What We Need From Contractors
We run the commercial side of the job. In return we need four things from you, done properly, every time. Here they are, stated plainly.
The short version
We generate the work, write the quotation, chase the customer and administer the payments. You bring the site visit, the expertise, an accurate price and the workmanship.
That is the whole arrangement in one line. Mortaro takes on the commercial and administrative work that normally eats a contractor's evenings: the enquiry, the booking, the paperwork, the follow-up and the money. What stays with you is the part only a skilled tradesperson can do.
Because the list of what we need is short, we are particular about it. This page sets out each requirement, why it exists, and how it affects the amount of work you are offered. None of it is aspirational. These are the expectations we actually run the contractor network on.
If you read this and think the standards are fair, the model will probably suit you. If some of it sounds like more than you want to commit to, that is useful to know before either of us spends time on an application.
What you bring
Six things we rely on you for
Everything else in the job, from the first phone call to the final payment, is ours to run.
Attending the site visit
We book the survey around the customer and around you. You turn up when it is booked, or tell us in good time if you can't. It is the one appointment in the process nobody else can attend for you.
Technical judgement
You decide what the job actually needs. The scope, the method, the materials and what the customer should be told about the condition of the roof or structure are yours to call. We claim no technical authority over your trade.
An accurate trade-rate price
You price the work at trade rate and submit it to us. That figure goes into a quotation that names you as the main contractor, so it needs to be a price you are happy to be held to.
Quality workmanship
The construction contract is between you and the customer. You carry out the work under your own company name, with your own insurance, to a standard you would put your name to.
Prompt, honest communication
A same-day reply to new opportunities, a word when a quote will take longer, and a call if a start date is at risk. We handle the customer side, but we can only pass on what you tell us.
Standing behind the work
Every contractor provides a workmanship warranty of at least 12 months. If something needs putting right, you put it right. That commitment is what the rest of the network is built on.
Why the list is short
We take the admin, so the requirements are about the work
Most contractors who run their own sales operation end up doing five jobs at once: marketing, answering enquiries, booking surveys, writing quotes and chasing money, all while trying to be on the tools. The requirements on this page are deliberately narrow because we take most of that off you. What Mortaro handles for contractors covers our side in detail.
In practice, that means we generate the enquiries ourselves, qualify the customer before anything reaches you, book the site visit, prepare and issue the quotation, follow it up, organise the start date, and stay in contact with the customer while you are working and can't answer the phone. We also collect the deposit and the final balance and pass them to you.
What we can't do is survey a roof, judge whether a rafter needs replacing, or fit a rooflight. So the things we need from you are exactly the things that make the rest of the arrangement worth anything. A professional quotation is only as good as the price behind it. A booked appointment is only worth something if someone attends. And the customer's view of the network is formed, in the end, by the person who turns up and does the work.
There is no charge for any of this, before or after you join. We explain how that works on no upfront lead fees, explained.
Job by job
What's yours at each stage of a job
A typical job through the network, with your part marked out at each step.
An opportunity is sent to you
One contractor is appointed per enquiry, and the enquiry is never shared or sold to others. Your part: reply the same day, ideally within about two hours, to accept, decline or suggest another time.
We book the site visit
We arrange the appointment with the customer, confirm it and tell them who is coming. Your part: attend when it is booked, or let us know early if something changes.
You survey and price the job
You assess the work and put together your price at trade rate. Your part: submit it to us promptly. On smaller jobs we aim for about 48 hours. Larger jobs can take longer as long as you keep us informed.
We prepare and issue the quotation
We turn your price into a professional written quotation, add our fee on top and present it to the customer, naming you as the appointed main contractor. Then we follow it up.
The customer accepts
We collect the deposit and pass it to you without unnecessary delay, then organise a start date. Your part: confirm the date works and order what you need.
You carry out the work
We handle the customer's questions while you are on the tools. Your part: do the work to standard and tell us early about anything that affects the timeline or scope.
Completion and payment
We collect the final balance and pass it to you promptly. Your workmanship warranty to the customer, usually running from completion, now applies.
Responding and quoting
Speed matters because the customer is waiting
The two time standards that matter most are the reply to a new opportunity and the return of your price after the survey. We ask for a reply the same day, ideally within about two hours. If 24 hours pass with no response, you receive an automated reminder with the option to accept, decline or reschedule. The detail is on contractor response time standards.
On quotes, we aim for about 48 hours on smaller jobs such as repairs and rooflight installations. Larger jobs often take longer because materials need pricing and suppliers need to come back to you. That is fine, provided you tell us. The reasoning behind both is set out on quote turnaround expectations.
Neither standard is about pressure for its own sake. A customer who has been promised a quotation and hears nothing starts looking elsewhere. A quick, clear answer keeps the job alive for you.
You are never obliged to take a job. If the area, the timing or the work itself doesn't suit you, say no and we will offer it elsewhere. Turning work down carries no penalty. What causes a problem is no answer at all, because the customer is left waiting while nobody knows whether the job is covered.
Pricing
An accurate price keeps your margin and your name intact
You price at trade rate. We add our fee on top of your figure in the customer's quotation, and you are paid your rate in full. Nothing is deducted from it. The mechanism is explained on trade rates, explained.
What we ask is that the figure is complete. Include the access, the waste, the materials and the allowance for what you saw on the survey. If there is a genuine unknown, such as timbers you couldn't inspect, tell us so it can be written into the quotation clearly rather than turning into an awkward conversation halfway through the job.
A price that holds up is good for everyone. The customer gets what they were quoted, you get paid what you priced, and nobody has to renegotiate from the scaffolding.
Before your first job
What we check before you meet a customer
Five checks, completed before we introduce you to any customer. Nothing more is claimed and nothing less is done.
Public liability insurance
Appropriate public liability cover for the work you carry out. It is your insurance, held in your name, as the customer's main contractor.
Reviews and references
Enough of them, and good enough, to show how you have treated customers before. Recent and relevant counts for more than a long list.
Warranties and guarantees
Confirmation of the workmanship warranty you provide. The network minimum is 12 months, and longer is typical on larger works.
Trade experience
Evidence that you have done this kind of work before, at the kind of scale you are asking to be offered.
Prior work history
A picture of the jobs you have completed and how long you have been trading in the work you do.
Ability to meet our standards
A straight conversation about response times, site visits and communication, so both sides know what is expected before the first opportunity arrives.
Paperwork
Keep your documents current
The checks happen before you are introduced to a customer, but your insurance and warranty terms are your own obligations the whole time you work through the network. If your cover changes, or your warranty terms change, tell us so the customer's quotation says the right thing.
The full sequence, from first enquiry to introduction, is on contractor onboarding and vetting. For the short answer on paperwork, see what documents do I need.
What changes for you
What you can stop doing
It is worth being clear about what we don't need from you, because that is where most of the value sits. You don't pay to join, pay per enquiry or pay a subscription. You don't write up the quotation, chase the customer for a decision, or chase them for money. You don't have to answer the phone to a customer while you are halfway up a ladder, because we are the point of contact for the coordination.
You also don't have to accept every opportunity. Allocation is based on track record: how quickly you respond, how well you communicate, how you deal with customers and the work you complete. It is not based on how many jobs you say yes to. More on that on how opportunities are allocated.
What we can't do is promise a set volume of work. It depends on your area, your trade and your record with us. Contractors who meet the standards on this page consistently are the ones who become the first call in their area.
Straight answers
Questions about our requirements
Do I have to accept every job I'm offered?
No. You can decline any opportunity and there is no penalty for doing so. We only ask that you reply, the same day where possible, so the customer isn't left waiting. The answer page can I choose which jobs I take covers this in brief.
Do I write the quotation?
You write the price. You survey the job and submit your trade-rate figure to us. We prepare and issue the professional quotation to the customer, naming you as the appointed main contractor.
What insurance do I need?
Appropriate public liability insurance for the work you carry out, held in your own name. It is one of the five checks completed before you are introduced to any customer.
Who provides the warranty?
You do. Every contractor in the network provides a workmanship warranty of at least 12 months, usually running from completion. Longer periods are typical on larger works. Your terms are confirmed in the customer's quotation.
For contractors
Tell us about your business
Your trade, the areas you cover and the size of work you take on. A person reads every enquiry, and if it looks like a fit we will send you the full application.