ServiceBase

Start a home-service business

Pick the trade and the city. The wizard saves your place in this browser and opens signup with those answers filled in. The guides under it are the long version: filing office, license check, insurance, pricing, and how to get found.

This is not legal, tax, or insurance advice. Rules change by state and by trade. Use the official links and read them.

Some boxes are labeled Partner. ServiceBase has not joined those programs. The links go to each company's own homepage, not a tracking link. If a program later approves us, the address will change and we may earn a commission. You can file, insure, and bank anywhere. Official government links are not partner links. Nothing on this page is a discount code.

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Keep the checklist on your account

The guide stays public. An account saves your state, city, and trade, and lets you mark each filing as you go. The advertising credit is reserved when you register. It can be spent after the free website is live.

Create a free account to track your progress

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What work will you sell?

  1. 01Choose a name

    Pick a name you can say on the phone and spell in a text. Search the state filing office to see if another company already has it. Use that same name on the voicemail, the invoice, and the website.

  2. 02Form an LLC or a sole proprietorship

    A sole proprietorship can be you, operating under your own name. An LLC is a state filing and a separate company on paper. The SBA page explains the structures. The state link on this page is the office that takes a filing, or the SBA lookup when we could not confirm a direct address. Read the fee and the form there. This is not legal advice.

    SBA: choose a business structure.

  3. 03Get a free EIN from the IRS

    An employer identification number is the business tax ID. The IRS issues it online at no charge and says you never have to pay a company to get one. If you form an LLC, file with the state before you apply. A sole proprietor can often start with a Social Security number and get an EIN when a bank or a hire requires it. Apply on the IRS page if you want the number yourself. LegalZoom, in the partner box, can request it while they form the company. That service is optional.

    IRS: get an employer identification number.

  4. 04Check the state license or registration

    Open the official licensing page for your state on this checklist. Plumbing, electrical, and HVAC are licensed in many states. Landscaping, cleaning, and handyman work may be a city registration, a tax permit, or not licensed statewide. Read the page for the work you will actually do, then check the city and county. Do not pay a third party that promises to get you licensed until you have read the official page.

    SBA: licenses and permits. State boards we could confirm are in the list at the bottom and on each state guide.

  5. 05Get general liability insurance

    General liability is the policy that answers when a job damages a house or injures someone. If anyone works with you, ask about workers' compensation before they start. If a truck or trailer is part of the work, ask for commercial auto, because a personal policy often excludes business use. The SBA page describes the common policies. Buy them from an insurer you choose. A labeled partner may sit beside this step on the guides. It is optional.

    SBA: business insurance.

  6. 06Open a business bank account

    Keep customer payments out of your personal account. A bank or credit union will usually ask for your ID, the EIN or your Social Security number, and the formation papers if you filed an LLC. A checking account and a habit of setting tax money aside are enough at the start.

  7. 07Publish a free website and a quote-request list

    When the name, the phone, and the work are real, publish a page that says what you do and where you drive. ServiceBase writes that page and files quote requests in a list on your account. The site and the list are free. No card. It does not file the LLC, get the EIN, or buy the insurance.

Guides by trade

Questions

Do I need an LLC to start?

Not always. You can operate as a sole proprietorship under your own name. An LLC is a state filing, and it can separate some business debts from personal assets, with limits. The SBA page on this checklist explains the structures. If you are unsure, ask a lawyer or an accountant before you file. This page is not that advice.

Is an EIN free?

Yes. The IRS issues an employer identification number at no charge and says you never have to pay a fee for one. Use the IRS link on this page if you want the number yourself. A formation partner can request it while they file the company. That service is optional, and the IRS fee is still zero.

Does every trade need a state license?

No. Plumbing, electrical, and HVAC are licensed in many states. Landscaping, cleaning, and handyman work may be a city registration, a sales-tax permit, or nothing statewide. Open the official page for your state and read the rule for the work you will do. Then check the city.

When should I buy insurance?

Before you work in someone else's house. General liability is the usual first policy. If anyone works with you, ask the insurer and the state about workers' compensation. The SBA page describes the common policies. It does not sell them.

What does the free ServiceBase site include?

A public page for your trade and city, and a list of the quote requests that come from that page. No card. It does not form the company, get the EIN, or replace a license.

Official links for every state

Every state has a start guide. City guides are published for the metros on this site. The filing and licensing links below are the ones we could verify. Where a direct address would not load, the guide says so.

Free monthly lead-gen checklist

For home-service owners. We save your email. This form does not send the checklist.

Free monthly lead-gen checklist for home-service owners. We store the address. This form does not send email.

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