Research & Comparison Methodology

Last updated: July 10, 2026

The short version

The Fit Check evaluates how your business actually operates — job timing, deposits, material purchasing, margins, promotional needs, and funding-flow preference — using the Contractor Financing Fit Framework. Those answers determine which of four outcomes fits: a no-dealer-fee marketplace, a dealer-fee / direct-pay program, a hybrid stack, or "not ready yet."

What moves your result — and what doesn't

Behavior moves your result: how fast jobs start, whether you collect deposits, whether you can wait for homeowner funding, how you feel about paying a percentage for speed. Your trade does not score points. An HVAC company selling scheduled replacements and one running emergency calls have opposite financing economics — so trade only tailors examples, never the outcome. Every scoring weight has a written reason, opposite answers carry symmetric weight, and mixed answers produce the hybrid result instead of a forced pick.

How readiness is handled

If licensing is unsettled, lead flow is inconsistent, or tickets are too small for financing to pay for itself, the Fit Check returns "Not Ready Yet" with a checklist — because a paid financing program can't fix those problems.

How provider information is handled

Provider claims trace to official documentation with source URLs and verification dates. Where a provider's own materials disagree (for example, differing lender counts or prices across their own pages), we label it a Provider Documentation Conflict, state the range we found, and recommend confirming directly. Features we can't find advertised are labeled Not Publicly Advertised. We do not rank providers by affiliate payout, and we do not use other affiliate sites as proof of provider claims.

Compensation

We may earn referral compensation when you choose a partner through our links. It is disclosed near every partner link and does not change scoring criteria — a contractor whose answers fit a model we earn nothing from gets that result anyway.

What this is not

The Fit Check is educational. It is not financial, legal, accounting, or lending advice, and not a loan offer, prequalification, or approval. Rates, terms, approvals, and funding times are set by providers and lenders and vary by applicant.