Here's a sampling of the media coverage ImproveNet has
  been receiving:

"Yet finding a reliable contractor is notoriously difficult. The Internet can help here. You'll find, for example, a free home project service named ImproveNet that can take the pain out of the process. ImproveNet is a contractor matching service, and has developed an elaborate process to screen out the bad guys and connect homeowners with the best qualified service providers in their area. The good news is that, despite what you might have heard, it does not cost you more to hire a competent contractor than a shady one."

—The Intelligencer, Doylestown, PA

"Hands down, the best home improvement site on the web."

—Family PC

"By far, one of the coolest websites…is www.ImproveNet.com. I say this because you can get a free online estimate for any project, which gives you a great starting point for when you speak to real live contractors. They can also connect you to contractors in your area and even help you with financing."

—"Cyber Sightings" Columnist Romi Carrell, Tucson Citizen

"When Billy E. Bryant and his wife wanted to remodel their 'really dumpy' kitchen, they first tried to find help the old-fashioned way by asking friends and visiting stores. Then they hit the web. They stumbled onto ImproveNet.com, which put them in touch with a kitchen designer who took it from there. The result: a new kitchen, on budget, done the way they like it."

—The Wall Street Journal

"ImproveNet is one of those gems that, from a homeowner's perspective, does a lot of work for you."

—Denver Rocky Mountain News

"ImproveNet.com already has expanded its own site and offers more options than its newer competitor. ImproveNet.com screens the contractors it includes on the site, while [the ImproveNet competitor] simply uses members of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry or the National Association of Home Builders."

—Long Island Newsday

"If you're planning to remodel, one of your first stops should be ImproveNet's newly remodeled website.
The redesigned site makes visits short and sweet. ImproveNet's home page is clean, clear, and short. ... The site provides a project organizer that leads users through every phase of a project and offers tips on avoiding remodeling pitfalls that you've probably never imagined-unless, of course, you've already learned about them the hard way."

—PC World Online

"The demand for remodeling projects has soared in recent years. Increased demand often leads to tight supplies, and that's certainly the case when it comes to qualified building contractors. For help locating a contractor in your area, ... visit ImproveNet, a free online service that screens 600,000 contractors around the country, checking their licensing, finances, and legal status."

—Kiplinger's

"ImproveNet [gets] ... raves from the likes of the New York Times and U.S. News & World Report. ... The kudos are justified. This is a clean, easily navigated destination for anyone thinking of hiring a contractor for a major home project. One of [ImproveNet's] best features is that you can do a search to see if any of the companies you've taken bids from have complaints for legal judgments against them."

—Los Angeles Times

"The most comprehensive information source of its type on the Web. ImproveNet puts you in touch with 600,000 local contractors and designers nationwide, based on the size and budget of your remodeling project. Other useful features: You can check out local contractors to see if they've had legal problems, and you can get an independent review of your contracting agreement."

—The Washington Post

"Picking a contractor requires a leap of faith. Now, a web-based service provides a parachute of sorts by screening contractors before referring them to homeowners. Click on www.improvenet.com. It tells you more about a prospective contractor than either an advertisement or someone's brother-in-law can."

—"This Old House"

"When 'Let's remodel' becomes the scariest phrase in the English language, ImproveNet rides to the rescue."

—Business 2.0

"About to start a real beauty of a home improvement project? Check out ImproveNet first to keep that beauty from turning into a beast."

—Family PC

"ImproveNet is focused on helping remodelers-to-be find quality contractors, designers, and lenders for their next project."

—American Homestyle & Gardening

"How do you know which painters, plumbers, and electricians are trustworthy enough to allow into that leveraged little castle you call home? ImproveNet will email you a list of the highest-rated contractors in your own backyard."

—Yahoo Internet Life

"Forget baseball. For many Americans, one of the most popular national pastimes is working on their homes and gardens. And just like following the travails of a favorite team, remodeling can be an all-consuming and sometimes frustrating experience. [Founder Bob] Stevens' solution: ImproveNet.com, a free consumer service that supplies homeowners with megabytes of information about home improvement and gardening projects."

—Interactive Week

"[Stevens'] idea was simple enough: Take a business plagued by a negative reputation-people trust home improvement contractors slightly more than auto mechanics-and offer homeowners a way to avoid the bad apples."

—CIO Magazine

"Watch out, Tim Allen, here comes the Web's answer to "Tool Time." ImproveNet aims to be the last link you'll ever need to find a qualified contractor to help you around the house."

—Middlesex News

"Bob Vila and Tim Allen, beware. Bob Stevens is fastening his cyber-toolbelt and looking to fix flooded toilets and deteriorating drywall all over the country."

—Business 2.0

"Without paying a cent, homeowners get a list of contractors who have been in business for at least three years, who have been screened within the last quarter and found free of credit and legal problems, and who are available for the proposed jobs."

—CIO Magazine

"You can think of Robert Stevens as an electronic Bob Vila. Stevens may not actually go out and rebuild homes himself, but his company, ImproveNet Inc., is helping consumers find the people who do these improvements."

—ZDNN

"The people who use ImproveNet spend a lot of time filling out forms that prequalify them [as homeowners]," said Edward Sachs, owner of Alltrades Contracting, Kent, WA. "We only get leads from people who are serious. I have two full-time estimators, and it saves them a lot of time."

—Interactive Week

"The second hardest after finding world peace is finding a good building contractor."

—Robert Nelsen, Managing Director for Arch Venture Partners

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