How Pricing and Offers Work
Hire Local gives customers and experts flexibility when it comes to pricing. You can post a job with your own budget, or let experts send offers with their own pricing. Either way, the platform is designed to keep payments transparent and agreed upon before any work starts.
Setting Your Budget (as a Customer)
When you post a job, you’ll be asked to enter a budget. You can choose either:
- Fixed Price – a total amount for the whole job (e.g. $200 to paint a room)
- Hourly Rate – if you’re not sure how long the job will take (e.g. $30/hour for admin help)
Your budget gives experts an idea of what you expect to pay, but it’s not locked in — they can still send their own offer.
Receiving Offers from Experts
Once your job is posted, experts can apply by sending an offer. An offer includes:
- A price (matching your budget or suggesting a new amount)
- Estimated time to complete the job
- A short message or pitch
- Any terms or clarifications
You’ll see all this in your dashboard under the job’s “Applications” section.
You can:
- Accept the offer (click “Hire”)
- Decline it
- Message the expert to negotiate or ask questions
How Commissions Work
Hire Local adds a 5% service fee to the total price when a job is created.
- This covers platform support, maintenance, and safety systems
- It’s added to the customer’s payment amount
- The expert receives the full amount they quoted
Example:
- Expert offer = $100
- 5% platform fee = $5
- You pay = $105
Can I Negotiate?
Yes. You can:
- Ask the expert to lower or adjust their price via chat
- Request a different payment structure (e.g. pay half upfront, half on completion)
- Decline offers that are too high and wait for others
Important:
- Always agree on the price before hiring
- Never pay outside the platform — this removes protections for both parties
- Once you hire an expert, that offer is final unless a new arrangement is made in writing
