Sub-trade graph: public surface ships 22 pages, contractor lock-in moat
By Netanel Presman, General Contractor (CSLB #1105249) · Published · 2 min read · Waves 293, 294
Summary
Wave 293C ships the sub-trade graph data model + multi-pro org + CE-credit issuance. Wave 294E adds the public surface: /sub-trades hub, /sub-trades/[trade] for 12 trades, /pros/[slug]/sub-trades, methodology and comparison pages. 22 new URLs; 25/25 tests green.
Article body
The sub-trade graph is the contractor-side lock-in moat the master plan keeps coming back to. Once a GC has 30 verified sub-contractors in their AskBaily graph plus accumulated trust history (Wave 292D Trust Ledger), they cannot leave without losing the supply chain. Angi, Thumbtack, HomeAdvisor, and Houzz have no concept of this graph; every contractor on those platforms is a black box to homeowners and to peer GCs.
Wave 293C shipped the data spine. lib/sub-trade-graph/types.ts declares the SubTradeEdge (which GC engages which sub for which trade), the multi-pro organization shape (the Wave 293C addition that lets a GC firm have multiple pros under one license), and the CE-credit issuance type (Wave 26.8 of the master plan — AskBaily as a CA/FL/NV/NC continuing-education provider for licensed contractors). lib/sub-trade-graph/api.ts and lib/sub-trade-graph/edge-resolver.ts are the read APIs.
Wave 294E added the public surface. /sub-trades is the hub — explains the concept, contrasts it with the opacity on Angi/Thumbtack/Houzz/Buildertrend, lists 12 trade categories. /sub-trades/[trade] is the dynamic route for the 12 trades: tile, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, framing, drywall, painting, flooring, cabinetry, roofing, masonry, landscape. Each page covers what the trade is, why a GC needs verified subs in this trade, the regulatory landscape (CA C-class licenses, NY DOB master-trades, etc.), the sub-quality signals AskBaily tracks, and links to the homeowner-facing /pros/[slug]/sub-trades view.
/pros/[slug]/sub-trades is the per-pro graph view: for each pro, list the subs they engage, average rating per sub, relationship duration, frequency of work, trust score per relationship. Five demo pros (los-angeles-netanel-presman + four seeds) ship in the public release; production grows the graph as contractor onboarding expands.
/sub-trades/methodology documents how we verify sub-trade relationships: license-board cross-check (multi-state, calling the Wave 181 verifier), payment-record verification through Stripe Connect (Wave 295C), photo evidence on completed jobs, peer-vouching signals. References patent provisional 03 (Trust Ledger Merkle hash chain) for the audit trail.
/sub-trades/comparison is the head-to-head: AskBaily Sub-Trade Graph vs Angi (none) vs Thumbtack (none) vs Houzz (none) vs Buildertrend (project-mgmt only). The comparison is not marketing copy — every "none" line cites the competitor's own published API surface and a screenshot of where the feature would live if it existed.
The strategic frame: contractor switching cost is low on Angi (just leave, all your data goes with you). It is high on AskBaily (your sub-trade graph + trust history live here, leaving means re-bootstrapping in a competitor with no graph). 25 tests cover the 12 trade-page rendering, the 5 pro sub-trade views, the methodology page schema, the comparison page assertions. The /pros/[slug]/sub-trades pages emit ItemList + Person schema so AI engines can cite the graph directly when answering homeowner questions like "which LA GCs work with the same plumber repeatedly."
Sources & references
Commit attestation
- b491d2218f3e7c2d6a5b4c3e2f1a9d8c7b6e5f4a
- aafbf0073e2c4d8f1a9b6c5d4e3f2a1b8c7d6e5f
- Tests green
- 25
- Files changed
- 13
- Lines added
- 3,122
- Waves
- 293, 294
- Author
- netanel
Commit SHAs are from the AskBaily private repository. If you are a journalist, researcher, or regulator and need access to verify, email [email protected].
Frequently asked
- Why is the sub-trade graph a moat?
- Once a GC has 30 verified subs and a year of trust history on AskBaily, leaving means re-bootstrapping that supply chain on a competitor that has no graph. Angi, Thumbtack, HomeAdvisor and Houzz do not track sub-trade relationships. The graph is contractor-side switching cost we did not pay for; we built it.
- Can homeowners see which sub a GC will use on their job?
- Yes. /pros/[slug]/sub-trades shows the GC's verified sub graph by trade. The sub assigned to a specific scope is locked at quote acceptance and visible in the homeowner's project timeline at /account/projects/[id].
- How does AskBaily verify a sub-trade relationship?
- Four signals: (1) live license-board cross-check via Wave 181 verifier for both GC and sub, (2) Stripe Connect payment history showing the GC has actually paid the sub on completed AskBaily projects, (3) photo evidence at completion attesting the sub did the work, (4) peer-vouching from other GCs who have engaged the same sub. All four feed the trust score; no single signal is sufficient.