Sask. tech entrepreneurs seeing early success with app that lets homeowners post jobs for contractors to bid on
After their air conditioning unit died on one of the hottest days of last summer, two friends started tossing around the idea of developing an app for home repairs and renovations.
Within a year, Saskatoon co-founders Dave Belgrave and Steve Dillabough launched Fixter.
The app connects homeowners with contractors. Homeowners can post pictures and a description of their job and contractors can bid on it, something that Belgrave said works for both sides.
“Basically it’s kind of like public tenders, but we’re doing it for residential homeowners. It’s free for homeowners to use, and free for contractors to register, sign up, and bid on projects, and they pay a small fee if they get awarded the job,” Belgrave told CTV News.
“We just wanted to make it as simple and easy to use as possible for homeowners and contractors alike.”
The app went live in March and so far Belgrave said more than 100 jobs have been posted, 300 contractors have signed up and more than 1,000 homeowners have registered.
“We’re only a couple months in and were already seeing just a ton of traction, so there’s obviously a huge appetite for something like this,” Belgrave said.
Belgrave said Fixter is expanding to Regina and other parts of the province, with a goal to be nationwide one day.
One of the things that Belgrave said separates them from the competition is the lack of subscription fees for contractors, just one of the reasons Paul Langlois, owner and operator of Langlois Journeyman Electricians, uses the app.
“I’ve gone through three different advertising apps where they did do just that, asked for $300 a month fee and then you have to pay also every time that you want to bid. It was all take and no give,” Langlois said.
“I don’t pay a monthly fee, I wind up only paying when I get the job. So I can bid on as many projects I like, it’s been really awesome.”
Langlois said one of the other things that keeps him coming back to Fixter is their willingness to listen and make changes.
“This is different. The fact that they’re actually listening and taking the feedback and changing,” Langlois said.
“I sent a message at one point about a feedback I had and it was changed that night. That’s huge. The next morning I woke up and I was using what I had suggested.”
Langlois said with all sorts of apps and programs impacting other industries, such as curbside grocery pickup, it was only a matter of time before something like Fixter came along for home renovations.
Fixter can be found on the App store and on the Google Play store.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Police investigating shooting outside of Drake's Bridle Path mansion: source
Toronto police are investigating a shooting that took place outside of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion early Tuesday morning, a source tells CP24.
There's actually no such thing as vegetables. Here's why you should eat them anyway
The rumours are true: Vegetables aren't real — that is, in botany, anyway. While the term fruit is recognized botanically as anything that contains a seed or seeds, vegetable is actually a broad umbrella term.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man pays $7,700 for luxury villa found on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
3 Indian nationals accused of murdering Hardeep Singh Nijjar facing court in B.C.
Three Indian nationals accused of murdering Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar are due to face court Tuesday over the killing that triggered a major diplomatic rift with India.
Israeli forces seize Rafah border crossing in Gaza, putting ceasefire talks on knife's edge
Israeli tanks seized control of Gaza's vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday as Israel brushed off urgent warnings from close allies and moved into the southern city even as cease-fire negotiations with Hamas remained on a knife's edge.
Canadian cadets rock mullets and place second at U.S. military competition
Sporting mullets, Canadian Armed Forces officer cadets placed second in an annual military skills competition in the U.S.
Highlights from the 2024 Met Gala exhibit: Sleeping Beauty would wake up for these gowns
Sure, she was a royal princess and all. But there’s no way Sleeping Beauty — either before or after her nap — ever had quite the fabulous wardrobe that’s been assembled at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Noelia Voigt resigns as Miss USA, citing her mental health
Noelia Voigt, who was crowned Miss USA in November 2023, has announced she is resigning from her role, saying the decision is in the best interest of her mental health.