Running the business
Do Contractors Need a Website? What a Site Does for You
Do contractors need a website? When a Google Business Profile and reviews are enough, when a site pays, and what a site must do to earn its keep.
11 min read
Run your whole service business from one free app.
Collect leads, send quotes and invoices, get paid online, and manage all your jobs and customer information in one place. No monthly fee, no seat fees, nothing to cancel.
- Free forever: no card, no trial clock
- Payments by Stripe
- A real person answers support
- New features every week
Just need to measure something? Try the free satellite measurement tool.
Everything in one place
The whole job, from first call to final payment.
Requests, quotes, scheduling, invoices, payments, customers, the follow-ups in between, and a dashboard that says what needs doing.
Quote it before the competition drives over.
Measure the site from satellite imagery, build the line items from your price list, and send a quote the customer approves on their phone.
- Measure square feet, linear feet, and stall counts from imagery.
- Bid by stall, square foot, linear foot, or flat rate, from a catalog you set once.
- Good/better/best options, one-tap approval, e-signature from the emailed link, deposit at approval.
Everything the paid platforms charge for. Free.
- per month, forever
- $0per month, forever
- seat fees, so bring the whole crew
- 0seat fees, so bring the whole crew
- trial clock, nothing expires
- 0trial clock, nothing expires
- of features in the free product
- 100%of features in the free product
Start free — no card required
No credit card required.
The bill
The same core workflow. A very different monthly bill.
| Software | Monthly | Extra users | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| MakeHay | $0 | No seat fees | Satellite measurement and weather scheduling included |
| Jobber | from $29/mo | +$29/mo per extra user | Annual billing |
| Housecall Pro | from $59/mo | +$75–$100/mo per extra user | Annual billing; up to $299/mo |
| QuoteIQ | from $29.99/mo | User-count tiers | Satellite measuring from $74.99/mo |
| HoneyBook | from $36/mo | $29/mo billed annually | No satellite or weather tools |
Competitor prices are as published on their own sites in September 2026 (HoneyBook: July 2026); plans and prices change, so verify with the vendor. Online payments carry processing costs on every platform, MakeHay included. Jobber, Housecall Pro, QuoteIQ, and HoneyBook are trademarks of their owners; MakeHay is an independent product and is not affiliated with or endorsed by them.
Every trade and service
Built for the way your trade works.
Quoting units, scheduling rules, and weather rules for crews outside. They match how your trade actually bids and runs the work.
- Line striping
- Sealcoating
- Asphalt paving
- Concrete
- Lawn care
- Landscaping
- Pressure washing
- Snow removal
- Exterior painting
- Tree service
- Fencing
- Excavation
- Dog training
- Roofing
- Irrigation
- Holiday lighting
- Gutters
- Pool service
- Window cleaning
- Pest control
- Junk removal
- Lot maintenance
- Deck staining
- Mobile detailing
- Chimney & masonry
- Snow plowing
- See all industries
Not on the list? Any business that quotes, schedules, and invoices jobs works the same way in MakeHay.
From the blog
Pricing guides with the numbers sourced
Running the business
How to Get More Leads for a Contracting Business: 9 Ways
How to get more leads for a contracting business: nine channels for a small crew, from a Google Business Profile and reviews to a request form on the site.
10 min read
Running the business
What Is a CRM for Contractors, and When Do You Need One?
What a CRM for contractors holds, the signs a spreadsheet has stopped working, what to look for on a phone, and what a small crew should pay for one.
11 min read
A note from the team
We kept meeting small service businesses running six-figure years out of a spreadsheet, a group text, and a whiteboard. We kept meeting crews working outside who lost whole days to rain their software never warned them about. The tools built for "home services" didn't speak their language, and every one of them wanted a couple hundred a month before you'd sent your first quote.
We're not going to pretend we're something we're not. MakeHay is new: no fake testimonials, no stock photos of smiling crews we've never met. If you sign up now, you're one of the early businesses deciding what gets built next. A real person reads every email to support.
— The MakeHay teamSee what shipped this week
Questions, answered
Everything you're wondering about MakeHay.
Straight answers, no sales script. Don't see yours? Email support@makehay.io. A real person reads every message.
Is this really free, or a 'Lite' plan?
Really free and full-featured. Quoting, scheduling, invoicing, card and ACH payments, lead-capture forms, e-signed contracts, the client portal, and automations are all in the free product. No trial clock, no credit card, no seat fees, and no paid tier to upgrade into. Online payments carry processing costs, as on any platform. Recording checks and cash is always free. Full details are on the pricing page.
Is MakeHay available yet?
Yes. MakeHay is live. Create a free account and you can measure a site, send a quote, and take a payment the same day. No credit card required to start.
Do I need to install anything?
No. MakeHay runs entirely in your web browser. Nothing to download, no app store, no IT setup. Open it on your laptop or phone and you're working.
Does it work on my phone?
Yes. MakeHay is built mobile-first and runs in any modern browser, with no separate app to install or keep updated. Quoting, scheduling, and invoicing all work in the field or at the desk.
Who is MakeHay for?
Any service business that quotes, schedules, and invoices jobs: line striping, sealcoating, asphalt paving, concrete, lawn care, landscaping, pressure washing, snow removal, exterior painting, tree service, fencing, excavation, and session businesses like dog training. Quoting units (each, square foot, linear foot, flat) match how you bid, whether that means stalls, sessions, or the whole job. Crews that work outside get satellite measurement and weather rules (rain thresholds, cure temps, cure windows) on top.
Do I have to set up weather rules to use MakeHay?
No. The forecast for every visit's address shows up on its own. Weather rules are optional and per trade or service. Leave them off and you have a normal drag-and-drop calendar with the forecast alongside. Turn one on (rain threshold, min/max temps, cure window) and every visit for that trade is checked against the National Weather Service forecast at its own address, with the clearer day suggested when one goes bad. Setting one up takes about a minute.
Can my customers pay online?
Yes. MakeHay turns an approved quote into an invoice with a secure payment link. Your customer pays by card or bank transfer (ACH), and you can still record the checks and cash you collect in person. Connect your Stripe account once in Settings and you're taking payments the same day.
Can I import my customers?
Yes. The built-in CSV import wizard brings in your customers, contacts, and job sites from a spreadsheet or another app's export. Map the columns once and you're done. Stuck on a weird export? Email support@makehay.io and a real person will help you get your data in.
What do my customers see when I send them something?
Yes. Every customer gets one private link. No app, no password. It has upcoming visits, a message thread (photos included), documents to review and upload, a note when a contract is waiting for their e-signature (they sign from the link MakeHay emails them), and every quote, invoice, and balance. They can message you from it and pay from it.
Can I collect leads from my own website?
Yes. Paste one line of script and your request form lives on your site, inline or as a popup button. You can also share the hosted link. Submissions are spam-checked, the visitor gets a confirmation email, and the request lands in your inbox with any photos and address attached. One click turns it into a customer. When the request includes an address, you get a job site and draft quote too.
Can MakeHay build my website?
Yes, as an optional add-on. Our team of experienced web developers builds and hosts a site from your account: a page per service and per town, your request form as the contact page so leads land in Requests, and your phone, email, address and hours from Settings. Hosting, HTTPS and the first year of your domain are included. $197 a month or $1,970 a year, cancel any time. Everything else stays free. Full details are on the pricing page.
Make hay while the sun shines.
Quote, schedule, invoice, and get paid. All free. Your first quote can go out today.
Start free — no card requiredFree forever · No credit card · No trial clock
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