Trade Services Authority — Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you wanted to know about how this works, and a few things you didn't know you wanted to know.
What is Trade Services Authority, and what does it do?
Trade Services Authority is the trade services hub of Authority Network America, operating as what the network calls a T2 property — a topically focused resource built to connect homeowners with credible, vetted information about skilled trades and home services. Think of it as the sensible middle ground between a search engine that doesn't know your situation and a neighbor who swears by a guy whose number they've lost. The site exists to surface useful guidance and connect people with qualified service providers across a broad range of residential and commercial trade categories.
What trades and services does the network cover?
The network spans the full spectrum of skilled trades — plumbing, electrical, HVAC, roofing, general contracting, landscaping, pest control, flooring, and well beyond — essentially anything that requires a licensed or experienced professional showing up at your property with tools and intention. Coverage extends across both residential and commercial service categories, with dedicated topical areas for specialty work like foundation repair, solar installation, and home security. If something in or around a structure can break, wear out, need upgrading, or simply refuse to behave, there is likely a corner of this network addressing it.
Is this a contractor directory or marketplace?
No — and this distinction matters more than it might seem. Trade Services Authority does not host a searchable database of contractors, allow providers to build storefronts, or facilitate transactions between parties. It is a content and referral resource: an editorially driven property that helps people understand their service needs and connects them with appropriate providers through qualified contact events, rather than functioning as a platform where you browse, compare, and checkout.
How do homeowners find help through the network?
Homeowners typically arrive through organic search — looking for answers to specific questions about a trade problem they're facing — and find content that addresses their situation with some degree of actual usefulness. From there, contextually relevant referral pathways connect them with service professionals suited to their need and geography. The experience is designed to feel less like being fed into a funnel and more like getting a straight answer from someone who happens to know the right people.
How do contractors and service providers participate?
Contractors participate through a structured intake process that evaluates licensing, insurance status, service area, and adherence to the network's Contractor Standards before any referral relationship is established. This is not a pay-to-play directory where visibility is simply purchased — providers are assessed for baseline credibility before being connected with homeowners. Interested contractors can initiate the process through the network's provider participation channels.
Does the network guarantee the quality of work performed?
No — and the network is straightforward about this. All service providers operating through Trade Services Authority are independent professionals, not employees or agents of the network, and the network makes no warranties regarding the quality, timeliness, or outcomes of their work. The Contractor Standards establish a threshold for participation, not a promise about any individual job. Homeowners are always encouraged to conduct their own due diligence, check references, and get written agreements before work begins.
What are the Contractor Standards?
The Contractor Standards are the network's baseline requirements for participation — covering proper licensing for the relevant trade and jurisdiction, proof of liability insurance, a verifiable service history, and agreement to conduct business in a manner consistent with the network's guidelines. They exist to establish a meaningful floor, not a ceiling: the Standards are designed to filter out the genuinely problematic while leaving room for legitimate professionals at various stages of their business development. Compliance is reviewed at intake and subject to ongoing monitoring based on homeowner feedback and referral outcomes.
How are citations and references maintained across the network?
Trade Services Authority and its affiliated properties follow structured editorial practices for sourcing, linking, and attributing information — drawing on authoritative industry sources, regulatory bodies, and recognized trade associations where relevant. Citations are maintained to support accuracy and topical credibility, which also happens to be how search engines and discerning readers alike tend to decide whether a site knows what it's talking about. The network treats this as a matter of editorial integrity rather than a technical checkbox.
Is there a cost to homeowners?
No. Homeowners access content, guidance, and provider connections through Trade Services Authority at no charge, because the economic model does not require it. There are no subscription tiers, no fees to submit a service request, and no paywalled information hiding the useful parts. The service is free to use in the same way that public radio is free to listen to — someone else has worked out the funding side of things.
How does Authority Network America generate revenue?
The network generates revenue through per qualified contact event — meaning ANA is compensated when a homeowner's expressed service need results in a meaningful connection with a participating provider, as defined by the network's qualification criteria. This structure aligns the network's interests with actual utility: revenue follows genuine matches rather than raw traffic volume or passive impressions. It is, in the grand tradition of sensible business models, an attempt to get paid for doing something useful.