How it works
The whole thing, start to finish
No jargon and nothing hidden. Pick the side you are on.
If you need work done
Hiring someone on TryHardly
- 1
Describe the job
Say what needs doing in your own words. A photo helps. Add roughly what you want to spend — it is a starting point, not a commitment. Posting is free and you do not need an account to begin.
- 2
Read the bids that come in
Workers nearby send you a price. On each one you can see how many jobs they have finished on TryHardly, what other customers said, and whether they have kept their agreements. You are never obliged to accept any of them.
- 3
Agree the terms — the Handshake
When you pick someone, you both confirm the same four things: the price, the day and time, the address, and exactly what is included. It is written down and timestamped. Neither of you can quietly change it afterwards.
- 4
The work gets done
Your worker turns up and does the job you agreed. If something needs to change, you agree the change here first, so there is still one written version of the deal.
- 5
You pay your worker directly
Cash, Venmo, Zelle, a check — whatever you both agreed. The money does not come through TryHardly at any point. Then you confirm here that the job is finished, which is what puts it on your worker’s record.
If you want paid work
Getting hired on TryHardly
- 1
Make a free account
Confirm your email and tell us what kind of work you do and where you can get to. There is no fee to join, no fee to bid, and no charge for leads.
- 2
Bid on jobs near you
You can see how many other people have already bid before you spend time writing anything, so you are not one of forty applicants to a job that is already gone. Bidding closes once a job has had enough.
- 3
Agree the terms — the Handshake
If the customer picks you, you both confirm price, time, place, and scope. That protects you as much as them: nobody can add "and while you are here, could you also…" for free afterwards.
- 4
Do the work and get paid on the spot
The customer pays you directly and you keep 100% of it. TryHardly takes no commission. Agree how and when you will be paid before you start.
- 5
Build a record that follows you
Every finished job, every kept agreement, and every review builds a profile that is genuinely yours. That is the thing that gets you the next job at a better price.
More about the Handshake
Most disagreements over local work are not about dishonesty. They are about two people remembering a conversation differently. The Handshake removes that.
- Either side can propose the terms, but only the other side can agree to them.
- It is timestamped, and the agreed version cannot be edited — changing it creates a new version and the old one stays visible.
- It only counts as honored once the finished work is confirmed, not just because you both said yes.
- If it is broken, the record shows which side broke it. It does not count against the other person.
- Nothing is shown on anyone’s public record until they have at least three of these, so one bad day is not a permanent verdict.
What TryHardly cannot do for you
This part matters more than anything above it, so it is not in the small print.
- We do not handle your money. Payment happens directly between you and the other person, so we cannot refund it, reverse it, chargeback, or guarantee it. Never pay in full before work starts, and never pay someone you have not agreed terms with here.
- We do not run background checks. We verify email addresses, and we check professional licences against public state registries when a worker claims one. We do not check criminal records or government ID, and we will not pretend otherwise.
- We are not the one doing the work. Workers on TryHardly are independent. They set their own price and they are responsible for their own work, their own tools, and their own insurance.
- Some work needs a licensed contractor. In California, most home improvement work over $500 in combined labor and materials requires a CSLB licence. If your job is that kind of job, hire someone licensed for it.
Still have a question?
Email us and a person will answer. If you would rather someone walked you through your first post, ask and we will.
support@tryhardly.com