Modern home
    True cost before real bids

    Know what your home project should really cost.

    Free home report. Real local pricing. Real bids. Save THOUSANDS.

    ✓ Free✓ No credit card✓ 60-second signup✓ Real local pros

    Bigger projects and repeat use often save tens of thousands.

    TRUbee Wizard — Plumbing scope cards (re-pipe, sewer, gas line, emergency)
    Real California pricing · Updated for 2026

    Real project costs, down to the line item.

    Not national averages. Not "starting at" bait. Permit-aware pricing from 30 California cities across the projects homeowners actually run.

    Repair / Replace project type illustration
    Repair / Replace
    Remodel / Renovation project type illustration
    Remodel / Renovation
    Addition project type illustration
    Addition
    ADU / Guest House project type illustration
    ADU / Guest House
    Outdoor / Site project type illustration
    Outdoor / Site
    What You Get

    A real report. Not a sales funnel.

    Your TRUbee report is the same data a senior project manager would gather before quoting your job. Given to you first, in plain language.

    • Property facts pulled from public records, not guessed.
    • Realistic cost ranges for your zip, not a national average.
    • Comparable projects nearby so you can sanity-check a bid.
    • Permit fees, plan-check timing, and what your lot can actually support.
    • Red flags in the bids you've already received, before you sign.

    Sample report shown. The numbers in your report will reflect your address.

    See a sample report
    Included With Your Free Report

    Plus 4 Free Tools to Plan Your Project.

    Your free property report shows what's possible. These four tools help you plan it, price it, and pull the permits, without paying a consultant or chasing down a contractor first.

    Blueprint Bee

    My Project

    Build a real project plan in minutes

    Turn your report into an actual plan. Answer one question at a time, pick finishes, and watch your live estimate update as you decide. Set a budget, save your work, and come back anytime. No contractor required.

    • Live estimate as you pick finishes
    • Budget tracking with line-item breakdowns
    • Save, edit, and share with bidders
    TRUbee / My Project
    My Project tool: live estimate updating as homeowner picks roofing finishes
    Cost Bee

    Cost Calculator

    Avoid 20-40% budget overruns

    City-specific construction cost estimates built from real project data. See breakdowns by project type, finish level, and square footage, plus the impact fees and soft costs most homeowners don't see coming.

    • City-specific cost multipliers
    • Impact & permit fee estimates
    • ROI & payback calculator
    TRUbee / Cost Calculator
    Cost Calculator showing Lawndale bathroom remodel total of $30,800 with line-item cost breakdown
    Permit Bee

    Permit Timeline

    Know how long it will actually take

    Your city's exact permitting process, phase by phase. See plan check, corrections, and construction windows side by side, so you know when to break ground and when to plan around it.

    • Phase-by-phase timeline (weeks, not guesses)
    • Express & over-the-counter program alerts
    • Building dept contacts & fees
    TRUbee / Permit Timeline
    Permit Timeline tool showing Redondo Beach 29-52 week project schedule with design, plan check, and construction phases
    Knowledge Bee

    Knowledge Bee

    Skip $200-$500/hr consultant fees

    Ask any construction question and get an instant, source-cited answer drawn from building codes, zoning rules, and real project experience, with context from your own property and project.

    • Source-cited answers, not hallucinated guesses
    • Aware of your property, project, and budget
    • Unlimited follow-ups, full chat history
    TRUbee / Knowledge Bee
    Knowledge Bee AI assistant providing financial preparation guidance for a home addition project
    Built Different

    This Is Not ChatGPT With Your Address.

    Anyone can paste their address into a chatbot. TRUbee is a purpose-built construction intelligence platform backed by real project data and licensed professionals.

    AI

    Generic AI Chatbot

    • ✕Scrapes generic internet averages for cost data
    • ✕One general-purpose model guessing at everything
    • ✕No access to your city's actual building codes
    • ✕Can't verify if information is current or accurate
    • ✕No connection to real construction professionals
    Insight Bee

    TRUbee Intelligence

    • Cost estimates from real projects we actively monitor
    • Multiple specialized AI systems cross-referencing each other
    • Research Bee reads your city's actual municipal codes
    • Confidence scores and source citations on every answer
    • Backed by vetted, licensed contractors in your area

    Real Project Data

    Our cost estimates come from actual construction projects TRUbee is managing and monitoring right now, not scraped web averages or outdated databases.

    Purpose-Built AI Specialists

    We don't ask one chatbot to do everything. Multiple specialized AI systems (our "Bees") each handle a specific domain and cross-reference for accuracy.

    City Ordinance Research

    Our Research Bee reads actual municipal codes, building department requirements, and city-specific regulations, adding new cities automatically as our community of homeowners grows.

    Licensed Professionals

    Our AI enhances the work of vetted, licensed contractors, making them more efficient, which directly translates to cost savings passed on to you.

    Developer-Grade Intelligence

    The same caliber of property analysis that professional real estate developers invest thousands in, now available to homeowners for free.

    Owner's Rep Perspective

    TRUbee is built and operated by an Owner's Representative firm. We protect homeowners, not sell you services. Our tools are designed to keep you informed and in control.

    Free
    Signup, No Credit Card
    0
    Sales Calls
    City-Level
    Cost & Permit Data
    Every
    Project Type Covered
    Insight Bee

    Get your free report today.

    Join the growing community of homeowners getting straight answers about their property. No credit card. No obligation. Just intelligence.

    • Instant AI property analysis
    • Construction cost estimates from real data
    • Permit timelines for your city
    • Ask unlimited questions to Knowledge Bee
    Secure & private No credit card

    Already have an account? Sign in

    Common Questions

    Why does TRUbee exist?
    TRUbee exists because the homeowner deserves to walk into the conversation already informed. That means a real estimate, a real timeline, and a real understanding of their own property, before a single contractor knows their phone number. Hiring a contractor is one of the few big financial decisions where the homeowner shows up with the least info. We built TRUbee to flip that.
    Where is TRUbee available?
    Anywhere in the U.S. Sign up, add your property, and our Research Bee will pull together your city's permit, code, and cost data so your report is grounded in your real local rules, not generic national averages.
    Is TRUbee really free?
    Yes. Property Intel reports, the Cost Calculator, the Permit Timeline tool, and the Knowledge Bee are all free. No credit card to sign up. There are no paid TRUbee tiers. If you later decide you want hands-on project oversight from a licensed Owner's Representative, that's a separate paid engagement you can opt into.
    Will TRUbee sell my contact information to contractors?
    No. TRUbee never sells, shares, or rents your contact information to contractors, lead-buying services, or advertisers. Your address and email exist to generate your report and let you log back in. That is the entire purpose. Most "find a contractor" sites operate on a paid-lead model, which is why a single quote request often triggers weeks of phone calls. TRUbee is the opposite of that model.
    How is TRUbee different from Angi, Houzz, or HomeAdvisor?
    Those sites earn their revenue by selling homeowner contact information to contractors as paid leads. That is why filling out a quote form usually triggers weeks of calls and emails. TRUbee earns nothing from contractors. Your report is built from public records, comparable projects, and city-specific permit data, then handed to you privately. You decide who, if anyone, you share it with.
    How accurate are the cost estimates?
    Our cost estimates are built from real construction project data we actively monitor. Unlike generic online calculators that use national averages, we factor in your city's specific permit fees, labor rates, and material costs. We update our data continuously as projects progress.
    Why do contractor bids for the same project vary so much?
    Three contractors bidding the same project can come back with numbers that vary by 2× or more. Some of that is real (different crews, different material grades, different overhead, different schedules), and some of it is just that the homeowner has no independent baseline to read the bids against. A bid that lands well below the typical range for your city is often a sign that some scope (permit fees, soils, finishes, allowances) hasn't been fully included, rather than a better deal. TRUbee gives you that baseline so you can read each bid in context, not just stack them next to each other.
    What hidden costs come up after I've signed with a contractor?
    Permit and impact fees, plan-check delays, utility hookups, soils reports, design changes, and engineering revisions routinely add tens of thousands to a project, and they typically surface after a contract is already signed. ADUs alone can carry $10K to $50K+ in city fees on top of the base build cost. Most early bids focus on the build cost itself and don't itemize these downstream charges, so a homeowner can sign expecting one number and end up planning around a much larger one. The TRUbee report includes these line items upfront, so the budget you start with is the budget you can actually plan around.
    Are sites like Angi, Houzz, and HomeAdvisor actually free for homeowners?
    The signup is free, but the business model is not. Most "find a contractor" sites (including Angi, Houzz, Thumbtack, HomeAdvisor, and Porch) earn revenue by selling homeowner contact information to professionals as paid leads. That is why a single quote request often triggers weeks of calls. The lead cost typically gets rolled back into the bids those contractors give you, so the homeowner ends up paying for it indirectly.
    Should I get multiple contractor bids?
    Always. We recommend getting at least 3 bids for any project over $50K. Our cost data helps you evaluate whether those bids are fair for your city and project type. If a bid is 40% above or below our estimates, that is a red flag worth investigating before signing anything.
    How long does the property report take?
    Most reports finish within a few minutes. Behind the scenes, our research systems pull your parcel records, comparable sales, and city-specific permit and code data, then assemble it into a single report. No callbacks, appointments, or contractor visits required. The depth of the report matters more than the speed: a report that takes a few minutes and includes your city's permit fees and zoning rules is more useful than one that takes thirty seconds and skips them.
    Can I use this for a property I'm thinking about buying?
    Yes. You can run a report on any residential address. Many buyers use TRUbee to evaluate renovation or ADU potential before making a purchase decision. It helps you understand what's actually feasible and what it would cost before you commit.
    Do you cover my city?
    When you add a property, our Research Bee automatically pulls together your city's municipal codes, permit data, and building department info and adds it to your report. The more properties our community adds, the deeper our city coverage gets.
    How do I know if I need a permit for my project?
    Our Permit Timeline tool breaks down exactly which permits are required for your project type in your specific city. It covers plan check, building permits, grading permits, and specialty permits. You will see estimated timelines, fees, and even whether your city offers express or over-the-counter permit programs.
    What's the difference between an ADU and a home addition?
    An ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit) is a self-contained living space with its own kitchen, bathroom, and entrance, built on your existing property. A home addition extends your existing house (like adding a bedroom or expanding a living room) without creating a separate unit. ADUs can generate rental income; additions increase your home's living space. Our tools cover both with separate cost estimates and permit requirements.
    Can I share my report with my contractor?
    Of course. It's your report. Share it however you'd like.
    What happens to my data?
    Your property data is encrypted and stored securely. We never share or sell your personal information or property details to third parties, contractors, or advertisers. You can delete your account and all associated data at any time.
    Can I run reports on multiple properties?
    Yes. Every free account includes up to 5 property reports. You can analyze different properties or run updated reports on the same property as your project plans evolve.