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Comment by SocksCanClose | Hacker News Reader

@davemel37 I like where you're going with this, and I agree that this is a very good problem to address. I wonder if you could design some sort of system similar to Uber pricing algo where you give an estimate ("[Startupname] believes that this job will cost between $70 and $120"), and then include various multiples (I imagine that getting a window repaired in Menlo Park will cost more than doing so in Topeka, KS) for locality, current demand, etc.

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I think the challenge is in consumer psychology and emotional fear of looking like a fool more than the need for better data. This is why recommendations from friends and neighbors is the go to solution today.

I specifically think the problem is in information asymmetry about the true costs to service the project. Especially considering that some jobs or parts of jobs need deep expertise and others are contracted out to the cheapest labor possible.

In other words...there are things the contractor knows that they consider trade secrets and wouldnt want to reveal them...that is what consumers need to know to be comfortable IMO.

I have a project I am working on along those lines, but its not trchnology driven.

@SocksCanClose Thanks for adding to the ideas. The range is a great way to do it. range for the bid with an explanation in the video by a contractor. The video bid makes it much easier for a contractor to express his knowledge and expertise to convince the consumer that he is right for the job. A price (in the bid range ideally) gets confirmed upon inspection of the job and the money gets held in escrow.

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