Local Works

What Local Works does

Local Works, Inc. (株式会社ローカルワークス) is a Tokyo-based construction technology company founded in February 2014 that operates a vertically integrated platform addressing information asymmetry, payment risk, and contractor discovery in Japan's construction industry. The company's core products include リフォマ (Refoma), a B2C fixed-price renovation comparison site that matches homeowners with vetted local contractors; ローカルワークス サーチ (Local Works Search), a B2B matching platform connecting general contractors with specialty subcontractors; and ローカルワークスペイメント (Local Works Payment), a guaranteed payment settlement service for construction B2B transactions. Adjacent services include あんしん回収保証 (Anshin Collection Guarantee) for SMB contractor AR protection, ローカルワークス後払い (Local Works After Payment) for cashless settlement, and a 2-year reform defect warranty, plus a co-developed industry-first fire insurance product launched with Nisshin Kai Fire Insurance in September 2022.

The platform is built on a Ruby on Rails backend deployed across AWS and GCP cloud infrastructure, with integrations including Twilio for phone routing and Asana for task management. The underlying Search quality management system aggregates contractor transaction histories, skill and qualification data, evaluations, and credit risk assessments to enable direct matching between parties, bypassing the traditional multi-tiered subcontracting structure that compresses margins for smaller contractors. Local Works has accumulated data covering approximately 1.3 million Japanese construction businesses.

The business model is multi-stream: consumers use the platform free of charge, while contractors pay transaction/lead introduction fees for Refoma, subscription fees for the B2B Search platform, and fees for payment and AR guarantee services, supplemented by commission revenue from the co-developed fire insurance product. Distribution combines a self-serve B2C web channel with a direct enterprise sales motion recruiting contractors, plus channel partnerships with insurance carriers, property management platforms (Casa), and quote-request integrators (Acuctcall). The company is venture-backed with approximately $4.4 million in disclosed funding across rounds in 2015, 2016, 2018, and 2021, with strategic corporate investors including Osaka Gas, Mizuho Capital, SMBC Venture Capital, and Nisshin Kai Fire Insurance, and operates with 11-50 employees.

Name

Local Works

Legal name

株式会社ローカルワークス / Local Works, Inc.

Website

https://localworks.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Local Works operates a vertically integrated construction-tech platform in Japan connecting homeowners with vetted contractors via its B2C comparison site Refoma, supporting SMB contractors with B2B matching, payment guarantee, and a co-developed fire insurance product.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Construction Technology Marketplace

NAICS

Other Specialty Trade Contractors (2389)

SIC

Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)

akta.pro primary industry

Contractor Payroll, Invoicing & Payment Services (BPACAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Construction & General Labor Staffing (BPACAEAA)

Keywords

• Construction marketplace platform
• Renovation contractor matching
• Construction payment guarantee
• B2B construction networking
• Building repair management

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Transaction/Finding Fees - Contractor Introduction: Revenue from introducing contractors to consumers (リフォマ) and connecting businesses (ローカルワークス サーチ). Contractors pay for qualified leads and introductions.
2. Payment Processing - Local Works Payment: Fees from payment guarantee and settlement services between construction businesses. Payment代金を決済cic processing with guaranteed collection.
3. Insurance Products Commission: Commission revenue from fire insurance products developed with 日新火災海上保険. Industry-first insurance product using the サーチ quality management system.
4. Subscription Services - Business Platform: Monthly/annual subscription fees for contractors accessing the B2B platform and business management tools.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Local Works operates an integrated construction industry platform offering three core services: Local Works Search (B2B matching for general contractors and specialty subcontractors), Reform Market/Refoma (B2C fixed-price renovation comparison and matching for homeowners), and Local Works Payment (guaranteed payment processing for construction B2B transactions). The platform connects a nationwide network of construction companies with property owners, eliminates multi-tiered subcontracting, and provides accounts receivable guarantees and insurance-backed warranties to address information asymmetry and cash flow issues in the construction sector.

Product overview

Local Works operates a multi-product platform addressing the construction industry's inefficiencies through three interconnected core services: Local Works サーチ (B2B matching), リフォマ (B2C renovation matching), and Local Works Payment (settlement/guarantee), supplemented by complementary products including Local Works 後払い, あんしん回収保証, and リフォマあんしん保証. The platform aggregates construction contractor data (skills, qualifications, track records, pricing) to enable direct matching between parties, bypassing traditional multi-tiered subcontracting structures that reduce profitability for smaller contractors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• リフォマ (Refoma): Fixed-price renovation B2C comparison site matching consumers with renovation contractors
• ローカルワークス サーチ (Localworks Search)
• ローカルワークスペイメント (Localworks Payment)
• あんしん回収保証
• ローカルワークス後払い

Products and services

• Local Works Search (ローカルワークス サーチ)

Quantifiable outcome

• Industry-first fire insurance product launched with major insurance company partner (September 2022)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• 日新火災海上保険株式会社coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2021Business partnership for developing fire insurance product using Local Works quality management system サーチ. Industry-first insurance offering launched September 2022.
• 株式会社日立製作所 (Panasonic)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2018Employee secondment (社外留職) program - Panasonic employee worked at Local Works for one year. Cultural exchange between large corporation and startup.
• 株式会社CasaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 April 2017Partnership to support rental property owners with reform services through リフォマ platform. Casa is a rental management company.
• 株式会社アクトコール (Acuctcall)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 December 2014Joint development of quote request service specialized for construction and repair work. Integration partner for リフォマ.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Thumbtack: Thumbtack is a US-based local services marketplace that matches customers with professionals across categories including home improvement. Direct peer to Local Works in two-sided marketplace model, lead-based monetization, and professional verification approach.
• BuildZoom: BuildZoom is a US-based marketplace that connects property owners with general contractors and remodelers, leveraging permit and project data. Direct peer in matching property owners with construction professionals and using data to improve contractor quality assessment.
• Angi Inc. Angi (formerly Angie's List/HomeAdvisor) is a US-based home services marketplace connecting consumers with pre-screened local service professionals. Directly comparable to Local Works in B2C matching, quality verification, and lead generation monetization for home improvement services.
• Houzz: Houzz is a US-based home renovation and design marketplace connecting homeowners with contractors and design professionals. It is a direct peer to Local Works' Refoma (B2C renovation matching) platform in business model, customer type, and core marketplace functionality.

Regional players

• クラッソーネ (Classone): Classone is a Japanese demolition and reconstruction matching platform that connects property owners with demolition contractors. Direct regional comparable in Japanese construction-tech marketplace model, focused on a different construction vertical (demolition vs. renovation).
• ホームプロ (Homepro): Homepro is a Japanese home repair and reform matching service operated by major housing media company. Comparable to Local Works' Refoma in B2C renovation matching within Japan, serving homeowners seeking reliable contractors.
• いえぬき: いえぬき is a Japanese demolition and reform marketplace connecting property owners with verified contractors. Regional peer in Japan-specific construction-tech marketplace model, with overlap in renovation contractor matching.

Broad incumbents

• Procore Technologies: Procore is a leading global construction management software platform serving general contractors and project owners. Broader incumbent in construction-tech with overlapping contractor ecosystem focus but different primary value proposition (project management vs. marketplace matching).

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/localworksInc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors8 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Local Works