Contractor Agreement

1. Independent contractor status

You (the "Contractor") are an independent business. You are not an employee, agent, partner, joint venturer, franchisee, or representative of JOTA, and nothing in this agreement, in your use of the JOTA platform, or in any communication from JOTA creates any such relationship. You are solely responsible for how, when, where, and by whom the work is performed, for your tools, vehicles, employees, subcontractors, and helpers, and for setting your own prices and scope.

You are not entitled to any employee benefits, wages, minimum wage, overtime, unemployment insurance, workers' compensation, paid leave, or other protections from JOTA. You agree not to hold JOTA out as your employer, principal, or general contractor, and not to represent to any homeowner or third party that you act on JOTA's behalf.

2. JOTA's role — marketplace only

JOTA operates a technology marketplace that connects homeowners with independent contractors. JOTA does not perform contracting services, does not supervise, direct, or control your work, does not inspect job sites, and does not guarantee the workmanship, timeliness, safety, or outcome of any job.

JOTA is not a party to the service contract between you and any homeowner, except in its limited role as the payment platform that facilitates payment processing through a third-party processor where applicable. Any dispute regarding scope, quality, timing, damages, warranties, refunds, or personal or property injury is between you and the homeowner.

3. Contractor responsibilities

You are solely responsible for: (a) the quality, safety, and workmanship of every job you accept; (b) completing the work according to the written agreement you sign with the homeowner, including any accepted change orders; (c) any damage to real or personal property (including the homeowner's property, neighboring property, common systems, utilities, and third-party property) caused by you, your employees, helpers, or subcontractors; (d) any personal injury or death caused in whole or in part by your negligence, gross negligence, or willful misconduct; (e) compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, including permits, inspections, building codes, OSHA and workplace-safety rules, environmental and hazardous-materials rules, RRP lead-paint rules, asbestos rules, and tax law; and (f) obtaining and maintaining, at your own expense, every license, registration, bond, and endorsement required for each trade and jurisdiction in which you offer or perform services.

You are solely responsible for maintaining any insurance required by law and any additional coverage customary in your trade, including at minimum commercial general liability, workers' compensation for any employee or helper, and commercial auto for any vehicle used in the work. Homeowners are entitled to request current certificates of insurance and licensure before work begins; you agree to provide them within three (3) business days of request.

4. Assumption of responsibility

You expressly assume full and sole responsibility for any claim, demand, liability, damage, loss, cost, fine, penalty, or dispute — regardless of legal theory — arising out of or in any way related to the services you offer, quote, or perform through JOTA, whether raised by a homeowner, a third party, a governmental authority, an insurer, or otherwise. This assumption of responsibility applies in addition to any obligations imposed by the underlying homeowner service contract, and survives termination of this agreement.

5. Indemnification of JOTA

You agree to defend (with counsel reasonably acceptable to JOTA), indemnify, and hold harmless JOTA and its parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, officers, directors, employees, agents, contractors, and successors (collectively, the "JOTA Parties") from and against any and all claims, demands, actions, suits, proceedings, liabilities, losses, damages, judgments, settlements, penalties, fines, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees, expert fees, and court costs) arising out of or in any way related to: (a) the services you offer, quote, or perform; (b) any bodily injury, death, or property damage caused in whole or in part by you, your employees, helpers, or subcontractors; (c) your breach of this agreement, the JOTA Terms of Service, or any homeowner service contract; (d) your violation of any law, permit, license, or regulation; (e) your misrepresentation of licensure, insurance, credentials, or qualifications; (f) any tax, wage, benefits, or misclassification claim asserted by or on behalf of you, your employees, or your subcontractors; and (g) any dispute between you and a homeowner or third party.

This indemnification does not apply to the extent a claim is caused by, and finally adjudicated to have been caused by, JOTA's own gross negligence or willful misconduct, or to the extent indemnification is prohibited by applicable law. JOTA may, at your expense, assume the exclusive defense and control of any matter subject to this section, and you will cooperate with that defense. You will not settle any claim covered by this section without JOTA's prior written consent.

6. Limitation of JOTA's liability to contractors

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, JOTA will not be liable to you for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary, or punitive damages, including lost profits, lost jobs, lost goodwill, reputational harm, or loss of data, arising out of or related to the platform, this agreement, or any homeowner interaction, even if JOTA has been advised of the possibility of such damages.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, JOTA's aggregate liability to you for any and all claims arising out of or related to the platform or this agreement will not exceed the greater of (a) the total membership and platform fees you actually paid to JOTA in the three (3) months immediately preceding the event giving rise to the claim, or (b) US$100.00.

7. No verification, endorsement, or guarantee by JOTA

JOTA may offer optional verification features (for example, ID confirmation, license lookup, insurance certificate collection, background screening, or badges) at its sole discretion. JOTA represents only what its verification features actually check; it does not warrant, endorse, guarantee, or certify your honesty, skill, competence, safety, financial responsibility, or fitness for any job. Homeowners are responsible for conducting their own due diligence, and you agree not to characterize your JOTA presence as an endorsement, certification, warranty, or guarantee by JOTA.

8. Membership and fees

Access to job messaging, quoting, and hiring on JOTA requires an active $50/month Pro membership. JOTA charges a 5% platform fee on completed jobs. Membership fees are billed monthly in advance and are non-refundable except as required by law or as stated in our Refund & Cancellation Policy.

9. Payments and payouts

Homeowner payments are processed through JOTA's third-party payments partner and paid out to the connected account you have linked. JOTA's role in these transactions is limited to that of a payment-platform facilitator. You are responsible for reporting and remitting all taxes on income earned through JOTA and for issuing any tax documents required by law.

10. Conduct on the platform

You agree not to solicit homeowners off-platform in order to avoid platform fees, misrepresent your identity, licensure, insurance, or qualifications, harass any user, discriminate against any user in violation of law, or engage in any unlawful conduct. Violations may result in suspension or termination of your account without refund of membership fees, in addition to any other remedy available to JOTA.

11. Termination and survival

Either party may terminate this agreement at any time on notice. JOTA may suspend or terminate your access for violations of these terms, safety concerns, fraud, or platform-integrity reasons. Sections 1 (Independent contractor status), 2 (Marketplace-only role), 3 (Contractor responsibilities), 4 (Assumption of responsibility), 5 (Indemnification), 6 (Limitation of liability), 7 (No verification), and 10 (Conduct) survive termination, along with any provision that by its nature should survive.

12. Relationship to the Terms of Service

This Contractor Agreement supplements — and does not replace — the JOTA Terms of Service, which are incorporated by reference. To the extent this agreement and the Terms of Service address the same subject, the more protective provision in favor of JOTA governs, except where a specific provision of this agreement is expressly identified as controlling.