Most contractor-referral platforms hide how they make money. Lighthouse leads with it. Here is how the platform works, why we’re paid the way we’re paid, and what we will and will not do.
Every engagement begins with a conversation. Over coffee, on the phone, or in your office — you walk us through the community’s pain points, capital concerns, and current vendor situation. We share who’s in the network and how we work. No sales pitch, no commitments.
When the timing is right, the relevant contractor walks the community with the manager. They produce a written, photo-documented report — prioritized findings, ranged for budget planning, written in the format a Board can take into a meeting. The report is yours regardless of what happens next.
Pricing comes direct from the contractor at competitive rates. There is no Lighthouse markup on the work itself. You authorize what you want, when you want it. Boards can approve scopes individually or as part of a multi-phase capital plan.
We follow up on every job. Quality issues escalate to us, not to the manager. The contractor has a partner standing behind the work — and so do you. If a contractor underperforms, we replace them, both on the job and in the network.
Lighthouse is paid by our contractor partners on a referral basis. That keeps the program free to communities and aligns our incentive with contractor performance — if our contractors don’t deliver, we don’t get paid, and they don’t stay in the network.
The pricing communities receive is competitive with going direct, because contractors fund the platform out of marketing budget they would otherwise spend chasing leads. There is no Lighthouse markup on any contractor’s pricing. The Board sees what the contractor charges. Period.
We disclose this relationship to every Board and every manager, in every conversation, on every proposal. We would rather lose a deal than have someone discover the structure later.
Two big differences. First, those are pay-to-list directories — contractors get listed by paying. Lighthouse is a curated network. Contractors get in by being vetted and stay in by performing. Second, those platforms are built for individual homeowners. Lighthouse is built specifically for HOA work — Board approval cycles, common-area liability, reserve studies, and the documentation managers actually need.
Every contractor in the network is required to be properly licensed, fully insured (general liability and workers’ comp on file), and demonstrably experienced with HOA-specific work. We interview the principals, review their existing HOA references, and check their performance track record before any community sees their work.
Quality issues escalate to Lighthouse, not to the manager. We work with the contractor to make it right. If the issue is a one-off, we close it and move on. If it’s a pattern — slow response, poor workmanship, communication failures — the contractor is removed from the network. The accountability layer is the entire point of having Lighthouse in the middle.
We are built to fit inside any management firm’s vendor framework. If your firm has a referral disclosure policy, we will meet it. If your firm wants the disclosure on every proposal, it goes on every proposal. If they want us to coordinate through the corporate office, we do that. We would rather work transparently within your firm’s rules than around them.
No. The Board sees the contractor’s pricing directly. Lighthouse’s referral fee is paid by the contractor out of their own margin — typically from marketing budget that would otherwise be spent chasing leads. We are happy to walk through the structure of any of our agreements with contractors at the level of detail any Board or management firm requires.
The platform itself is free to communities. There is no membership fee, no annual subscription, and no minimum spend. Communities pay only for the contractor work they authorize, at the contractor’s direct pricing.
The fastest way to a clear answer is a real conversation. Reach out by phone or email — we’ll get back to you within one business day.