Why I Built LightWork

I'm a 20-year-old student at UIUC. I'm not a plumber, electrician, or handyman. But I spent the better part of a year talking to hundreds of them.

What I heard over and over: the industry is rigged against the solo operator.

Angi charges $15–$80 per lead and sells that same lead to four or five other contractors at the same time. You're paying to compete against yourself. Thumbtack does the same thing. The lead aggregators get paid whether you win the job or not. You only get paid if you win. The deck is stacked.

Meanwhile, the software built for contractors is either too expensive ($200+/month), too complicated (weeks to set up), or both.

I built LightWork because I thought there had to be a better model: a tool that puts the quoting power on your website, filters out tire-kickers before they waste your time, and costs less than a tank of gas per month.

We launched in January 2026. Over 1,000 contractors signed up in the first 90 days. We're early and still building.

If something doesn't work the way you work, I want to know. Email me directly: [email protected]

The LightWork Team