HomeProFax vs BuildZoom: public records report or matching service?

The short version: BuildZoom is a contractor directory and matching service. Its project team helps homeowners find, vet and hire a contractor, and contractors pay BuildZoom when they get work through it. HomeProFax is a free contractor report from public records: you look up a contractor you're already considering and see its license, permits and discipline with a link to each source. If you want help finding and managing a contractor, BuildZoom offers more. If you want to check a specific name against the records yourself, that is what HomeProFax is for.

What they have in common

Both build profiles from public data. BuildZoom's site describes a dataset of licenses and building permits and says a contractor must be licensed to get a BuildZoom profile (BuildZoom help center). HomeProFax profiles come from state license boards, city license lists, 15 city and county permit portals, the Colorado, New York and Florida business registries, and U.S. Department of Labor OSHA and wage-and-hour records for Colorado (data sources). Both are free for homeowners.

How each one is paid

This is the biggest difference, so it's worth being precise.

BuildZoom: contractors who win work through BuildZoom pay either a connection fee (a flat fee set by project type) or a referral fee (a percentage of the final contract price) (BuildZoom contractor fees). Sourcing and vetting is free for homeowners, and BuildZoom also lists a paid premium service in which an engineer reviews plans (how it works).
HomeProFax: reports are free, and contractors can't pay to change a score. Claiming a profile is free (for contractors).

How the scores are built

	BuildZoom score	HomeProFax score
Starting point	Licensed contractors start at 90 (help center)	0–100, built from four factors with published weights
What moves it	License history (a past suspension or revocation can cost up to 40 points), reviews, BBB rating, response time, permit history, hiring through BuildZoom and forum answers (help center)	License status 35, discipline 20, permits 20, reviews 25 (methodology)
What it's used for	Sets listing order and eligibility for project leads (BuildZoom scoring guide)	A summary of the public record; it doesn't decide who gets leads
Missing data	Not described on the pages we checked	Scores neutral, not negative

Because BuildZoom's score includes how a contractor responds and whether it hires through BuildZoom, it partly measures how a contractor works with BuildZoom. HomeProFax's score uses only records and approved homeowner reviews, so a contractor can't raise it by taking part.

Where BuildZoom is stronger

Hands-on help. BuildZoom describes bid alignment, negotiation, contract review and lender introductions as part of its homeowner service (how it works). HomeProFax doesn't manage projects.
Background checks and contract review. BuildZoom's help center describes SafeHire background checks and a 7-point contract review (help center). HomeProFax doesn't run background checks on people.
Getting bids. BuildZoom brings contractors to you. HomeProFax's Get matched request is reviewed by a person and limited to pros that meet its standard.

Where HomeProFax is stronger

Source on every line. Each license, permit and discipline fact on a HomeProFax report links to the agency record it came from.
Expired and city licenses stay visible. HomeProFax shows the license status as the board reports it, including expired or inactive, and includes city license lists such as Aurora, Arvada and Thornton in Colorado, where the state doesn't license roofers or general contractors.
No pay-to-participate factor. The formula is published, and nothing a contractor pays or does on the site moves it.

When to use which

Your situation	Use
You need someone to find, vet and negotiate with contractors for a large project	BuildZoom
You already have a name or a bid and want to check the public record	HomeProFax
You want to see license status, expiry and board discipline with a source link	HomeProFax, then confirm on the board's site
You want a person to review your contract	BuildZoom
You want to see how a score was calculated	HomeProFax (formula)

Neither replaces your own checks with the courts, the insurer and the city. Our Colorado contractor check guide walks through them.

Last updated October 25, 2026. HomeProFax is not a consumer reporting agency as defined by the FCRA, and its reports may not be used for credit, insurance, employment or tenant screening decisions. Full disclaimer.

Common questions

Is BuildZoom free for homeowners?

BuildZoom says sourcing and vetting are free for homeowners and lists a paid premium service in which an engineer reviews plans. Contractors pay BuildZoom a connection fee or a referral fee when they get work through it.

What is the difference between HomeProFax and BuildZoom?

BuildZoom is a contractor directory and matching service paid by contractor fees. HomeProFax is a free contractor report from public records that shows license status, permits and discipline flags with a link to each source, and contractors cannot pay to change a HomeProFax score.

How is the BuildZoom score different from the HomeProFax score?

BuildZoom says licensed contractors start at 90, and factors include license history, reviews, BBB rating, response time, permit history and hiring through BuildZoom; the score sets listing order and lead eligibility. HomeProFax's 0 to 100 score uses four published factors: license status, discipline, permits and reviews.

Does HomeProFax run background checks?

No. HomeProFax is a free contractor report from public records. It is not a consumer reporting agency, and its reports may not be used for credit, insurance, employment or tenant screening decisions.

Sources

Details about other companies come from their own public pages, linked in the Sources list and checked on October 25, 2026. They can change. Product names are trademarks of their owners; HomeProFax is not affiliated with or endorsed by them.