# Contractor FAQ

Last updated: 2026-04-04

## Getting started

- Join at `/contractors/join` and complete onboarding, documents, and billing readiness.
- Licensed, insured contractors who can respond quickly to text offers. We verify documents and expect honest availability settings.
- Service area and job types should be kept current so routing reflects real operations.
- Before first On-Call, confirm dispatch owner, billing setup, and handoff process.
- **Application documents:** valid Wisconsin HVAC contractor license, current liability insurance proof, and business details (uploads specified in the application). Lapsed documents after approval can pause routing eligibility.
- **Business address vs. service area:** you can apply if you serve the Milwaukee area and nearby communities even when not based in Milwaukee; coverage is confirmed against your configured service area.
- **Will Zwivio publish my company on its website?** No. Joining Zwivio does not place your company in a public contractor directory on our website. We do not publicly advertise which contractors participate in the system just because they joined. Homeowners do not shop through a public roster of participating contractors. Contractor participation is handled internally within the dispatch network. A homeowner only sees contractor details when that contractor is actually involved in the assignment or approval flow for that specific job.

## Trust and common objections

- **What Zwivio is for contractors:** governed HVAC dispatch (SMS-first routed offers, fees on official assignment). Not a public contractor directory or open job board. See `/contractors/what-is-zwivio`.
- **Is Zwivio a shared-lead marketplace?** No. Governed HVAC dispatch with time-bound routing. Not a broadcast shared-lead model where many contractors pay for or race on the same inquiry. Receiving or declining an offer is not the charge event. Contractors comparing Zwivio to familiar national lead platforms should expect structured assignment-based billing, not a multi-contractor blast of the same homeowner submission.
- **Pay for offers you don’t win?** No. Charges apply on official assignment under that job type’s rules. Not for viewing, declining, or timing out on an offer (same scope as quote interest that does not finalize).
- **Why fees are gated:** detailed dollar amounts and tools are for verified contractors after SMS verification on `/contractors/earnings` (transparent with vetted partners; reduces open scraping).
- **Guaranteed volume?** No guaranteed weekly volume; demand and fit vary.
- **Emergency windows:** shortest response windows; respond as fast as you can if available. Missing a window: not charged; routing may move on; late interest may apply if still open. See `/contractors/offer-preview` and `/contractors/faq`.
- **Quote vs dispatch:** quote uses interest/homeowner selection and different charge timing than emergency/urgent/scheduled assignment flows. See `/contractors/what-is-zwivio` and `/about/business-model`.
- **Mission Control:** contractor operating hub (readiness, visibility, follow-up). Not a public job board. `/contractors/mission-control`.
- **Pause when full:** use Off-Call or FULL so availability matches real capacity. `/contractors/faq`.
- **Reliability:** recent offer outcomes over ~60 days inform routing favorability among eligible contractors. `/contractors/reliability`.
- **Wisconsin company:** Zwivio is built and operated in Wisconsin; Zwivio LLC is a Wisconsin-registered LLC with a registered business address in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. `/about`.
- **Approval timing:** most applicants hear back within a few business days; complex or high-volume reviews can take longer. No hard SLA promised.
- **Disputes / billing:** use onboarding Ops or contractor portal support with job references and evidence; contested billing gets human review.

## How offers work (practical)

- Automated offer texts come from **+1 (414) 420-2610**.
- If a text is missed, check current status as soon as possible; use late interest if still open.
- Keep one clear dispatch owner per shift to avoid missed opportunities.
- Distinct request types (Emergency/Urgent/Scheduled/Quote) follow different timing and finalization behavior.
- If your team accepts but cannot execute, escalate promptly to Ops.
- **Typical offer text** includes job type, ZIP, service window, equipment context, platform fee, and a link; reply by SMS with job number/commands or open the link first.
- **No job queue to preview** before On-Call; offers arrive in real time when you are On-Call.

## Assignment and fees

- Contractors are charged on **official assignment**, not for viewing/declining offers.
- Charges and disputes are reviewed through supported Ops paths with evidence.
- **If a charge review is approved, how is the adjustment handled?** Approved charge adjustments are usually handled as a platform credit that can be applied to future Zwivio charges. In some cases, Zwivio may issue a refund to the original payment method instead. The resolution depends on the situation and how the charge was processed.
- Billing readiness matters: unresolved payment failures can block new assignment flow.
- Keep a company-owned billing method and clear internal owner for updates.
- **No monthly subscription or membership fee.** Only the flat platform fee on official assignment.
- **Platform credits:** approved charge adjustments usually credit your Zwivio wallet for future assignment fees; sometimes a refund to the original payment method at Zwivio's discretion.
- **Declined card:** billing failures can interrupt assignment flow; update billing in the contractor portal quickly. Stale cards are a common cause of routing interruptions.

## Reliability and availability

- Reliability reflects recent response/follow-through behavior over time.
- One bad miss is usually recoverable; repeated expires/declines or cancel-after-accept patterns are the risk.
- Honest Off-Call/FULL usage is better than appearing available when your team cannot respond.
- If offers slow down, check availability, settings, billing readiness, and response history first.
- **Reliability Score** and contributing outcomes appear in Mission Control; based on roughly the last 60 days of offer activity.
- **New accounts:** 60-day rolling window plus stabilizer; neutral prior. Consistent execution builds the track record fastest.
- **Starter → Trusted → Elite:** tier is set from overall track record (not purchased, no single auto-threshold); see `/contractors/reliability`.
- **Off-Call vs FULL:** Off-Call means routing skips you; FULL means at capacity for new work soon. Both stop offers while active.
- **Wrong GPS:** update from the portal or via GPS sync prompts; stale location hurts proximity matching.

## Support and risk handling

- If details look suspicious, document what you see and escalate promptly.
- For non-responsive homeowners, no-shows, or scope mismatch, document timeline evidence and use the contractor portal support path or your onboarding Ops channel.
- Safety comes first: leave unsafe conditions, document facts, and report promptly.
- If you want to leave Zwivio, email our support team at `contact@zwivio.com`.

## Links

- `/about`
- `/about/business-model`
- `/contractors/faq`
- `/contractors/how-it-works`
- `/contractors/mission-control`
- `/contractors/offer-preview`
- `/contractors/protection`
- `/contractors/reliability`
- `/contractors/earnings`
- `/contractors/join`
- `/contractors/what-is-zwivio`