> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.kordless.ai/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # FAQ > Common questions from pool company owners. ## Getting started ### How long does setup take? Most companies are live in under 30 minutes. The onboarding wizard walks you through your business profile, rate card (your services, packages, and pool sizes), and website. The longest step is usually connecting Google Calendar and Stripe — each takes a few minutes, and both can be done later. ### Do I need a website already? No. Kordless generates your Showcase (your company's website) from your business profile during onboarding. You can edit it, add pages, and publish it on your custom domain — or keep it on the free Kordless subdomain. ### Can I use my own domain? Yes. You can buy a domain through Kordless (registration and DNS are managed for you) or connect a domain you already own. See [Editor and publishing](/pool-spa/website/editor-and-publishing#custom-domain). ## Bidding ### How does the agent price a project? The agent looks up the service, package, and pool size in your published rate card and computes the bid range server-side. It never invents a number. If the rate card doesn't have a cell for what the homeowner is asking about, the agent tells them it can't price it and escalates to you. See [Rate card](/pool-spa/bidding/rate-card). ### What if a homeowner asks for a price the agent can't bid? The agent tells the homeowner it needs to check with you, and the conversation appears in Today (your daily feed). You can then bid manually from the Bid Desk. ### Can I review bids before they go out? Yes. Set an approval threshold in your rate card — any bid at or above that threshold is held for your approval before the homeowner sees it. Bids below the threshold are sent automatically. You can also set individual packages to **Review** or **Site visit** mode. See [Approving bids](/pool-spa/bidding/approving-bids). ### How do build and remodel bids work? Build and remodel packages use **Site visit** mode. The agent sends a price range, but the final price is confirmed after a site visit. The homeowner sees "range pending site visit" — they get a sense of the cost, but the number is confirmed once you've assessed the terrain, access, and scope in person. ## Maintenance contracts ### How do maintenance contracts work? When a homeowner signs up for weekly maintenance, a contract is created as pending. The first recurring charge activates the contract — that's when service begins and the one-time activation fee is charged. You can pause for the off-season and resume when the pool reopens. See [Maintenance contracts](/pool-spa/day/contracts). ### Can I pause a contract for winter? Yes. Click **Pause** on any active contract. No charges run while paused, and no service visits are scheduled. Click **Resume** when the pool reopens. ### Is there a fee on every maintenance payment? No. The \$29 activation fee is charged once, on the first payment only. Every subsequent charge — weekly, monthly, for years — carries no Kordless fee. If the contract is canceled before the second payment, the fee is refunded. ## Payments ### When do I get paid? Deposits, balances, and contract charges are charged to your homeowners through your own Stripe account. Payouts to your bank follow Stripe's standard schedule (typically daily for US accounts). See [Getting paid](/pool-spa/money/payouts). ### What does Kordless cost? The Studio plan is $299/month ($249/month billed annually) plus a $29 or $99 fee per deposited project (depending on the project's bid value) and a \$29 one-time fee per activated maintenance contract. There are no per-conversation or per-message charges. See [Pricing and billing](/pool-spa/money/pricing). ### Am I charged if a bid doesn't lead to a project? No. The per-project fee is charged only when a deposit is paid or a booking is confirmed. Failed bids, uncommitted inquiries, and conversations that don't lead to a booking cost nothing extra. ### How do refunds work? You can refund a deposit or balance from the bid detail page. The refund is processed through Stripe and the platform fee on that deposit is returned to you. See [Balance and final payment](/pool-spa/bidding/balance-and-final-payment). ## The agent ### Can the agent book appointments on its own? In web chat, yes — the agent can book an appointment immediately when a homeowner is chatting on your website. Via SMS, the agent places a pending hold that waits for your approval before confirming. ### What if the agent says something wrong? Add a guardrail in the Agent settings (e.g., *"never bid gunite prices"*). The agent follows guardrails without exception. For a one-off correction, just send your own message in the inbox thread — the agent picks up the new context. See [What the agent can and can't do](/pool-spa/reference/what-the-agent-can-do). ### Can I turn the agent off? Yes. Switch to the Pause plan (\$49/month) and the agent is switched off — no automated outreach, bidding, or follow-ups. Your website stays live and all records are preserved. Reactivate to Studio at any time. ## Website ### Can I edit my website without the agent? Yes. The visual editor lets you click any text to edit it inline, manage pages and blocks from the drawers, and change the design without AI. The assist bar is optional — use it when it's faster, ignore it when it's not. See [Editor and publishing](/pool-spa/website/editor-and-publishing). ### What happens to my website if I pause? Your website stays live on Pause. The agent is off, but the site, your homeowner records, and your bid history are all preserved. See [Pricing and billing](/pool-spa/money/pricing). ### Do reviews stay on my site if Google removes them? Yes. Reviews you approve are copied into your site's live snapshot. Even if the original is deleted from Google, it stays on your website until you hide it. See [Reviews showcase](/pool-spa/website/reviews). ## Data ### Who owns my homeowner data? You do. Kordless stores it, but you own it. You can export your homeowner and property records at any time. If you leave, you can take your data with you. See [Data and privacy](/pool-spa/reference/data-and-privacy). ### Can I export everything? Yes. Homeowner records, property records, bid history, and form submissions can all be exported. Form submissions have a CSV export on each form's responses page. Contact support for a full data export. ## Next steps Set up your company in under 30 minutes. Where Kordless acts on its own, where it asks you first, and where it never acts.