ForHomeowners
Hire vetted UK Contractors and protect project funds with milestone payments.
Your Project, in Your Hands
How it works
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Start OR join an existing project
You can introduce Fort to your project at any stage, whether you're starting from scratch or applying the finnish touches.
Get to Know the Builder and Agree to Plans
Connect to trusted Contractors who are waiting to show you quality workmanship. All Fort builders have been subject to our financial and business authenticity checks to reduce project risk.
Experience a Safer Way to Pay
Fort offers secure digital milestone-based payments. Secure the funds to initiate the milestone, and release the funds upon completion.
Watch as Your Project Plans Come to Life
Milestone-Based Payments Protect Your Project Funds from Cowboys
Fort's ambition is to offer a fairer way to complete construction projects. Fortify your project funds and release payments in milestones to your builder once the agreed work is complete.
Provide your builder with the confidence to work stress-free, knowing they will get paid when the work is complete.
Start Projects & Find Builders with Ease
Find the perfect builder for your project and post your listing to connect with reputable Contractors, local to you.
You can connect with your existing builder at any stage of any project on Fort by creating a new project and adding your contractor. Please ask your builder to use Fort for enhanced project visibility and security.
Taking the Stress out of Your Project
Keep your plans in one place and approve changes to your project. Store and manage documents relevant to each stage of your project.
If an issue arises, utilise Fort's innovative Dispute Resolution process. If required, we can organise a third-party chartered surveyor to assess and indicate a ruling.
We want to hear from you
We strive to understand and find solutions to your problems. Please reach out to our friendly team to inform us of any potential issues we can help with, as we aim to look for ways to support you.
Homeowner FAQs
Answers to common questions about Fort's marketplace and milestone payments.
Instead of paying for the whole job up front, you pay one agreed stage at a time. The money for a stage is secured before the Contractor starts it, and released only when you approve the payout or as a dispute decision directs.
This reduces the risk of paying for unfinished or poor-quality work. Fort does not hold the funds itself. Payments are processed by Stripe.
Create a project with a title, job details, location and photos, then post it on Job Listings. Interested Contractors register interest and message you in Chat.
When you choose someone, they send a proposal that splits the job into stages with a price for each. Review it, then tap Confirm & Start Job to hire them, or deny it.
Yes. Create a project and send your builder an invite link. They join Fort and send a proposal with stages and prices, and you confirm it. You keep the same payment protection, shared documents and project record.
Once the contract is agreed on Fort, all payments for that contract must be made through Fort. Payments made outside Fort are not covered by its payment services and are not taken into account in a dispute.
Contractors earn Fortified status by completing Fort's 15-point vetting process. The checks include proof of address, personal and business CCJ searches, director and Companies House records, financial history, qualifications, insurance evidence and customer references. Stripe separately verifies identity and monitors payments for fraud risk.
Fortified status gives you more information when choosing. It does not promise workmanship, suitability or future conduct, so check qualifications, insurance, references and previous work before you hire.
The Contractor requests to start a stage, you secure payment for it, and work begins. When the stage is done they request release, you review the work and approve the payout, and the funds go to their bank account through Stripe.
A stage or substage can last up to 45 days from when its funds are secured. Under the Terms, each secure payment is capped at £10,000 unless Fort says otherwise, so longer or larger stages are split into substages.
If the scope or cost changes, the Contractor proposes a variation in the app. You can see exactly what has changed, then approve or deny it in Chat. If extra funds are due, you approve and pay for them there.
Approved changes are recorded on the project, so the plan and the price stay in step with the work.
See how to approve a variationVariation orders explained for Homeowners
Contact Fort through Help in the app or the website contact form. Fort keeps a record of the agreed scope, messages, documents, photos, variations and milestone payments, so both sides have evidence to refer to.
Where a dispute needs it, Fort can appoint an independent RICS-chartered surveyor or other expert to assess the work. Fort then decides where the disputed funds go. They can be released to the Contractor, returned to you or divided between the parties. Fort can ask the party at fault, or both parties equally, to cover the cost of the surveyor or expert.
Creating an account is free, and Fort takes no fees until a payment is made. You pay the agreed milestone price. Fort's service fee, from 5% down to 2% depending on the total project value, is taken from that amount, so it is not added on top for you.
Are you a Contractor? Learn how Fort works for Contractors →
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