Questions, asked plainly

No. The Exterior Desk is a free homeowner matching service. We do not install roofs, siding, gutters, or windows, and we do not run the job. A person at the desk recommends one local contractor from a network we already know, when we have someone who covers your area.

There is no fee for a homeowner to request a recommendation. You can hire the person we recommend, or anyone else, or no one.

We intend to cover Northeast Ohio, including Cuyahoga, Lorain, Lake, Geauga, Medina, Summit, Stark, Portage, Mahoning, and Trumbull Counties, as partner coverage allows. Today we publish city pages for Cleveland, Akron, Canton, Parma, Lorain, Mentor, Youngstown, and Medina. If your town is nearby but not listed, still request a match with your ZIP. If we do not have a partner there yet, we will tell you rather than invent coverage.

A person at the desk personally knows, or has worked with, every professional we recommend, and we recommend one at a time. We confirm liability insurance and city or state registration or license, look at reviews and past customer feedback, and follow up after the job. For public adjusters and attorneys, we verify licenses with the State of Ohio; for appraisers, we confirm registration or license where it applies. We do not sell your request to a list of companies, and we will tell you if we do not have someone for your ZIP or situation. We do not invent licenses or ratings. The full account is on the How we pick our pros page.

Only if you check the consent box on the form, which is unchecked by default. Consent is not required to request a referral. You can also use the form for an email follow-up path, and a local phone number will be posted on this site once it is in service. You can revoke call or text consent by replying STOP or emailing privacy@theexteriordesk.com.

Yes — there is a claim-help path on this site. Answer a few questions about the claim; you do not need to know the difference between a public adjuster, an appraiser, and an attorney. We recommend one person from our network to start with. We are not a law firm and not an insurance adjuster, and nothing on this site is legal advice. Document damage yourself, call your own insurance company, and be careful with door-to-door storm pitches.

No. A recommendation is an introduction, not a contract with us and not a contract with them. Ask for a written estimate, check credentials yourself, and walk away if the pitch feels wrong.

We will not publish a fake storefront, a virtual office, or made-up reviews. When we have a real phone number and real partner coverage, we will add those facts. Until then, the request form is the way to reach us.