Question 1

How is The Trust Construct different from Angi or Thumbtack?

Accepted Answer

Angi and Thumbtack sell leads — they charge contractors for leads, with no payment protection. The Trust Construct is a full platform: marketplace, processor-secured payments, milestone tracking, contractor verification, and dispute resolution — all in one.

Question 2

Are there any hidden fees on The Trust Construct?

Accepted Answer

No hidden fees. Homeowners can start on a Free plan ($0), with optional Pro ($39/mo) and Business ($99/mo) plans that unlock more active projects and advanced features. Contractors pay no lead fees — just a small platform fee on completed projects. Standard payment processing fees from the licensed payment provider also apply (cheaper if the homeowner pays by bank transfer).

Question 3

How is my money protected as a homeowner?

Accepted Answer

Your funds are held by the payment processor (Stripe) — not by TrustConstruct, and not directly by the contractor. Funds are released only when you approve a completed milestone. If something goes wrong, the funds stay held by the payment processor until the issue is resolved. TrustConstruct is not a bank, escrow agent, lender, or money transmitter.

Question 4

When do I need to pay as a homeowner?

Accepted Answer

You only fund the next two milestones at a time, not the whole project upfront. After you accept a milestone as complete, the next one rolls into the funded window — so you never have more funds with the payment processor than the work that's about to be done.

Question 5

Can I pay by bank transfer instead of credit card?

Accepted Answer

Yes — and we recommend it. Paying by bank transfer (ACH) costs much less in processing fees than a credit card. On a $10,000 milestone, ACH costs about $5 vs roughly $290 for a card.

Question 6

How do contractors get paid on The Trust Construct?

Accepted Answer

When a homeowner approves a completed milestone, the payment processor (Stripe) transfers the funds to the contractor's bank account. No chasing checks, no 30-60 day waits, no overdue invoices.

Question 7

What is Stripe Connect and do contractors need their own Stripe account?

Accepted Answer

Contractors don't need an existing Stripe account. During onboarding, The Trust Construct creates a Stripe Connect Express account in just a few minutes — Stripe handles identity and bank verification. After that, payouts run automatically.

Question 8

When does the money arrive in a contractor's bank account?

Accepted Answer

Once a milestone is approved by the client, funds typically land in the contractor's bank account within 2-7 business days, depending on Stripe's standard payout schedule.

Question 9

Does The Trust Construct handle 1099 tax forms?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Stripe automatically generates a 1099-K tax form at year-end for any Connect account that meets the IRS reporting threshold. Contractors receive it electronically through their Stripe dashboard.

Question 10

How does sub-contractor work through The Trust Construct?

Accepted Answer

A General Contractor can invite a sub to a project. The sub gets their own milestone schedule with the GC, their own milestone payment protection through the payment processor, and their own Stripe payouts. The sub only sees the price agreed with the GC — the homeowner-side amount stays private.

TrustConstruct vs Angi vs Thumbtack

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The Bottom Line