Simple by design

How Local Skilled Trades works

Whether you are a homeowner looking for a reliable contractor or a tradesperson ready to grow your business, here is exactly how our platform works — step by step.

For homeowners

Find and hire in four steps

Step 01

Search your city and trade

Enter your city, postal code, or province along with the type of tradesperson you need — plumber, electrician, roofer, HVAC, and more. Our search instantly filters results to your area.

Step 02

Compare profiles and reviews

Each listing shows the business's verified credentials, licence status, insurance coverage, years in business, average rating, and written reviews from real customers. Take your time — there is no pressure.

Step 03

Contact and get a quote

Reach out directly through the business profile. Most tradespeople respond within a few hours. Request quotes from two or three businesses to compare pricing and professionalism before committing.

Step 04

Hire with confidence

Once you have chosen your tradesperson, hire them directly. After the job is complete, leave an honest review to help future homeowners make informed decisions — it only takes two minutes.

For tradespeople

List, get verified, and grow

Step 01

Create your free listing

Register as a business owner and complete your profile: business name, trade category, service areas, contact details, licence numbers, and a short description of what makes your work stand out.

Step 02

Get verified

Submit your trade licence and proof of insurance through your dashboard. Our team reviews your documents and, once approved, adds a Verified badge to your listing — a powerful trust signal for potential customers.

Step 03

Receive enquiries

Homeowners in your service area can find your listing through search and category browsing. You receive direct messages and quote requests — no middleman, no commission taken from your jobs.

Step 04

Grow with sponsorship

Upgrade to a Basic or Featured sponsorship to appear at the top of relevant search results. Sponsored listings are clearly labelled, and your ranking is never affected by anything other than your own merits.

No commission, ever

We never take a cut of the work done between a homeowner and a contractor. Payments stay between you.

Manual verification

Every verified badge is reviewed by a real person on our team — not an algorithm.

Moderated reviews

Our team reads every review submission and removes fake or abusive content to protect both sides.

Got questions?

Frequently asked questions

Is it free to search for tradespeople?

Yes, completely free. Homeowners can search, compare profiles, read reviews, and contact tradespeople at no cost, with no account required.

How does Local Skilled Trades verify tradespeople?

When a tradesperson submits their listing, our team manually reviews their provincial trade licence and proof of general liability insurance. Only listings that pass this review receive a Verified badge. We re-check credentials annually.

Does Local Skilled Trades take a commission from jobs?

No. We never take a percentage of the work done between a homeowner and a tradesperson. When you hire through our platform, all payment happens directly between you and the contractor.

Can I trust the reviews?

Our moderation team reviews every submission. We flag reviews that show patterns of abuse — such as multiple reviews from the same IP address or extreme outliers — and remove any that violate our review policy. We never delete negative reviews unless they breach our terms of service.

How do sponsored listings work?

Businesses can pay for a Basic or Featured sponsorship plan to appear above organic results in relevant searches. Sponsored slots are always clearly labelled with a badge. Sponsorship never affects a business's verified status, review score, or organic ranking.

What if I have a bad experience with a tradesperson?

Leave an honest review on their profile. If you believe the tradesperson misrepresented their credentials, contact us at info@localskilledtrades.com and we will investigate. Listings found to have falsified information are removed immediately.

Is Local Skilled Trades available outside Canada?

Currently we serve all provinces and territories across Canada only. We have no plans to expand internationally at this time.

Still have questions? Email us