Hi pages is an Australian service that connects trusted tradies with homeowners. The service is free for clients, but tradies pay a monthly subscription. There are pros and cons however so let’s take a look at the platform, how it works and some of the advantages and disadvantages of using them.
The Good
- Clients can easily find available tradies in their area and get a number of quotes.
- There is no additional costs for clients. They only pay the tradie.
- Tradies can easily find clients avoiding the expense of marketing.
- Tradies can charge their own prices as Hipages does not set prices for their tradies.
- ‘Tips for Tradies’ section has heaps of helpful articles for tradies in all different trades.
The Bad
- Tradies have reported difficulties in cancelling their Hipages subscription.
- Tradies have to pay if they want to quote on a particular lead and then they may not get hired.
- Some clients have been disappointed by the quality of work done by the tradie they choose.
- Clients can only be contacted by 3 tradies at a time. The others will be waitlisted.
- According to some review sites, clients have complained that they cannot see any negative reviews and that clients are not able to post negative reviews on the Hipages site.
- Clients cannot see all tradies’ profiles.
Verdict: For clients, makes sense to use the Hi Pages platform – it’s free and easy to use. For tradies, it may mean more leads but more risk.
Introduction
Hipages was started by two friends in 2004 and today is one of the most popular websites allowing tradesmen to connect with their clients on the internet. Customers can access the service for free, but tradesmen will need to have a subscription in order to use Hipages. When a client posts a job, up to 3 tradesmen will be able to quote for the job and the client will be free to choose the best tradie and/or the most suitable quote. While many tradesmen and clients have been very happy with the service, Hipages has had a large number of negative reviews about certain features. Anyone thinking of using this service should do some research before trying it.
What is Hi pages?
Hipages1 is one of a number of websites making it easier for Australians to find quality leads and hire a tradesperson. They claim to be Australia’s largest online tradie marketplace. It has been around since 2004, but back then it was called Home Improvement Pages. It became Hipages in 2011, but It has only been operating in its current form since 2021. Through either an app (Hipages app frequently updated) or the website, people can get quotes for any job that they have. Hipages will show your job and interested tradies can offer a quote for the job, so you don’t have to waste time getting in touch with someone who is not interested in the job. It benefits tradies because they only quote on the jobs that they want to do.
“Hipages is the online platform that connects Australia with trusted tradies to simplify home improvement. For homeowners, we provide a better, smarter way to connect with local tradies to get a job done well. For tradies, our platform helps you grow your business by providing quality leads from customers looking for a specific trade.”
hipages.com.au1
How does it work?
Once you have registered on the app, you can post a job by answering questions, and giving more information in writing or by uploading a photo of the job that needs to be done. The first questions will be about the category of the job and whether or not it is urgent. You will also need to give other details about the job to make it easier for your tradie to decide whether he or she wants the job or not. After you post detailed information about the job, you will get quotes from up to 3 tradies. You can check their profiles and see reviews of their work in order to make a decision about who you want to do the job. Hipages recommends that you choose the tradesperson with the highest rating.
How does Hi pages work for tradies?
Tradies can register for Hipages and pay a monthly subscription. They also pay to quote for a job. When clients post a job, tradies will be able to see the job and if they are interested, then they can get in touch with the client and arrange a time to quote for the job. These job posts are called leads and each subscription package includes credit for leads. This credit expires after 2 or 3 months, so for most of their subscription tradies will have to pay extra to quote for a job. Only 3 tradies at a time can be seen by potential clients, so you might be waitlisted. You only pay the lead price once you get in touch with the client and the client can see your profile. The profile also includes reviews from former clients.
Do you have to pay for Hi pages?
Tradies have to pay a monthly fee for Hipages, and there are a number of different packages.
The basic package costs $109 a month with $140 of lead credit that expires after 2 months. Before a tradie can quote on a particular job and communicate with a potential client, they have to pay a lead price. The lead price varies depending on a number of factors. The factors are not explained on the Hipages website.
Their most popular package costs $219 a month with $275 of lead credit. Tradies with this package also have a dedicated account manager.
The most expensive package is $419 with $525 of lead credit which expires after 3 months instead of 2. There is a dedicated account manager and customised support for your business.
Businesses with more than 10 employees are invited to contact the Hipages Platinum team which can help to organise jobs for the whole business.
Is it safe to use?
According to the article Find a Tradie Websites2 on Choice, Hipages uses a trust and quality team to review and check the tradies that register for the site. There is no insurance for the users of the site, so clients need to check that the tradie they choose has appropriate insurance. According to Choice, Hipages does not post negative reviews on Hipages profiles, so there is some risk that the tradie you use may not do a good job and may not have insurance. It is definitely important to do your research before you choose a tradie.
Who uses Hi pages?
Tradies who work on their own or in small businesses of up to 10 employees use Hipages although Hipages will also deal with larger companies through their Platinum package. The clients are usually Australian homeowners who want work done in their homes. The most popular categories for jobs are electricians, plumbers, and handymen. There are also emergency jobs such as burst pipes and being locked out of your home. Aside from these main types of jobs, you can potentially find a tradesman for any type of job on Hipages.
You can find them on Facebook HERE7.
Who owns Hi pages Australia?
Hipages Group3 was started in 2004 by two friends. In November 2020, there was an IPO and it was listed on the Australian Stock Exchange in 2021.
To learn more about the history of the company, read Hipages becomes latest Aussie startup to IPO on the ASX – here’s now it got there4.
Do you need an ABN for Hipages?
It is not mandatory for a tradie to have an ABN.
Advantages of using Hi pages?
- Clients can easily find available tradies in their area and get a number of quotes. This simplifies the process of finding a tradie for the job and allows them to compare prices before making a decision.
- There is no additional costs for clients. They only pay the tradie. They can pay the tradie directly or through the app. If there are issues about the job, then Hipages will be able to deal with the disputes.
- Tradies can easily find clients avoiding the expense of marketing. For small businesses, finding clients is probably the most difficult part of the job and marketing can be expensive. By using Hipages, tradies will not be contacted by people with jobs that they can’t do.
- Tradies can charge their own prices as Hipages does not set prices for their tradies.
- ‘Tips for Tradies’ section has heaps of helpful articles for tradies in all different trades.
“hipages.com.au offers a free Get Quotes service that lets users post a job and get in touch with up to three local businesses. Businesses that charge a call-out fee for their time preparing a quote should disclose this before you engage them to quote.”
hipages.com.au/homes/faq-hub/
Disadvantages of using Hi Pages?
- Tradies have reported difficulties in cancelling their Hipages subscription. They have reported high cancellation fees or that they have to pay out the full contract. You can see a number of these complaints on Product Review5.
- Tradies have to pay if they want to quote on a particular lead and there have been complaints by tradies that once they have paid to give a quote, they have not been able to contact the client or the client has changed their mind about getting the job done, costing the tradie money.
- Some clients have been disappointed by the quality of work done by the tradie they choose. Although Hipages claims that they verify the tradies that use their service, it is not clear how this is done.
- Clients can only be contacted by 3 tradies at a time. The others will be waitlisted. By the time the client sees the waitlisted tradie profile, the tradie may not be able to accept the job as they may have already taken another one.
- According to some review sites, clients have complained that they cannot see any negative reviews and that clients are not able to post negative reviews on the Hipages site. This makes it difficult for clients to know whether they are choosing the best possible tradie for the job.
- Clients cannot see all tradies’ profiles. Instead of showing the profiles of all the tradies available in the area for a particular job, clients are only shown 3 profiles at a time. If you don’t live in a large city, there is a possibility that there will not actually be any tradies in your area who are using Hipages. There will be no way of knowing this even if you make an account with Hipages.
FAQs about Hipages:
How many tradies use Hipages?
According to Hipages, there are around 34,000 tradies on the site.
(For tradies) – “Your star rating is based on the percentage of positive recommendations. Your 5 Star Rating appears on your profile and provides more authenticity that will ultimately help to strengthen your reputation. Star Ratings have a maximum score of 5 and are based off recommendations from jobs completed on hipages. Customers are able to read up on your previous jobs to understand why you have been recommended for the work you do.”
hipages.com.au/tradie/faqs
How does Hi pages make money?
Tradies must make regular monthly payments to use Hipages and a further payment for each quote they give to a client. Some credit for leads is included in the subscription, but that credit expires, so tradies will have to pay extra for leads. According to Choice, Hipages is one of the most expensive “find-a-tradie” platforms.
What does Waitlisted mean?
Only 3 tradies can accept a lead. Any other tradies that try to accept a lead after the first 3 will be placed on a waitlist. If the client does not choose one of the tradies that quote for the job, then other tradies from the waitlist can submit their quotes. Tradies on the waitlist do not have to pay the lead price unless they connect with the client.
Is Hi pages trustworthy?
The Hipages ‘Trust and Quality’ team is responsible for reviewing the tradies who register for the site. You can see a number of reviews of Hipages by both tradies and clients on Trust Pilot6, which shows both negative and positive reviews. While some tradies and their clients have been satisfied with the experience, others have not. Clients have reported being cheated by tradies who did poor quality work or who never showed up at all. Tradies have made complaints about not being able to get many clients from Hipages despite the amount that they need to pay for a subscription.
While there are many positive reviews from both tradies and clients, the number of negative reviews on both sides suggests that it is important to do your research before using Hipages.
Conclusion
Hi pages has grown considerably since its start in 2004. Listed on the ASX in 2021, Hipages is a very successful “find-a-tradie” platform. Clients and tradies connect through the Hipages app or website. When a client posts a job, up to 3 tradies will reply to the posting. Customers are not obliged to accept one of these as other interested tradies are waitlisted for the job. Many satisfied clients and tradies have posted reviews online, but there are also a large number of negative reviews online. Before registering with Hipages, both tradies and potential clients should do some research to see if this platform is right for them.
There are similar platforms out there such as AirTasker and TaskRabbit, though you may not get a qualified tradie through these platforms. You can check out my review of TaskRabbit here.
Reference List:
1. ‘How hipages works’. Accessed online at https://hipages.com.au/ on 29 Sep, 2022.
2. ‘Find-a-tradie websites’. Soraya Asmar and Elisabeth Baulch. Published 11 July, 2019, Choice. Accessed online at https://www.choice.com.au/home-improvement/building-and-renovating/design-and-trades/articles/find-a-tradie-websites on 30 Sep, 2022.
3. ‘About us’. Hipages Group. Accessed online at https://hipagesgroup.com.au/about-us/ on 29 Sep, 2022.
4. Hipages becomes latest Aussie startup to IPO on the ASX – here’s how it got there’. Stephanie Palmer-Derrien. Published 12 Nov, 2020. Accessed online at https://www.smartcompany.com.au/startupsmart/news/hipages-ipo-asx/ on 29 Sep, 2022.
5. ‘hipages Questions & Answers’. Product Review. Accessed online at https://www.productreview.com.au/listings/home-improvement-pages/q-and-a on 30 Sep, 2022.
6. ‘Hipages’. Trust Pilot. Accessed online at https://au.trustpilot.com/review/hipages.com.au on 30 Sep, 2022.
7. https://www.facebook.com/hipages/
Captain FI is a Retired Pilot who lives in Adelaide, South Australia. He is passionate about Financial Independence and writes about Personal Finance and his journey to reach FI at 29, allowing him to retire at 30.
