Homeowner guide
Create your homeowner account
Fort starts with a short signup so we know who you are and where your project is. You pick Homeowner, enter your details, set a password, confirm terms, then verify with a one-time code. There is no skip - each step unlocks the next so your account is ready for secure payments later.
- Choose Homeowner on the Select Fort Account screen
- Enter First Name, Last Name, Your email, and Phone Number - then tap Next
- Set Password, confirm it, and accept Fort and Stripe terms - Next
- Enter the SMS or WhatsApp code and tap Submit
If you are outside Fort’s live service area, the app will tell you after signup - you can still contact us for updates.
Create and share a project
A project is how work and money stay organised on Fort. You can invite a builder you already trust with a share link, or post on Job Listings so vetted tradespeople can find you. Either way you describe the job once - Job Title, Job Details, location, and photos - then choose how it goes live.
- Open New Project and fill Job Title, job types, Job Details, Location, and media
- Tap Next > to open Share Project
- Use Invite with a link and Copy to Clipboard to bring an existing contractor on
- Or tap Post on Job Listings so tradespeople can discover the job
- Use Save as a Draft if you are not ready to publish
Posted jobs sit in Upcoming until you hire. Invite links are ideal when you already have a tradesperson.
Review proposals in Chat
Hiring happens in Chat, not on a separate bid board. After you post or share, tradespeople register interest and message you. When they send a proposal you open it from the thread, review the staged payment plan (including any substages), then Confirm & Start Job - or Deny if it is not right.
- Open Chat when a tradesperson messages or sends a proposal card
- Tap Review the Proposal to see Stages Summary, substages, and totals
- Confirm & Start Job to hire and move the project to Active
- Or Deny if you do not want to proceed
- Use Approved - Go To Project Dashboard to open the live job
You are accepting a milestone plan, not a single lump-sum quote. Stages are how Fort secures and releases money later.
Your project dashboard
Once a job is active, the project dashboard is your hub. Project Summary shows progress, team, and files. Finances lists each stage so you can Secure Payment when work is ready to start and Approve Payout when a stage is done. Upload documents to Project Files, assign them to a stage, and open invoices or receipts from Finances or from Stage Documents.
- Switch between Project Summary and Finances
- Tap Upload on Project Files, then Assign when asked to link a file to a stage
- Open Stage Documents for files tied to a milestone
- On Finances, tap Secure Payment when the tradesperson requests start
- Tap Approve Payout when they request release
- View Invoice or View Receipt from the stage row or from documents for that stage
Payment prompts can also appear as messages in Chat - the same Secure Payment and Approve Payout actions.
Complete the project
When every stage is paid and work is finished, Fort asks you to complete the project. You can leave a private star rating and optional comment, or finish without a review. Completing closes the job cleanly for both you and the tradesperson.
- Open the completion banner when it appears
- Tap Complete Project
- Add 1–5 stars and an optional comment, or skip the review
- Submit & complete (or Complete without review)
If you dismiss the review early, you can often still leave feedback later from the completed project.
What if a project goes wrong?
At launch Fort does not offer a self-serve dispute button in the app. If something goes wrong - quality, delays, or disagreement - contact Fort and our team will help manually with you and the tradesperson. Use Help in the menu, Contact support in Settings, or the website contact form.
- Open Help (or Help from the menu) to reach Fort support chat
- Or use Settings → Contact support
- Or contact us on the website - we handle issues with both parties
- On a variation review, Have a problem? Speak to Fort also reaches the team
There is no live “Raise a Dispute” screen in the shipping app yet - always use Contact / Help.
More of the app
Beyond the project loop, Fort keeps people and alerts in easy reach. Contacts stores who you work with, Directory helps you find tradespeople, Notifications deep-link into chat or payments, and Settings covers account, legal, and support.
- Contacts - people and tradespeople on your jobs
- Directory - browse and message vetted tradespeople
- Notification - tap through to chat, proposals, or payments
- Settings - account, legal documents, Contact support, Log Out
You can switch account type from the menu if you also need a tradesperson profile - ask support if you are unsure.
Tradespeople guide
Create your tradesperson account
Tradespeople join as a Contractor, then choose Limited Company or Sole Trader. You complete business details, password, and address, verify with OTP, pick your trades, and set a public profile so homeowners know who you are.
- Select Contractor, then Limited Company or Sole Trader on Are you a...
- Enter company details and tap Next through signup
- Choose the trades you offer and tap Continue
- Add photo, name, and bio, then Confirm & Find Work
Limited Company flows use Companies House details; Sole Traders confirm trading start instead.
Complete verification setup
Before you can message homeowners or register interest, Fort walks you through setup banners on Home: verify email, complete owner information, and connect Stripe for payouts. Finish each banner so engagement unlocks.
- Tap Verify on the company email banner if needed
- Complete owner & executive (or sole trader) information
- Verify owner emails when Limited Company requires it
- Set up your Stripe payment account for payouts
Messaging, Register Interest, and creating proposals stay locked until you can engage homeowners.
Fort Docs (company documents)
Fort reviews company documents as part of certification. You do not upload Fort Docs inside the app - we contact you to collect what we need, then approve your application. Until then you may see an awaiting screen and limited engagement.
- Open the documents / awaiting approval banner when it appears
- Read We will contact you soon - Fort verifies documents offline
- Use Contact Us if you need to speak to the team
- Use Back to dashboard while review is in progress
This is certification paperwork - separate from Project Files you upload on a live job later.
Find work or bring a client
You can win work two ways. Browse Job Listings, open a job, Register Interest, and Confirm Interest to open Chat. Or use Create Project to set up a job for a homeowner you already know and share an invite - same idea as a homeowner inviting you.
- Open Job Listings and browse available cards
- Tap View Details, then Register Interest
- Write your intro under Message the Homeowner and tap Confirm Interest
- Or Create Project (New Project) from the menu and share with a homeowner
If you already messaged that homeowner, the card may show Go to Chat instead.
Build and send a proposal in Chat
Proposals are built from Chat. Create Proposal opens the stage editor: add stages (payable milestones), optionally break a stage into substages, save, then send. Homeowners see the same structure when they review. You can also attach photos or documents in the thread.
- In Chat, open Create Proposal (from the attachment sheet or empty state)
- Add stages in the body with Add Stage; Save Stage while editing, then Next
- Add substages under a stage when you need a cost breakdown
- On Proposal Overview, accept terms and Send Proposal to Homeowner
- Optionally send photos or documents from the composer Attachment sheet
Stages drive milestone payments. Substages are line items inside a stage - costs roll up to the stage total.
Run the job from your dashboard
After the homeowner confirms, open the project dashboard. Project Summary summarises the plan; Finances is where you Request Start and Request Release. Upload Project Files, assign them to stages, and open invoices or receipts from Finances or from Stage Documents for that stage.
- Open Project Summary for status and team
- Switch to Finances for stage money actions
- Request Start so the homeowner can Secure Payment
- Request Release when the stage work is done (optional completion photo)
- Upload Project Files, assign to a stage, and use View Invoice / View Receipt from Finances or documents
Do not start unpaid work expecting a handshake - wait until funds are secured for the stage.
Propose a variation
When scope or cost needs to change mid-project, use a variation order - not a verbal “while we’re here.” From Finances, open Variation, edit stages or substages, review the diff, and Send to homeowner. They approve (or deny) in Chat before the new plan sticks.
- On Finances, tap the Variation chip
- In Propose variation, change costs or Add Stage / adjust substages
- Tap Review variation, then confirm the order
- Send to homeowner and wait - sticky shows Awaiting homeowner
Changed lines show in purple; new stages in teal. Homeowners can Approve and pay when extra funds are due now.
Get paid
When the homeowner approves a release, funds move through Stripe to your connected bank account. Stages show Awaiting Payout, then Releasing Payment, then Completed on Finances, and finished jobs appear under Completed Projects on Home.
- Wait for the homeowner to Approve Payout
- Watch the stage move from Awaiting Payout to Releasing Payment
- Confirm Completed when the payout lands on your Stripe-connected account
- Find finished work under Completed Projects on Home
There is no separate Fort wallet balance for contractors - payouts go to the bank account linked in Stripe.
Support and the rest of the app
If a job goes wrong, contact Fort - we handle issues manually at launch (there is no live Raise a Dispute screen). Use Help & Feedback or Contact support. The same chapter peeks at Contacts, Directory, Notifications, Create Project, and Settings so you know the wider app.
- Open Help & Feedback or Settings → Contact support
- Or contact us on the website for manual help
- Contacts and Directory keep clients and peers discoverable
- Notifications deep-link into chat, proposals, and payments
- Create Project and Settings live in the drawer / menu - use Log Out from Settings
Variation reviews also offer Have a problem? Speak to Fort.
