Three guys from Nazareth want to fix how the Lehigh Valley hires contractors

A Penn State computer science student and two Nazareth natives are beta-testing a new platform designed to change how Lehigh Valley homeowners and contractors connect.

David Araujo, a senior set to graduate this spring, founded QuoteAhead alongside his brother, Derrick Araujo, and childhood friend Dylan Makarovsky, looking to solve a problem they saw firsthand.

According to the founders, the startup allows residents to post home service job requests, covering everything from plumbing and roofing to tree service and snow removal, and receive public bids from local contractors.

The platform aims to address common complaints about national services such as Angi and Thumbtack, which some contractors say charge for low-quality leads.

“I really like building and working on software projects,” Araujo said. “One of my good friends is heavily involved in the contracting space, and through him, I started seeing a lot of the problems contractors run into with existing platforms.”

Araujo said services like Angi often require contractors to pay for leads before they know whether a homeowner is serious or whether the job details are accurate. “They pay for low-quality leads, and that often burns contractors a lot,” he said.

QuoteAhead combines elements of neighborhood-based apps with a structured bidding system. Users—homeowners, realtors, and property owners—can create public job requests, and contractors submit bids directly on the post.

Unlike competing platforms that cap responses at three to five bids, the founders say QuoteAhead places no limit on the number of contractors who can quote a job. By default, all bids are visible to everyone.

“That transparency instills a little bit of extra competition,” Araujo said. “It helps make sure everyone is bringing their A game, and it holds people accountable if pricing seems off.”

To help homeowners feel confident in who they’re hiring, contractors must complete a verified profile before bidding, including business licensing, insurance, photos of previous work, and Google ratings linked to their account.

The founders note that established contractors can link their existing Google profiles so their reviews carry over automatically, meaning they don’t have to start from scratch on the platform. Contractors also get access to a built-in CRM to manage jobs and build their presence.

Posting is free for homeowners at every stage. Once monetized, contractors will pay a 3% platform fee only when they’re awarded a job, not upfront to view or bid on leads, per the platform’s pricing page. Bidding itself always remains free.

The platform is currently in beta, focused on the Lehigh Valley, with over 500 contractors and homeowners already on the waitlist, according to the founders. They say most job requests receive quotes within 24 to 48 hours of posting.

The app is now available on Android via the Google Play Store and on iPhone via Apple’s TestFlight beta platform (iOS 16 or later required). iPhone users who are prompted for an access code during installation can reach the team at [email protected].

Full public App Store release is expected within the next few months, with expansion beyond the region planned for later this year.

“We really want community support and real usage,” Araujo said. “We already have jobs on the platform that contractors can sign up for and place quotes on right now.”

Araujo said the idea was reinforced by his own family’s experience hiring contractors. “My parents had HVAC work done and only talked to two people,” he said. “I remember thinking how great it would be if you could talk to every HVAC contractor in the area and really know you’re getting a fair price.”

“Ideally, we want more than just five quotes on a project,” he said. “That way people can manage everything in one place and feel confident they’re getting a good deal.”

The founders are already taking questions from neighbors — join the conversation below.

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Residents and contractors interested in participating can learn more and sign up at QuoteAhead.com while the platform remains in beta.