Why can't I post a bigger repair job?

Count all materials, including anything you buy yourself. The $1,000 limit is for labor, materials, and everything else.

Paying by the hour? Your estimated hours × rate plus materials must stay under $1,000. Hourly pay doesn't change the limit.

• Job pay + all materials, including materials you buy yourself.
• Hourly or per-item jobs use your estimated total: estimated hours × rate (or items × price), plus materials.
• Exactly $1,000 is over the limit. Jobs must be under $1,000.
• It's the helper-side amount, not the RequestX fee. (Your all-in You pay is shown separately.)

Examples: $700 job + $150 materials = $850 → you can post. $800 job + $300 materials = $1,100 → can't be posted yet. $60/hour × 15 hours + $150 materials = $1,050 → can't be posted yet.

When you post a repair, we ask "Who's buying materials?" All materials count toward the $1,000 limit, whichever option you pick.

• I'll buy them. You buy materials yourself and enter an estimate (it can be $0):

> You'll buy materials yourself, outside RequestX. Your estimate only counts toward the $1,000 limit. It isn't charged or reimbursed through RequestX.

• Helper includes them in the price. The helper brings materials and prices them into job pay, so the RequestX fee applies to the whole job pay.

If materials cost more later, that's a price change, and it still has to stay under $1,000.

Getting close? You'll see:

You're close to $1,000. For now, RequestX handles jobs under $1,000 total (labor + materials) with no permit, so keep it under that.

When you post a Handyman or Home services job, we ask "Will this need a building permit?" If you answer Yes:

Jobs that need a building permit need a licensed contractor, and RequestX doesn't handle them yet. For now, we handle smaller jobs under $1,000 without permits.

Not sure?

Not sure about a permit? Things like new wiring, plumbing changes, structural work, roofing, or water heaters usually need one. If it might, it's a job for a licensed contractor.

Some work always needs a permit. If you pick a task like a new circuit or panel, rewiring, a water heater, gas lines, HVAC equipment, structural or load-bearing work, roofing, windows or doors that change an opening, or plumbing beyond swapping a fixture, you'll see:

{task} needs a building permit and a licensed contractor in California. For now, RequestX handles smaller jobs under $1,000 without permits.

If your description sounds like permit work, we set the permit answer to Yes for you and show:

Work like this usually needs a building permit, so it needs a licensed contractor. If you're sure no permit is needed, tell us why and we'll take a quick look.

You can make the job smaller, or choose "No permit needed" and tell us why. If you do, a person takes a quick look before the job goes live.

• An edit that would bring the job to $1,000 or more isn't saved — your job stays as it was:

> This change would bring the job to $1,000 or more. For now, RequestX handles smaller jobs under $1,000 without permits, so we kept your job as it was.

• Extra work, extra hours or overtime agreed during a job count toward the same total, so they can't take it to $1,000 or more:

> This change would bring the job to $1,000 or more, which needs a licensed contractor. For now, RequestX handles smaller jobs under $1,000 without permits.

Splitting one project into smaller jobs to stay under $1,000 isn't allowed — no matter who posts the jobs or which helpers do them. We look at jobs at the same address (or right nearby) and jobs that are part of the same project, posted, open or hired within 30 days. If they add up to $1,000 or more, or a new job reads like the next phase ("part 2", "finish the…"), it gets a quick look before it goes live:

This looks like part of a bigger project at the same place. For now, RequestX handles smaller jobs under $1,000 without permits, so we'll take a quick look before it goes live.

If they're really separate jobs, we approve it. If it's one bigger project, we'll let you know:

This job can't go live on RequestX: together this is a bigger project, which RequestX doesn't handle yet. Your account isn't affected.

Sometimes a person reviews a job and it can't go live:

This job can't go live on RequestX: jobs of $1,000 or more, or that need a building permit, need a licensed contractor, which RequestX doesn't handle yet. Your account isn't affected.

• To follow California's contractor rules, we keep a record of the answers on repair jobs — the permit answer, the amounts (job pay, materials, estimated hours) and the total — and helpers' confirmation on each offer. We keep these compliance records for at least 3 years.
• They're never used to penalize anyone: no marks, no chips, no change to how offers are sorted, no limits on your account. Nothing is charged when a job is blocked.

• Make it smaller: post the part that's minor repair, under $1,000 with no permit.
• Save it as a draft.
• For the bigger project, hire a licensed contractor outside RequestX. You can check a contractor's license on the California Contractors State License Board site (cslb.ca.gov).

• Each Handyman or Home services offer asks you to confirm:

> No permit is required and the total is under $1,000.

• Profiles and offers in these categories show "Not a licensed contractor". RequestX doesn't handle licensed contractor jobs yet.

See also: What you can post · How fees work