These are the questions contractors ask us most often before they decide anything. If yours isn't here, call, text or email; a direct question gets a direct answer. For the details behind each answer, follow the links to the relevant page.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost?
Plans are $1,999, $3,999 or $7,999 per month month-to-month, or $1,499, $2,999 or $5,999 per month on annual billing. Prices are in Canadian dollars, and contractors add GST/HST for their province (GST and QST in Quebec).
Is there a long-term contract?
No. You commit one month at a time and can stop with 30 days' notice. Annual billing is optional and lowers the monthly rate.
Are you a construction company?
No. Trades.Contractors is not a contractor. We never build, install, repair or service anything, and we don't compete with our clients for work.
Will you write our bids or review tenders?
No. We don't price work, prepare tender submissions, interpret contract documents or give procurement or legal advice. We produce the marketing that surrounds a bid, such as capability statements and project sheets.
Can you tell us which licences we need?
No. Licensing is set by each province and territory. Our region pages link the official bodies, such as the RBQ in Quebec or BC Housing for residential builders in BC, and you should confirm your obligations with them directly.
How long before we see results?
A capability statement can be in use within a month. Builder relationships usually take three to nine months to produce invitations, and search visibility often takes four to nine months to show in enquiries.
We tried an agency before and it didn't work. Why would this be different?
Most agencies sell contractors homeowner lead generation, which is the wrong tool for winning builder and commercial work. We start from how you actually get awarded projects, and we report on invitations and awards rather than clicks.
Who owns the website and accounts?
You do. Domains, websites, Google Business Profiles, analytics and ad accounts are registered to your business, and documents we write for you are yours to keep.
Can you promise more wins?
No. Price, timing and the reviewer's judgement are outside our control. We can make sure you are invited more often and never lose on credibility, and we will show you every number along the way.
What do the monthly reports show?
Plain measures: invitations to price, enquiries by buyer type, meetings with builders, and awards where you share them. We explain what changed, what we will do next, and what we need from you.
Do you work with small subtrades?
Yes, if the numbers work. A plan has to pay back from the gross profit on extra projects, so we check that with you on the free consultation before recommending anything.
Do you work in Quebec?
Yes. Quebec has its own licensing body and French-language rules for business communication, so plans for Quebec contractors include French-language material. Our Quebec page links the official sources.
What results can you show?
Our published, named results are from our HVAC work, such as GasBoilers.ca and CanroHeat.ca. We show them as proof of method and explain what transfers to construction.
Cost and commitment
Our plans follow the Trades.Agency family pricing, and every price is published. You can see the full breakdown, including what each plan includes and a worked payback check, on the pricing page.
The short version: no long-term contract, 30 days' notice to cancel, a lower monthly price if you choose annual billing, and a free 30-minute first consultation for eligible trades businesses. Sales tax is GST/HST by province, or GST plus QST in Quebec.
What we do and don't do
We are a marketing and business consulting service for general contractors and subcontractors. We help you get invited, get shortlisted and get found by the people who award larger projects. The services page explains the four ways we do that.
We don't do construction work, prepare bids, review contracts or advise on licensing, bonding or procurement. Those decisions belong with you and your lawyer, surety, broker or provincial body. We think saying this clearly is more useful than pretending to be everything.
Timelines and results
Marketing for bigger projects is slower than homeowner lead generation, because the cycle from first contact to award can run for months. We set expectations at the start and report early signs, such as replies from builders and enquiries from owners, before awards arrive.
Our published case results are from our HVAC work and are labelled that way on the results page. We never present them as construction results.
Working with us day to day
Most contractors are busy on site when we need something, so we keep requests short and specific: a few project photos, ten minutes on the phone about a finished job, a quick yes or no on a draft. The contact page explains how to reach us and what happens after your first message, and the about page explains who leads the work.
Questions to ask any agency, including us
Before hiring anyone to market a contracting business, it is worth asking a few pointed questions. The answers tell you more than any sales presentation.
- What will you measure in the first 90 days? If the answer is only clicks or impressions, the agency is measuring its own activity, not your pipeline.
- Which of your results come from businesses like mine? Ours come from HVAC work, and we say so. Be wary of anyone who can't name a client.
- Who owns the website, profile and ad accounts? It should be your business, in writing.
- What would make you tell us to stop? An honest agency has an answer.
- How do you handle consent for email and text outreach? Canada's anti-spam rules apply to commercial messages, so the answer should be specific.
How a first month usually looks
The first month is mostly gathering and fixing. We collect project facts and photos, review your website and Google Business Profile, build your builder or buyer target list, and set up tracking for calls, texts and emails. By the end of it you should have a written plan, the first credibility material in draft, and a baseline of last year's invitations and awards to measure against. Nothing goes public without your approval.
If a report ever shows activity without progress, ask us to explain it. You should always know what the numbers mean for your next bid.
We would rather explain a slow month honestly than dress it up.
Region-specific questions
Rules and buyer habits differ across Canada. Our areas page has a page for every province and the territories, each linking to the official licensing and safety bodies in that region.