Transparency

How we make money (and stay independent)

Updated Nov 2, 2026 · Byline: The Fairange team

We built Fairange so homeowners could check a number without wondering who paid for it. Keeping the site free still costs a little. Here’s how we pay the bills — and what we won’t sell.

Price ranges stay off-limits

Every range on this site comes from public government data (mainly BLS wages) and the method we publish on How we estimate. No advertiser, sponsor, or affiliate can pay to change those numbers. Paying contractors get measured against the same bands as everyone else.

What you’ll see labeled

When we run display ads, featured local-pro cards, or affiliate product links, we mark them clearly as Ad, Sponsored, or Affiliate link. Affiliate links may earn us a commission if you buy something. That’s fine — as long as you can spot them.

Who gets featured

Before we feature a contractor, we check licensing where the state requires it, and we look at reviews and complaint history. If we see a credible pattern of complaints, we drop that sponsor — even if they’re still paying.

Had a bad experience with someone we featured? Email [email protected] and tell us. We look into every report.

The “Want actual bids?” form

That form is for people who want local pros to follow up with quotes. When it’s live, here’s the deal: we only share what you submit with contractors or lead partners so they can contact you about quotes — and only after you check the consent box. We don’t sell those details for other uses. (Until we wire a form endpoint, submissions stay on your device; the policy above is how it will work.)

Same idea as our privacy policy: quote forms need their own checkbox before anything is shared.

Our quote-checking guides

City notes and the calculator are there to help you spot overpricing from anyone — including advertisers. A sponsored badge gets someone a spot on the page. It does not get them a free pass on the math.

What ads and sponsors can’t do

A paid spot doesn’t mean a free pass to scare people. Ads and sponsored listings on Fairange can’t:

• Use scare claims or fake safety warnings — like “your furnace could kill you” — without a real inspection.
• Fake urgency or countdown clocks.
• Bait-and-switch or advertise “starting at” prices they won’t honor.
• Post fake reviews.
• Pose as Fairange, or pretend their pitch is our price estimate.
• Pressure anyone to sign the same day.

We review ads before they run and pull ones that break these rules. Sponsors who keep breaking them lose their spot.

Questions

Press: [email protected]. Everything else: [email protected] or the contact form. Partners who want a slot: Advertise.

— The Fairange team