Fairgo is a payment-first trust platform for residential trade work in Australia. The homeowner's money is secured upfront and held in escrow, and it only reaches the tradie once the work is done as agreed. If there's a dispute, an independent inspection settles it before the money moves, not after.
The problem we solve
Residential trade work has a trust problem on both sides. Tradies carry the risk of late or non-payment, scope creep, and cashflow uncertainty, especially with new customers. Homeowners are asked to pay large sums upfront with little protection if the work falls short. When things go wrong, both parties get pushed into slow, adversarial tribunal processes that only sort out the dispute after the money has already changed hands. Fairgo builds the resolution into the transaction instead.
How it works
1
Job agreement
The tradie defines the scope, price, timeline, and completion criteria the job will be judged against.
2
Secure payment
The client funds the job (or each milestone) upfront. The money is held in escrow via PayPal (AFSL 354514) and isn't released until the work is approved.
3
Work
The tradie gets on with the job. The money is already secured, so there's no invoice to chase.
4
Completion and release
The client reviews the work against the agreed criteria and approves it, which releases payment to the tradie.
5
Independent resolution
If there's a dispute, an independent, accredited inspector assesses the work against the agreed criteria, and the outcome is decided before any money moves.
Also built in
Milestone payments. Fund and release multi-stage jobs one stage at a time.
Time & Materials. Locked rates and a pre-funded spend cap, with client-approved increases, so jobs with uncertain scope don't bring back the payment risk.
Accredited trades and inspectors. Licence, insurance, and (where required) Home Building Compensation cover are checked before work or inspections go ahead.
Fairgo is financial and trust infrastructure for residential trade work, not a lead marketplace. We don't sell leads. We make sure the job gets done and paid.
Fairgo is an early-stage platform launching in Sydney, focused on residential renovations and higher-risk trades: plumbing, electrical, HVAC, kitchens, bathrooms, and carpentry. It currently operates under the trading name “Fairgo” (company registration is in progress).