TradeOSPowered by Home Alliance
How the trades really work

You pay $10,000. The person who installs your system gets about $1,000.

The rest is equipment, overhead, and a sales-and-marketing machine built to win you as a customer. So where does the money actually go?

Section 2 · The machine

How traditional companies work

A typical HVAC job, broken down by where each dollar goes. Industry benchmarks — approximate, not exact.

Where each $1 goes · industry benchmarks
  • Equipment & materials~30%
  • Technician / installer~10%
  • Sales~10%
  • Marketing~15%
  • Overhead~20%
  • Company profit~15%
Installer keeps ~10%Marketing + Sales ~25% — the customer-acquisition machine

PE-backed chains win by outspending everyone on ads — not by doing better work. A $100M chain spends roughly 16% on marketing, more than it pays the technician.

The consequence

Opaque, inflated pricing. A real example: estimates for the same Lennox units ranged from $34,000 to $56,000.

Real-world example range, not a guarantee.

Section 3 · How trust actually flows

People don't trust ads. They ask their neighbors.

Reputation and relationships — not marketing budgets — are how the trades really work.

Neighborhood group chat
illustrative
Neighbor A
AC just died. Who did your HVAC last summer? Anyone you'd actually recommend?
Neighbor B
We used the local installer off 3rd — Mike's crew. Showed up on time, fair price, no upsell circus.
Neighbor C
Same. Skip the chains with the radio ads. Use Mike.
Neighbor A
That's all I needed. Thank you.
One referral from a neighbor beats a thousand ad impressions.
Section 4 · The alternative

TradeOS productizes the neighbor referral.

Verified trust + transparent pricing from real market data + a direct connection to the installer.

The core mechanic

Remove the ~25% marketing-and-sales layer.

That value splits two ways: a lower price for the customer and more margin for the installer. Contractors are ranked by trust × fair price — never by ad budget.

Verified trust+Transparent pricing+Direct connection
Ranked by trust × fair price

Verified trust

License, insurance, identity, and history — checked, not claimed.

Transparent pricing

Real market data, not a sales script. You see what fair looks like.

Direct connection

You talk to the installer doing the work — not a call center.

Section 5 · Side by side

Two ways to win the same job.

Traditional company

Wins by outspending on ads

  • Found through ad spend & retail markup
  • You pay for the marketing machine (~25%)
  • Top spot goes to the biggest ad budget
  • Opaque pricing — $34k–$56k for the same units
  • Installer keeps ~10% and stays invisible
  • “Trust” = advertising you can’t verify
TradeOS

Wins by earned trust & fair price

  • Found through verified trust & neighbor referral
  • You pay for the work, not the ad tax
  • Top spot earned by trust × fair price
  • Transparent pricing from real market data
  • Installer connects directly and keeps more
  • Trust = verified license, insurance, identity, history
What's next

Pick the side of the job you're on.

Contractors

Get found by trust, not ad budget.

Claim your profile, verify your license, and rank by trust × fair price — not by who outspends you.

Find & claim your profile Apply as Contractor
Homeowners

Find a trusted local installer at a fair price.

Skip the call center. Browse verified contractors near you with transparent pricing and direct contact.

Find a trusted installer Browse directory