How Beams is paid

Beams's commercial model has three parts. We're transparent about how it works.

Builders pay Beams a fee

Every builder in the network has a commercial agreement with us. They pay Beams a fee for the leads, the platform, the contract structure, and the support that comes with being on the network. The fee is between Beams and the builder; it doesn't get added on top of your quote.

Material suppliers pay Beams a commission

If you buy materials from one of our partner suppliers, you get access to a trade discount on their published prices. The supplier pays Beams a commission on that purchase. You don't pay extra — the discount is real, and the commission is part of how the supplier and Beams share the value of the customer relationship.

You're not required to use partner suppliers. You can buy materials from anywhere. The partner network is an option, not a constraint.

You pay Beams for design and optional services

If you use our designers, you pay an hourly fee for design time. The free design call at the start of the journey is one thing; ongoing design work is paid by the hour. The article Design pricing — what's free, what's paid covers the detail.

If you opt into our Project Management Support, that's a separate paid add-on. It's not a standard part of every project — the article What Beams does and what it doesn't do explains the line.

What this means for you

You're not paying Beams a hidden margin on what your builder charges or what your materials cost. You pay Beams directly for the design and project-management services you choose. Builders and partner suppliers pay Beams independently — that's how the platform funds itself.

If you ever feel a number isn't adding up, ask your planner. We'd rather walk you through it than have you guess.

Related articles

• What Beams is and how it works
• Beams partner suppliers and trade discounts
• Design pricing — what's free, what's paid