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Real Advice for Running a Contracting Business

No-fluff guides on the tools, money, and marketing behind a contracting business. Written for the trades, not for Silicon Valley.

Backed by the Contractor Coalition, 13,900+ members

Featured · Software & Technology

Best CRM for Contractors in 2026: An Honest Comparison

Five real options, current 2026 pricing, and a straight answer on which one fits your trade. No fluff, no affiliate nonsense.

VendorRack·11 min read

Read the comparison

Latest Articles

16 guides for contractors

Software & Technology

Best Estimating Software for Contractors in 2026

Quick-quote app, cost database, or takeoff platform? Four real options with July 2026 pricing and honest tradeoffs.

10 minRead →

Marketing & Lead Gen

How Much Should a Contractor Spend on Marketing?

5-8% to maintain, 8-15% to grow, what leads cost in 2026, and a five-minute way to budget backwards from the jobs you want.

9 minRead →

Insurance

General Liability Insurance: Cost and Coverage

Real 2026 numbers, the five things your policy will not pay for, and the one exclusion that surprises almost everybody.

10 minRead →

Software & Technology

Buildertrend vs JobNimbus vs Jobber

Three good tools built for three different contractors. Real July 2026 pricing and how to pick by the shape of your work.

11 minRead →

Marketing & Lead Gen

How to Get Contractor Leads Without Paying for Ads

Reviving old estimates, jobsite marketing, and a Google Business Profile that works: real ways to fill the pipeline free.

9 minRead →

Software & Technology

Best Roofing CRM in 2026: 4 Real Options Compared

JobNimbus, AccuLynx, Roofr, and Leap compared with current pricing and honest pros and cons for roofing companies.

10 minRead →

Software & Technology

Top 10 Tools Every Residential Contractor Needs in 2026

The ten categories of tools that separate the contractors who are growing from the ones who are grinding.

9 minRead →

Insurance

The Complete Guide to Contractor Insurance

Every policy in plain English: what it covers, who needs it, and what it should actually cost.

12 minRead →

Financing & Lending

How to Offer Financing and Close More Jobs

The single biggest close-rate booster most contractors still aren't using on their estimates.

11 minRead →

Equipment & Rental

7 Equipment Rental Mistakes That Cost You Thousands

The quiet leaks draining your profit every time you rent, and exactly how to plug them.

12 minRead →

Marketing & Lead Gen

How to Get More 5-Star Google Reviews

A simple, repeatable system for stacking the reviews that bring the phone calls.

6 minRead →

Insurance

The Real Cost of Not Having Workers Comp

Skip it and one bad day can take the truck, the house, and the business you built.

6 minRead →

Software & Technology

7 Signs You Need Better Project Management Software

If three of these hit home, you've outgrown the notebook and the group text for good.

7 minRead →

Marketing & Lead Gen

Contractor Marketing 101: Where to Spend Your First $500

No $3,000 agency required. Here's where every single dollar should go first.

7 minRead →

Marketing & Lead Gen

How to Build a Referral System That Runs Itself

Turn happy customers into a steady stream of pre-sold leads, without chasing them.

8 minRead →

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