Sub-trade graph: AskBaily vs the marketplaces
Six capabilities define a sub-trade graph as a product surface. Here is how the residential-construction marketplaces stack up. AskBaily is the only platform built around the graph. Every other platform listed either lacks the concept entirely (Angi, Thumbtack, HomeAdvisor), keeps it private to the GC (Houzz, Buildertrend), or built a workflow tool without the marketplace surface to expose it (Buildertrend).
Competitors compared
- AskBailyChat-first homeowner marketplace
Declared sub-trade graph is the product. Every GC's subs are visible to the homeowner and used by the matching engine.
- AngiLead generation
GC is a black box. Homeowner sees business name + reviews. Subs are never surfaced. Platform's unit of record is the lead, not the crew.
- ThumbtackTask marketplace
Each pro is a standalone listing. No concept of a GC hiring subs — every pro is solo on the platform.
- HomeAdvisor (Angi Pro)Lead generation
Same unit-of-record as Angi (it is Angi). Subs never surfaced to the homeowner.
- Houzz ProPhoto directory + project tools
Pro directory is photo-first. Houzz Pro tooling exists for internal scheduling but the sub graph is private to the GC, never shown to the homeowner.
- BuildertrendGC project-management SaaS
A project-management tool, not a marketplace. Internal to the GC — no homeowner-facing marketplace surface and no cross-GC graph.
Capability matrix
| Capability | AskBaily | Angi | Thumbtack | HomeAdvisor (Angi Pro) | Houzz Pro | Buildertrend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Public sub-trade graph Homeowner can see which sub-trade firms a GC actually works with before hiring — not a marketing list, a declared graph. | Supported Declared per-GC, shown on /pros/[slug]/sub-trades. Used by matching. | Not supported No concept of sub-trade graph; GC is opaque. | Not supported Pros are solo listings; no parent/child relationships. | Not supported Same surface as Angi. | Not supported Directory + photos only; no sub declarations. | Partial Internal sub tracking exists inside the GC's account but is not public. |
Immutable edges (append-only) When a GC declares a sub relationship, the record is append-only. Ending a relationship writes a new edge rather than rewriting history. | Supported Edges are immutable by invariant (types.ts). | Not supported No edge model. | Not supported No edge model. | Not supported No edge model. | Not supported No edge model. | Not supported Editable records inside the GC tenant. |
Multi-trade coverage query The platform can answer 'does this GC's network cover all the trades my project needs?' before matching. | Supported findMultiTradeNetwork() ranks GCs by trade-coverage count. | Not supported Matching is per-category lead only. | Not supported Per-category listings only. | Not supported Same surface as Angi. | Not supported Photo directory; no query layer. | Not supported Not a matching layer. |
Per-sub license-board cross-check Each declared sub is verified against the state or regional license board on an ongoing basis — not a one-time check at signup. | Supported CSLB + OR CCB + WA L&I + NYC DCWP + Indiana PLA + Quebec RBQ automated today; other jurisdictions 72h manual. Sub records re-verified on a rolling window. | Partial Background-check badges exist but do not re-verify license status on a schedule. | Partial Badge-based, not continuous verification. | Partial Same as Angi. | Not supported Self-reported on the profile. | Not supported Not a verification surface. |
Trust-Ledger linked evidence Every sub-edge writes to an append-only ledger tied to project evidence (payments, photos, inspections) so the graph is not just declarative. | Supported Sub-assignments linked to project milestones; payments gated per edge (W294A patent provisional 03). | Not supported No ledger. | Not supported No ledger. | Not supported No ledger. | Not supported No ledger. | Partial Internal project audit trail exists but is GC-private. |
No per-lead fees GC is not charged to compete with other GCs for the same homeowner project — eliminating the lead-resale race that penalizes crew-builders. | Supported Pay-per-accepted-scope pricing; no subscription and no lead auctions. | Not supported Core revenue is per-lead, often resold 3-5x. | Not supported Per-contact credits model. | Not supported Per-lead model. | Partial Directory subscription; not per-lead auctions. | Supported SaaS subscription, not a lead platform — but not a marketplace either. |
The pattern is structural. Lead-generation platforms (Angi, Thumbtack, HomeAdvisor) sell the homeowner's contact information as their core product. Exposing the crew would contradict the auction — the whole point of the auction is that three-to-five contractors compete on price, not that one contractor is clearly better because of a stronger bench. Photo directories (Houzz) sell visibility to the homeowner, so the ranking signal is the photo portfolio, not the crew composition. Project-management SaaS (Buildertrend) sells tooling to the contractor and has no marketplace surface, so there is nowhere for a sub-trade graph to be visible even if the data exists internally.
AskBaily's per-accepted-scope pricing is what lets us expose the graph: we do not profit from auctioning the homeowner to strangers, so we can optimize the homeowner's decision on crew quality instead of on call-speed. The product follows the pricing model, not the other way around.
If you are a homeowner, see what a real GC's declared network looks like. If you are a contractor, bring your subs.