Terms of Service

The rules for using Obair Bhaile as a homeowner or tradesperson.

Last updated: 4 March 2026

1. About These Terms

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your use of the Obair Bhaile platform, including the website and all related services ("Platform"). By registering for or using the Platform, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Platform.

"Obair Bhaile", "we", "us", and "our" refers to the operator of this Platform. "You" refers to you as a user, whether as a homeowner/customer or a tradesperson.

2. What Obair Bhaile Is

Obair Bhaile is a marketplace platform. We connect homeowners seeking home-services work with tradespeople offering those services. We are a technology intermediary — we do not employ tradespeople, guarantee the quality of work, or act as a party to the contract between homeowner and tradesperson.

Contracts for services are formed directly between the homeowner and the tradesperson. Obair Bhaile facilitates communication, scheduling, and payment processing only.

3. Account Registration

You must:

  • Be at least 18 years old to register.
  • Provide accurate, current, and complete registration information.
  • Keep your account credentials secure. You are responsible for all activity under your account.
  • Notify us immediately at info@obairbhaile.com if you suspect unauthorised access.

We reserve the right to suspend or delete accounts that breach these Terms or that we believe pose a risk to other users or to the Platform.

4. For Homeowners / Customers

  • You may search the trade directory and submit job requests to tradespeople.
  • Submitting a request does not constitute a binding agreement — a job is confirmed only when both parties agree on the scope, date, and price.
  • You are responsible for providing accurate job descriptions and location information.
  • You must pay agreed amounts via the Platform payment system. Off-platform cash arrangements are not covered by any dispute process.
  • You must confirm completion of a job truthfully. Withholding completion confirmation without legitimate grounds may result in account suspension.

5. For Tradespeople

  • You must complete onboarding truthfully, including uploading valid and current certifications required for your trade category.
  • A "Verified" badge is only displayed once your certifications have been reviewed and approved by a platform administrator. Approval is at our discretion.
  • You are responsible for maintaining current insurance cover and ensuring uploaded certifications remain valid. Expired documents will trigger automatic removal of your verified status and marketplace listing.
  • You must hold appropriate public liability insurance for work undertaken through the Platform.
  • You are an independent service provider, not an employee of Obair Bhaile.
  • You must complete Stripe Connect onboarding to receive payouts. Payout release is conditional on dual completion confirmation.
  • You must not misrepresent your qualifications, experience, or the nature of work you can perform.

6. Payments

All payments are processed via Stripe. By making or receiving payments on the Platform you agree to Stripe's terms of service.

  • Deposit: Where a deposit payment plan is agreed, the deposit is collected at booking confirmation. The remaining balance is collected upon dual completion confirmation.
  • Full upfront: The full amount is collected at booking confirmation and released on completion.
  • Platform fee: A 5% platform fee is applied to each successful payment.
  • Payouts: Tradesperson payouts are processed by Stripe Connect and are subject to Stripe's payout schedule.
  • Disputes: If a dispute arises over payment, contact us at info@obairbhaile.com. We will review available records including messages, booking confirmations, and audit logs.

We do not store card numbers or bank details. All sensitive payment data is held by Stripe.

7. Cancellations and No-Shows

  • Either party may cancel a confirmed booking before the scheduled date by notifying the other through the in-app messaging system.
  • If a tradesperson cancels within 24 hours of the scheduled job, the deposit will be refunded to the homeowner.
  • If a homeowner cancels within 24 hours of the scheduled job, the deposit may be retained by the tradesperson to cover preparation costs, at our discretion.
  • Repeated cancellations or no-shows by either party may result in account suspension.
  • Refunds are processed by Stripe and may take 5–10 business days to appear.

8. Prohibited Conduct

You must not:

  • Upload false, misleading, or fraudulent information.
  • Harass, abuse, or threaten other users.
  • Attempt to take payments or conduct business off-platform to avoid platform fees.
  • Post spam, unsolicited advertising, or irrelevant content.
  • Attempt to reverse-engineer, scrape, or interfere with the Platform.
  • Use the Platform for any unlawful purpose.
  • Falsely claim qualifications, certifications, insurance cover, or trade registration that you do not hold.
  • Withhold completion confirmation in bad faith to delay or avoid payment release.

9. Enforcement and Consequences

Obair Bhaile takes platform safety seriously. Depending on the severity of a breach of these Terms, we may take any one or more of the following actions:

  • Warning: A formal notice issued to your account.
  • Temporary suspension: Your account is suspended while an investigation is in progress.
  • Permanent removal: Your account and listings are permanently deactivated with no right to re-register.
  • Payment hold: Pending payouts may be held during an investigation into disputed or fraudulent activity.
  • Referral to licensing bodies: Where a tradesperson is found to have misrepresented regulated qualifications, we will report the matter to the relevant Irish licensing or registration body, including but not limited to Register of Gas Installers of Ireland (RGII), Register of Electrical Contractors of Ireland (RECI), Construction Industry Register Ireland (CIRI), or other applicable bodies.
  • Gardaí referral: Where we have reasonable grounds to believe a criminal offence has occurred — including fraud, theft, or obtaining services by deception — we will report the matter to An Garda Síochána.
  • Civil recovery: We reserve the right to pursue civil proceedings to recover losses caused by fraudulent or negligent conduct on the Platform.

We will use available records — including in-app messages, booking confirmations, payment history, and audit logs — when investigating complaints. Users who make false complaints in bad faith may also be subject to enforcement action.

10. Content You Post

You retain ownership of photos and content you post. By posting content on the Platform you grant us a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to display and store that content for the purpose of operating the Platform. We may remove any content that breaches these Terms or that we believe is harmful.

11. Liability

Obair Bhaile is a marketplace intermediary. To the fullest extent permitted by Irish law:

  • We are not liable for the quality, safety, legality, or outcome of any work carried out through the Platform.
  • We are not liable for indirect, consequential, or punitive losses arising from your use of the Platform.
  • Our total liability to you for any claim arising from the Platform is limited to the platform fee paid on the relevant transaction.

Nothing in these Terms limits our liability for fraud, personal injury caused by our negligence, or any other liability that cannot be excluded under Irish law.

12. Platform Availability

We aim to keep the Platform available but do not guarantee uninterrupted access. We may suspend the Platform for maintenance or updates. We are not liable for loss or inconvenience caused by downtime.

13. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of Ireland. Any disputes arising from these Terms or your use of the Platform are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Irish courts.

14. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by email and by updating the date at the top of this page. Continued use of the Platform after notice constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

15. Contact

Questions about these Terms: info@obairbhaile.com