Prefix

PreFix sells a monthly membership for residential home maintenance and repair. Each member is assigned a primary neighborhood "Home Manager" who handles the majority of household and appliance repairs, supported by a central operations team reachable by phone, email, text, or the company's HomeHub portal. Membership includes a twice-yearly 30-point preventive maintenance service covering the home's appliances and systems, intended to catch small issues before they become large expenses.

The service scope spans basic plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and appliance repair, plus handyman tasks such as fixture and hardware installation, small drywall repair, and garage door work. The company states Home Managers can personally resolve roughly 70-80% of home system problems. Jobs requiring a licensed or specialty trade — including high-end appliance brands, invasive plumbing or electrical work, roofing, and major renovation — are referred to a vetted contractor network at negotiated member rates, with PreFix managing the project at no additional coordination cost; contractor invoices above $1,000 are billed directly to the customer. Members also receive a monthly Home Health Report summarizing services delivered and cumulative savings. Home Managers are not equipped for work above 20 feet, and phone support runs 8am-5pm Monday to Friday, with a target response time of one business day.

Founding story

The company piloted its service in the Mueller neighborhood of Austin and went through the Capital Factory and Techstars accelerator programs before expanding to additional Texas markets.

Business model

Recurring consumer subscription with usage-based service fees: membership starts at $49 per month for a single-HVAC-system home (higher for homes with multiple HVAC systems), with no contract and cancellation at any time. Labor for general tasks is billed at $55 per hour, parts are charged at wholesale with no markup, and specialty services such as carpentry, painting, and HVAC are priced at a higher tier or by quotation. Work performed by third-party contractors is billed at negotiated rates that the company says run 10-15% below industry standards.

Monthly membership fees plus hourly service charges and parts, supplemented by specialty service pricing; contractor work is passed through at negotiated rates rather than marked up.

Traction

The company states members save up to $1,500 and 30+ hours per year and 30-50% on repairs, citing per-task comparisons such as a leaking faucet at $85 versus a $160 market rate and a clogged drain at $55 versus $180. Coverage has grown from a single Austin neighborhood pilot to multiple Texas metros.

Latest developments

The website currently markets memberships at $49 per month with $55 per hour service, the HomeHub request portal, twice-yearly preventive maintenance, and contractor management, with service across Greater Austin, San Antonio, Houston, and Dallas.