Sweeten is a free service that matches consumers with the best general contractors for major home or commercial renovations, and offers support until the project is done. Its mission: to help consumers “renovate fearlessly.”

Founder + CEO Jean Brownhill was compelled to start Sweeten after her own maddening experiences with contractors on the renovation of her Brooklyn townhouse. A Harvard-trained architect, she partnered with fellow architect Preeti Sriratana and launched Sweeten in 2011.

Serving markets in New York and Pennsylvania, Sweeten thoroughly vets contractors in its pool and customizes the matching process to each project and budget. It also assists users with project specifics like budgeting, estimates, and project management, along with offering engaging, educational content on the Sweeten website (check out our favorite section, “Before & After“).