Local Works
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.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersTokyo, Japan
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
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.
Local Works firmographics
Firmographics- 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
Local Works industry classification
Industry- 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
Where Local Works is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tokyo
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices2 records
Markets served
Local Works business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Subscription Services - Business Platform: Monthly/annual subscription fees for contractors accessing the B2B platform and business management tools.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free for consumers - no platform fee to search and request quotes |
| Subscription | Monthly | Contractor subscription tiers - quote-based pricing for business accounts |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Local Works product offering
Product offeringCore 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
Companies that use Local Works
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Local Works technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Local Works partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- 日新火災海上保険株式会社coreBusiness 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)minorEmployee 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CasaminorPartnership 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)minorJoint 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
Local Works competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect 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
Local Works social profiles
Digital presenceLocal Works financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Local Works leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Local Works funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors8 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Local Works M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Local Works
What does Local Works do?
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.
Is Local Works a public or private company?
Local Works is a private company. It is currently operating.
When was Local Works founded?
Local Works was founded in 2014. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Local Works based?
Local Works is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does Local Works make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Transaction/Finding Fees - Contractor Introduction is the primary driver. The others are payment Processing - Local Works Payment, insurance Products Commission and subscription Services - Business Platform.
Who are Local Works's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Thumbtack, BuildZoom, Angi Inc. and Houzz. Regional players are クラッソーネ (Classone), ホームプロ (Homepro) and いえぬき. Procore Technologies is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Local Works have an API?
No public API is recorded for Local Works.
What industry is Local Works in?
Local Works's product category is Construction Technology Marketplace. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAGAD, Contractor Payroll, Invoicing & Payment Services, with a secondary code of BPACAEAA, Construction & General Labor Staffing. Its NAICS code is 2389 and its SIC code is 7340.