Frequently Asked Questions

NorTech is a technology platform that connects Bay Area homeowners and businesses with vetted, independent service providers — handyman, painting, cleaning, exterior, lawn, and more. You choose the pro and see their own price before booking, and every pro backs their work with at least the published warranty for the service.

Home repair and handyman, painting, cleaning, exterior and gutters, lawn and landscaping, licensed trades, and more. Browse everything on our Services page, or enter your ZIP to see what is available (and the price) at your address.

These FAQs cover NorTech as a whole. Every service page has its own questions at the bottom, covering what is included, how long it takes, and how to prepare for that job. Find yours on the Services page, or enter your ZIP to see it with your price.

NorTech starts connecting customers with vetted independent providers across the Bay Area, from San Jose to San Francisco, on November 20, 2026. Until then you can reserve a time: your booking is held and confirmed at launch. See the full list on our Cities page — if your city isn't listed yet, you can join the waitlist.

NorTech independent pros operate under California's handyman exemption for jobs under $1,000 in total labor and materials — no CSLB contractor license is required for that scope. Larger jobs, or work that legally requires a license regardless of price, go only to a licensed contractor you choose, whose current, valid state contractor license NorTech has independently verified. See our License Disclosure page for full detail.

Yes. For work that legally requires a California contractor license (for example electrician, plumber, HVAC contractor, roofer, general contractor, specialty contractor), you choose from licensed contractors NorTech has independently verified hold a current license for that trade. Describe the job on our Licensed Contractors page or through Compare Quotes. Each licensed contractor prices the job individually.

Yes — NorTech Facilities serves offices, HOAs, and commercial properties with recurring service routes and account-level billing. Visit our Facilities page to learn more.

No. Facility coverage runs week to week: every week of station or route coverage is something you approve, and nothing renews automatically or locks you in. See Facilities.

Pros clock in and out, you approve their hours in your facility portal, and approved hours are charged weekly to a card on file or invoiced for manual payment. Each pro sets their own hourly rate and you see it before you pick them. For a larger job, ask local pros for bids. NorTech does not scope or quote the work.

Yes — a facility account supports multiple staff members with account access, so property managers and their team can all see schedules, invoices, and service history in one place.

Enter your ZIP code, pick a service, and you'll see the local pros who do it, each with their own price. Choose a pro, a date and an arrival window, and confirm with your card: that sends your request to the pro, who accepts or declines it. If they can't, you pick another pro or cancel free. On jobs under $1,000 the price is held on your card and only charged when the job is done — usually in about 60 seconds. Because NorTech starts connecting customers with providers on November 20, 2026, a booking request you make now is held and sent to your pro at launch.

Availability depends on your city, the service and provider schedules. Enter your ZIP in the booking flow to see the earliest real openings.

For bigger projects, describe the job on Compare Quotes and independent local pros send you their own bids. You pick who to hire. NorTech does not write or set the quote.

Yes, from your account. Each pro sets how much notice is free (12, 24 or 48 hours; 24 is standard), and you see it before you book. Cancel or reschedule with that notice and it is free (up to three reschedules). Later changes carry your pro's fees, explained on our Cancellation Policy page.

Each pro sets their own fees within NorTech's limits, and you see them before you book: a late cancel can keep up to 50% of the job (30% is standard), and a no-show up to 50% (50%, minimum $50, is standard). No late-cancel fee applies while no pro has accepted your job. Stopping a job more than 30 minutes after it starts is charged in full. If your pro does not arrive, you get a full refund and can book another pro, and if a visit ends over a genuine safety concern, only the amount already held or paid stays on hold while we review it, and it is released or refunded where the concern was warranted. Every tier is on the Cancellation Policy page.

Yes. If a job genuinely needs two hands, you can add a second pro right after booking your first — same time, same address, at that pro's own price (less any discount they offer), and you approve the charge before it's confirmed. You can keep adding a third, fourth, or fifth the same way.

Yes — set up a recurring plan (weekly, biweekly, monthly) for services like cleaning or lawn care and skip re-booking every time. See Recurring Services.

We put together a full checklist covering clearing the work area, securing pets, and what to have ready by service type — see our How to Prepare guide.

Someone 18 or older should be there to provide access, and you should keep your phone handy for arrival updates. For work outside the home, such as lawn care or exterior cleaning, make sure the pro can get to the area (unlocked gates, for example). See How to Prepare.

Yes, as long as you are 18 or older, are authorized to book for that property (landlord, HOA, or owner approval where required), and use a payment method you are allowed to use. Someone 18 or older needs to be there to give the pro access.

NorTech does not sell packages. Some pros offer their own bundles of related services, priced by the pro; when the pro you pick has one, it shows on their menu with its price before you book. Browse services on our Services page.

For jobs that don't fit a standard up-front service, use Compare Quotes — describe your project once, and independent contractors in your area reach out directly to quote it. You compare and choose whoever you like.

You are never charged for extra work you have not approved. If a job needs more than what you booked, your pro sends a written change order with the added work and its price, and work on it only starts after you approve it digitally. A verbal okay is not binding. If a job grows to $1,000 or more in total scope, it is re-quoted individually and matched to a state-licensed pro. See our Terms of Service.

You get a live tracking link and a text if your pro is running behind. If your pro has not arrived and started within 75 minutes of the appointment, the booking is cancelled, you get a full refund and can book another pro right away — you're never just left waiting with no update. The missed visit shows on the pro's profile, and the same published rule applies to every pro: three missed visits in 90 days pause their listing, and four end their agreement with NorTech.

Each pro sets their own prices. Enter your ZIP code and choose a service, and you see each available pro’s price for your job before you book, with NorTech’s booking fee shown as its own line. The price you approve is locked when you book; anything more needs your approval first. Each pro sets their own price for the services they offer. You choose a pro, or take the best match we suggest, and see the price for that pro before you book. The price is locked once you book.

Not on most jobs. For jobs under $1,000 there is no deposit: when you book, the full price is held on your card, and it is only charged when the job is done. If you cancel, our Cancellation Policy is applied and whatever is left of the hold is released back to you. A deposit is only possible on jobs of $1,000 or more, and only when your pro asks for one, within what California law allows. It is charged when your pro accepts your request (released if they don’t), with the rest held until completion.

When a refund is due, it goes back to your original payment method within 3–5 business days. Cancellation rules are on our Cancellation Policy page.

Pros set their own prices, and some offer their own discount for a first job, a repeat customer or a bundle. When the pro you pick offers one, it shows as a line in your total before you book. Referral credit you have earned is shown at checkout.

Major credit and debit cards, saved to your account for your booking. Payments are processed by a secure payment processor, and NorTech does not store your full card number.

Card payments are processed by a secure payment processor, and NorTech does not store your full card number. You authorize only your booking’s hold and final charge, approved change orders, and any fees described in our Cancellation Policy.

Open the booking in your portal and choose Dispute a charge, within 30 days. It goes to the pro who did the job, who answers within 72 hours with a refund offer or an explanation, and you decide. If the problem is NorTech’s booking fee or a duplicate charge, contact NorTech through the Contact page. Safety-related charges are reviewed automatically, and refunds go back to your original payment method in 3 to 5 business days.

Yes — after your job, you can leave a tip with one tap on the card already on file. 100% of every tip goes straight to your provider, nothing is taken out.

No. The price you approve is the price you pay. Anything optional, such as a specialty tool charge or materials your pro supplies at their own prices, is shown and approved up front before anything is charged.

Your pro arrives with the standard tools and everyday supplies (fasteners, anchors, caulk, tape, sealants), and you are never asked to provide them. Project materials such as paint, fixtures, or flooring are your choice: supply your own, or have your pro supply them at their prices, which you approve before anything is charged. If a job needs a heavy-duty or specialty tool, your pro may list a charge for it at their own price, and you decide whether to accept it before booking. See What to Expect.

Your pro backs their work: a 72-hour Satisfaction Guarantee for exterior cleaning and maintenance work, and a Workmanship Warranty for repairs and installs of at least 30, 60, or 90 days depending on the service (your pro may offer more). Interior cleaning has no guarantee window: your provider walks through the finished job with you at the end. Emergency jobs carry the same warranty as any other booking. Full detail is on our Satisfaction Guarantee page.

It is our written commitment on every booking: the pro's price you approve up front, a vetted and insured independent pro you choose, a confirmed arrival window, documented work, and the pro's own warranty on covered work. If covered work is not right, your pro makes it right at no charge. Read it on The Blue Promise page.

Log into your account, find the completed booking, and click "Submit Warranty Claim." It goes straight to the pro who did the job, who has 72 hours to answer with a return visit or a refund offer. You decide whether to accept.

No — every professional on the platform is an independent business owner, not a NorTech employee. Each pro sets their own prices; NorTech connects you with them and handles booking, scheduling, and payment through the platform.

Yes. Every independent provider passes a national background check, has their identity verified, and carries $1M in general liability insurance before taking jobs through the platform.

Yes — the pro you chose carries their own insurance, and their Certificate of Insurance is delivered to you automatically, typically a few hours before your appointment. You can also request one directly on your booking if you need it sooner.

Some providers are small companies with a crew. The company you chose decides which crew member does your job. Every crew member is background-checked, and the company's insurance and license cover the work. You see who is coming on your tracking page, and the company's warranty applies.

Yes — after a job, you can mark a pro as a favorite from your account, and future bookings can request them directly, or use "Book Again" to rebook the exact same job in one tap.

Support by phone: Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM. On-site work happens during each pro's own working hours, which you see when you pick a time; any evening, weekend or rush premium is the pro's own and is shown before you book. Emergency requests are taken around the clock, every day: the first available pro on emergency mode whose own price fits your maximum takes the job (you pay that pro's price), and if none has accepted within 15 minutes, NorTech contacts you with an update. Support tickets are open 24/7 — see our Contact page for the full breakdown.

You can speak with a person by phone during office hours (Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM). You can also reach the team by message at any time through a support ticket or the Contact page. For emergencies, book on the Emergency page: if no pro has accepted within 15 minutes, NorTech contacts you with an update.

If anything ever feels wrong during a job, use the alert on your live tracking page — it notifies NorTech support immediately, and the job is paused right away.

Tell us right away. File a claim from the job in your portal with photos. It goes to the pro who did the job, who answers within 72 hours with a fix or a refund offer, and you decide. Every independent provider carries $1M in general liability insurance, their Certificate of Insurance is in your documents, and your job’s before-and-after photos are part of the record. Please move valuables and fragile items out of the work area beforehand; pre-existing conditions and items left unsecured are covered in our Waiver and Terms of Service.

Yes. Emergency requests are taken around the clock, every day. You see the range of what the pros on emergency mode charge for your job (their own emergency premiums included) and set the most you will pay; the first available pro whose own price fits it takes the job and you pay that pro's price, and if no pro has accepted within 15 minutes NorTech contacts you with an update. The work carries the same warranty as any other booking. Details are on our Emergency page.

Your pro walks the finished job with you, cleans up, and before-and-after photos are saved to your account to keep or share. Covered work is then backed by the guarantee or warranty for that service. See What to Expect.

See our full How to Prepare guide — clearing the work area, securing pets, and a few tips specific to your service.

Just what's needed to book and complete your service — contact info, address, and payment details. Full detail is in our Privacy Policy.

No. See our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy for exactly what's collected and how it's used.

Open "Your data & privacy" in your account settings to request a copy of your data, a correction, or deletion. We confirm receipt within 10 business days and finish the request within 45 days, as California privacy law requires. You can also write to privacy@nortech.site.

Some pros give points back on every job, and you spend those points on a later job with the same pro. They show up in your rewards and apply automatically when you book that pro again. Each pro runs their own rewards and decides how much they give back.

Share your link from Refer a Friend and bring someone to NorTech. They get $25 off from NorTech on their first booking (unless the pro they pick is already offering a discount), and when they finish their first job, you earn NorTech credit toward your next booking.

Open a support ticket from your account and NorTech support will follow up within 24 hours, often much sooner.

Visit our Become a Provider page and submit an application — we'll walk you through background check, insurance, and onboarding.

Not for standard jobs. Independent pros handle jobs under $1,000 in total labor and materials under California's handyman exemption. Customers can book you for work that legally requires a license, such as the licensed trades, only when you hold a current, valid state contractor license that NorTech has verified. See our License Disclosure page.

Your earnings land in your balance when you complete a job and pay out to your bank for free every week. Need it sooner? Cash out instantly for a 2% fee (minimum $1.99), shown before you confirm.

Payouts to your bank are free every week, and instant payout costs 2% (minimum $1.99), shown before you confirm. A company adding crew pays a one-time $49 enrollment fee per crew member, with no monthly charge during launch, and office-manager logins are free. You bring your own tools and a reliable vehicle. See Become a Provider for the full picture.

A passed background check, valid ID, a completed W-9, your own tools, and a reliable vehicle. Companies also provide a business license and a certificate of insurance. Licensed contractors add their California license during onboarding. Apply at Become a Provider.

Yes. A company applies once, and the owner invites each crew member from the NorTech provider app. Customers book the company: the owner (or an office manager the owner adds) accepts each request and chooses which crew member does it, and the company is paid. Crew members don't see booking requests or what the company is paid. Each crew member completes a short onboarding (ID, background check and a crew agreement), and your company's insurance and license cover them. There is a one-time $49 enrollment fee per crew member and no monthly charge during launch. Apply at Become a Provider.