptly

What works well:Customers often compare several Pros at once, so Pros who reply quickly — many aim for around 4 business hours — tend to win more work. This is a practice that helps you, not a doBid requirement.

Tips:

• Turn on push notifications for doBid messages
• Check messages at least twice per day (morning + evening)
• If you're unavailable (vacation, emergency), pause your account so you don't receive new bids
• Pre-draft common responses to reply faster

2. Show Up When You Said You Would

What works well: When you commit to an arrival window with a Customer, honoring it builds trust and ratings. The window is a commitment you make to the Customer, not a schedule doBid sets.

Tips:

• Set a reminder before your appointment and leave a buffer for traffic
• If you're running late, message the Customer right away with the reason, an updated ETA, and an apology

If you need to cancel: let the Customer know as early as you can so they can rebook. Cancellation handling is governed by the Refund & Dispute Policy.

3. Deliver What You Bid

A genuine expectation (see Pro Agreement § 7): complete the work described in your accepted bid to a professional, workmanlike standard. Half-finished or partial work creates disputes and hurts your rating.

Tips:

• Re-read your bid before starting
• If the job is bigger than expected, complete it or proactively work it out with the Customer
• Don't change scope or upsell without the Customer's agreement
• Document your work with before/after photos

4. Upload Completion Photos

A genuine expectation (see Pro Agreement § 7): upload at least 3 clear "after" photos from different angles before marking a job complete.

Quality checklist:

• Clear, in-focus, well-lit
• Show the completed work from multiple angles
• Roughly match the angles of the Customer's "before" photos
• No filters, blur, or heavy editing
• Actually show the finished work

Why: Photos are the primary evidence in disputes (Refund & Dispute Policy § 6).

5. Communicate Professionally

What works well: keep job-related communication respectful, clear, and professional.

Tips:

• Use complete sentences; be courteous even if a Customer is rude
• Answer questions directly
• Keep it job-related

Avoid (some are AUP violations):

• Asking for off-platform payment ("Venmo me instead") — prohibited (AUP § 4)
• Soliciting the Customer off-platform — see Pro Agreement § 9
• Sending many messages in a row
• Discussing other contractors or their rates

6. Build a Strong Rating

What works well: Customers often sort by rating, so a strong average (many top Pros are at 4.5+) tends to bring more bid requests.

Tips:

• Do quality work (most important)
• Respond promptly
• Thank Customers for positive reviews
• Respond to a negative review professionally rather than arguing

7. Respect Customer Homes

What works well: treat Customer property with care.

Tips:

• Ask before moving furniture; use drop cloths/protective covering
• Keep noise reasonable and honor local ordinances
• Leave the workspace clean
• If you damage anything, disclose it immediately and offer to repair or reimburse (Property Damage is handled under Refund & Dispute Policy § 8)

8. Honor Your Agreements With the Customer

What works well:if you commit to a timeline, scope, price, or a special request, follow through. If something needs to change, communicate immediately and get the Customer's approval before proceeding.

9. Handle Disputes Professionally

If a Customer opens a dispute, you have 48 business hours to respond (Refund & Dispute Policy). Upload photos showing completed work, be respectful, and — if the Customer is partially right — consider offering a partial refund proactively.

Pro Checklist Before Starting Work (suggested)

• Reviewed the Customer's bid and photos
• Confirmed date, time, and location with the Customer
• Have the tools, materials, insurance, and any required licensing you need (your responsibility)
• Let the Customer know your expected arrival
• Clear plan for before/after photos

For Customers

What Makes a Successful Customer Experience

1. Be Clear About What You Need

Describe your job clearly: what needs to be done, where, when (date range and flexibility), a budget expectation, and any special requirements.

Clear job post example:"Paint living room + hallway (2 colors). Living room ~300 sq ft, hallway ~150 sq ft. Living room light gray (I'll provide paint), hallway white. This week or next. I can be present. Budget ~$500–700. Contractor brings their own ladder and supplies."

Vague job post:"Interior painting. Need painting done. ASAP." — gets fewer qualified bids.

2. Provide Good Photos

Upload at least 3 "before" photos showing the area from multiple angles — clear, well-lit, in-focus, including close-ups of any existing damage. Pros use your photos to estimate difficulty and price, so good photos mean accurate bids.

3. Respond to Pro Questions

Answering Pro questions promptly (within about 24 hours) helps them give accurate pricing and timelines. Be specific and ask for clarification if something isn't clear.

4. Accept Professional Bids

Look for a mid-range price, good reviews, and a responsive Pro; ask a question or two to gauge professionalism; then accept and start. Dragging out the selection process frustrates Pros and wastes time.

5. Prepare Your Home

Prep the job site so the Pro can start: clear furniture, protect what shouldn't be touched, and provide access (parking, water, bathroom, entry instructions). Prepared homes mean faster, cheaper jobs.

6. Review and Release Payment Promptly

Review the completed work within the Review Window and release payment if you're satisfied. Open a dispute if the work is incomplete, doesn't match the bid, the Pro left a mess or caused damage, or the Pro didn't show. Pros rely on timely payment, so holding funds unnecessarily is unfair.

7. Provide Honest Reviews

Leave a review based on your genuine experience — specific feedback helps everyone.

• Helpful:"Pro arrived on time, finished in a day, quality work, cleaned up. Recommend."
• Helpful critical:"Work quality was fine but the Pro was 2 hours late without notice."
• Unhelpful:"This Pro is terrible!" with no specifics.

8. Communicate Respectfully

Treat Pros like the skilled professionals they are.

• Respectful:"Thanks for the work — this corner looks a bit rough, can we touch it up?"
• Disrespectful:"This is garbage. You're obviously not a real painter."

9. Understand the Escrow Model

Your payment is held in escrow by Stripe (not by doBid) during a Review Window after the Pro marks the job complete. Funds are released when:

• you release them ("Release Payment"); or
• doBid releases them on your behalf after the Review Window closes, following an internal review — release is administered by doBid, not automatic; or
• a dispute is resolved.

This protects you: if work is incomplete, you can dispute before payment is released.

Customer Checklist Before Posting (suggested)

• Job description is clear and specific
• Uploaded 3+ before photos from different angles, well-lit and in-focus
• Budget range is realistic
• Timeline is realistic (most Pros can't start tomorrow)
• Ready to review bids and pick one within a few days

Conduct That Builds Trust

Both Pros & Customers should:

• Be honest— don't misrepresent, exaggerate, or hide problems
• Communicate clearly— complete sentences, direct answers
• Respect privacy— don't share another user's information without permission
• Handle problems professionally— discuss and solve respectfully
• Leave honest reviews— reviews are the currency of trust on doBid
• Honor your agreements

Building Community

doBid works because users treat each other fairly:

• Pros:your reputation is everything — quality work, responsiveness, and respect win business.
• Customers:your honesty matters — pay promptly, review honestly, communicate clearly.
• Everyone: when disputes happen, resolve them professionally. The goal is fairness, not punishment.

Questions?