25 Apr 2025
  

How to Develop a Home Service App Like Urban Company: Key Steps and Strategies

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Anushka Das

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Imagine needing a plumber, electrician, or salon service at home—what if you could book a professional with just a few taps on your phone? That’s exactly what an app like Urban Company offers!

The growing reliance on home service apps is evident in Urban Company’s recent performance. In the fiscal year ending March 2024, the company recorded a 30% year-on-year revenue growth, reaching ₹827 crore, while cutting its losses by 70% to ₹93 crore. This surge reflects the increasing demand for on-demand services, as app development saves users time and effort.

With seamless booking, verified professionals, and doorstep convenience, home service apps are transforming the way we manage household needs. Want to know what it takes to build a successful home service app? Let’s dive in!

Why Urban Company Leads the Home Service Industry

home services app development

Through its user-friendly technological platform, Urban Company redefined the home service market by enabling the simple booking of professional services. The mobile app links customers to certified experts who provide excellent services during their convenient appointment times, regardless of the service requirement.

A Commitment to Quality, Convenience, and Trust

The foundation of Urban Company’s achievements relies on providing reliable professional services and premium delivery standards. The platform uses these measures to preserve its high-quality benchmarks:

  • A comprehensive selection process helps recruit experienced professionals to join the platform.
  • Equips them with essential tools, including advanced technology, high-quality products, training, financing, and insurance.
  • The platform delivers a comfortable customer journey by featuring a straightforward interface navigation, a combination of instant bookings, safe payment systems, and live tracking features.

The platform enables customers to select service providers by reviewing comprehensive profiles with rating systems and review sections, leading to better decision-making. This platform also supports professionals through additional help systems and better service identification.

The Growing Potential of Home Service Apps

A home service app from Urban Company provides numerous business advantages, boosting customer service quality while optimizing service performance and reaching more professionals. Before initiating development work, one must grasp all the essential home service app development cost factors related to creating such an application.

Key Factors Influencing the Cost of Building a Home Service App Like Urban Company

home service app development cost

Creating a home service app similar to Urban Company demands proper budget management since various components affect final development expenses. The success of a platform depends heavily on making effective decisions at every development stage, which includes choosing key features and selecting a development method to achieve high performance, scaling up, and delivering an intuitive platform. This section will investigate the key components that escalate the expenses for developing an effective home service application.

1. Feature Complexity and Development Scope

The application’s complexity, along with its included features, determines most of the development expenses. A simple, basic home service application alongside its necessary features, such as service listings, booking features, and user profiles, can be built at more economical prices. However, integrating advanced features like:

  • Real-time tracking for service professionals
  • In-app messaging for seamless communication
  • AI-driven recommendations for personalized experiences
  • Multi-payment gateways for convenience
  • Analytics dashboards for business insights

The extended time necessary for skilled expertise leads to substantial development cost increases. The complexity of an app directly affects the necessary financial resources required to achieve both operational reliability and satisfied users.

Departing platforms for smart home app development consists of deciding between a single release on iOS or Android or developing for both.

2. Choosing the Right Platform: iOS, Android, or Both?

Fundamental to cost determination is selecting a target platform between iOS and Android or simultaneously releasing for both operating systems. Developing for a single platform is more cost-effective, while cross-platform development using frameworks like Flutter or React Native offers a budget-friendly alternative to native development.

Native apps offer better performance than platform-based applications alongside unique features that adhere to specific operating system recommendations. The implementation of native separate codebases along with platform-specific adaptations pushes production expenses higher for this approach.

3. Development Team and Expertise Level

Team expertise levels play a substantial role when calculating your budget. The implementation of on-demand home service apps becomes faster, along with high-quality results through development teams with relevant expertise. The total cost of implementation depends on various key personnel who participate in the development process.

  • UI/UX designers for an intuitive user interface
  • Backend developers to build a robust infrastructure
  • Project managers oversee the development process
  • Quality assurance specialists for bug-free deployment

An experienced team with superior technical abilities might be more expensive, yet it creates a secure foundation for scalable and upcoming-proof mobile applications.

4. Third-Party API Integrations

User experience benefits from the inclusion of third-party application programming interfaces. The implementation of each additional blending process requires both licensing expenditures and setup costs. These are the common third-party instruments employed in home service mobile applications:

  • Payment gateways (Stripe, PayPal, Razorpay)
  • Map services (Google Maps, Apple Maps) for location tracking
  • SMS and notification APIs for real-time updates
  • Analytics tools (Google Analytics, Firebase) for performance insights

Each integration needs thorough testing and optimization, which can add to the total app development cost.

5. Localization and Multi-Currency Support

Wider expansion of the home service mobile app development requires localization of content to accommodate diverse languages and currencies.

  • Translating app content to multiple languages
  • Integrating country-specific payment methods
  • Customizing UI/UX to adhere to cultural taste preferences

While it may hike up costs, localization is a worthwhile investment as it boosts customer engagement and increases the scope for the app to fit in specific markets.

Also Read : Why an App Like Fanni in Dubai Is the Future of Home Maintenance

6. Ensuring Scalability and Long-Term Viability

While future-proofing the app to open options for increased traffic grows with the expansion of the offered service, the building of the actual architecture of the app to open options for increased traffic grows with the expansion of the offered service.

  • A strong backend architecture to support high traffic volumes
  • Cloud storage solutions for seamless data management
  • Efficient database management to ensure smooth operations

They influence the initial cost of development, but not losing focus on future updates, feature enhancements, and regional expansions ensures that the app remains competitive in the long run.

7. Ongoing Maintenance and Hosting Expenses

There are post-launch maintenance and hosting costs, among others: the app needs regular updates, bug fixes, security enhancements, and performance optimizations to allow a smooth user experience; hosting costs that depend on factors like. 

  • Server type (shared, dedicated, or cloud-based)
  • Storage and bandwidth requirements
  • Data backup and recovery solutions

Very often, the average annual maintenance costs constitute 20% of the initial development cost; therefore, maintenance and support become long-term investments that cannot be avoided.

8. Marketing and User Acquisition Strategies

Promotion of the app remains equally important after it has been built, marketing, advertising, and promotion of the app, coupled with techniques like: 

  • App Store Optimization (ASO) for better visibility
  • Paid ads to drive user acquisition
  • Influencer collaborations for brand credibility
  • Content marketing to engage and retain users

Without proper marketing, even a well-developed app may struggle to gain traction, making it a necessary cost consideration.

Essential Features of On-Demand Home Service Apps

On-Demand Home Service Apps

On-demand home service apps, such as Urban Company, consist of three core interfaces: Customer Panel for easy booking and management of service, Service Provider Panel so that the professional can handle requests efficiently, and Admin Dashboard to oversee the operations on the platform. Let’s discuss the critical features of each panel. 

1. Admin Dashboard: Overseeing and Managing Operations

The administrative interface is the platform’s bedrock, offering comprehensive tools for managing users, services, and transactions, among other things.

  • Appointment Oversight: Track, manage, and monitor all service bookings, cancellations, and refunds.
  • Vendor Performance Tracking: Assess service providers through ratings, reviews, and job completion rates.
  • Revenue Management: Defined commission structures, tracked earnings, and handled vendor payouts.
  • User and Provider Administration: Approve service professionals and monitor user activities.
  • Marketing and promotions: Launching promo codes and discount campaigns, as well as loyalty programs; 
  • Customer support integration: Resolving disputes through online chat or ticketing systems. 
  • Business analytics and reports: Deriving detailed insights about bookings, revenue, and user engagement; 
  • Secure payment handling: Monitoring transactions, vendor payouts, and customer refunds; 
  • Service catalog customization: Adding, changing, or removing service categories, as per needs; 
  • Content Management: FAQs, terms of service, and notification messages. 

2. Service Provider Panel: Tools for Professionals

This interface enables service providers to manage their profiles, appointments, and earnings while maintaining direct communication with customers. Notable features include:

  • Profile & Service Management: Update personal details, service offerings, and availability.
  • Instant Job Alerts: Receive real-time push notifications for new bookings.
  • Service History Overview: View past, ongoing, and canceled appointments in one place.
  • Earnings Dashboard: Track income with detailed commission breakdowns.
  • Customer Communication: Connect with users via in-app chat or calls.
  • Flexible Availability: Set working hours and mark unavailable times.
  • Ratings & Reviews: Monitor customer feedback and respond to reviews.
  • Navigation & Route Optimization: Utilize in-app maps for efficient travel.
  • Work Schedule Management: Adjust and reschedule bookings as needed.
  • Document Verification: Upload necessary documents for background checks.

3. Customer Panel: A Seamless Booking Experience

The customer-facing interface provides users with an intuitive platform to discover and book services effortlessly. Key functionalities include:

  • Service Discovery: To browse and find services by categories, prices, and ratings.
  • Quick Registration: Create an account via email, phone number, or social media.
  • Live Tracking of Provider: Live-track its location and ETA.
  • Flexible Booking: The user can book a service or set an appointment for a later date or time.
  • Multiple Payment Options: Payment solutions should be made securely via credit card, wallet, UPI, or cash.
  • Instant Notifications: Receive updates about bookings, offers, and service reminders in real-time. 
  • Dedicated Customer Support: Access help through in-app assistance.
  • Exclusive Deals & Offers: Avail discounts, referral bonuses, and subscription benefits.
  • Review & Rating System: Share feedback and read user reviews for informed decision-making.
  • Direct Communication: Contact service providers through in-app chat or calls.

Strategies to Minimize Home Service App Development Costs

Home Service App Development

Few tested and proven ways exist for any entrepreneur to help keep down development costs in launching a quality home service app like Urban Company.

1. Build a Minimum Viable Product (MVP)

An MVP is a minimal version of the app capable of fulfilling its primary function, and hence, it is being developed with a budget as low as possible. In this period, field testing and user feedback may be gained to introduce further corrective measures before a whole-and-sole solution is launched. 

2. Prioritize Essential Features

Pick the Basic Features First. It’s possible to enable online booking, secure payments, real-time tracking, and all basic features, as well as minimize any needless spending on other add-ons that might not be basically required in early-stage releases, adopting cross-platform development efficiencies.

3. Leverage Cross-Platform Development

React Native or Flutter build iOS and Android apps with just one codebase instead of spending extra time and money writing a separate native app. This is very cost-efficient, and a compiler repatriates performance and usability. 

4. Consider Offshore Development

Outsourcing development to regions with skilled yet cost-effective professionals helps reduce labor expenses without compromising quality. Partnering with experienced developers in such locations allows you to maximize your budget while ensuring timely and efficient project completion.

Essential Steps to Develop a Home Service App Like Urban Company

Home Service App Like Urban Company

Developing an at-home service application requires a well-planned approach and a dedicated mobile app development company in India, so that there are no problems in functionality and user experience, and for future scalability. The following are the steps involved in the development of a successful platform like Urban Company. 

1. Conduct Market Research and Define Your Strategy

Deep market research to find the pain points of your target audience, analyze the competitors’ solutions, and observe the gaps in the existing solutions. This phase brings a better definition to your USP and a clear direction for what revenue model you want to pursue: commission-based, subscription-based, or both. A finalized strategy neatly positions your app in the competitive sphere of home services. 

2. Plan and Prioritize Must-Have Features

List the necessary features for customers, providers, and administrators. Customers should be included in service searching, appointment scheduling, safe payments, and real-time tracking. Service providers should have features that allow them to manage availability, track earnings, and communicate with clients. The admins should have a powerful dashboard with which they can monitor activities performed on the platform, manage users, or generate performance reports.

3. Create Wireframes and Focus on User Experience

By giving the most attention to core functions, the application ensures value to users and efficiency. Experience in the UI/UX is created, and wireframes are designed on the screen. Before development, wireframes map out the app’s face and flow. Focus on an intuitive and attractive UI/UX to provide an easy-to-use interaction that engages the user. An effective design would minimize friction in interactions, thus allowing actions like booking a service or tracking earnings to be quick and without hassle. 

4. Build a Secure Backend and Responsive Frontend

The scalable backend has to be designed with enough power to execute the app’s main tasks, like bookings, notifications, and payments. Node.js, Python, or Ruby on Rails are some good technologies for making decisions. A smooth, responsive UI will be built using React Native or Flutter and integrated with the backend via efficient APIs for seamless communication between the client and server. 

5. Perform Comprehensive Testing

Any app should be properly tested after development and before launch to eliminate any system bugs and maintain optimal functioning. Functional testing aims to ensure that each feature works reliably. Usability testing determines whether navigation is easy, while performance testing checks whether the app can hold a considerable number of users at the same time without any lags or slowdowns. Beta testing by a mobile app development company in UAE with real users provides another option to polish and improve the app based on their direct feedback.

6. Strategically Launch and Market the App

Launch and Market the App Strategically. The app can then be published in the Google Play Store and App Store. Marketing campaigns must be defined to attract the first batch of customers. Promotions via social media and online ads, as well as referral programs, might boost the joining rate of early adopters. Discount offers or exclusive deals for customers or service providers also act to pull them to the platform. A terrific launch lays the groundwork for maximized visibility of your app and allows for sustainable growth following it. 

7. Gather Feedback and Implement Continuous Enhancements

Post-launch, collect a feedback loop from the users by calling for reviews, surveys, and analytics to understand what needs fixing. Consistent updates on feature improvements, performance improvements, and bug fixes are critical to keeping the app continuously relevant and providing a smooth user experience. However, ongoing app maintenance should be considered in the overall cost of developing a home service app that exists, like Urban Company, and is crucial due to its long-term sustainability. 

Conclusion

Building a home service app like Urban Company shows a large opportunity in the on-demand home service industry. Users can easily book, pay securely, and manage services through such an app. However, for it to succeed, it should be based on strategic planning, cost optimization, and the choice of the right on-demand app development company. This is whether to launch a Minimum Viable Product or go to scalable development with some advanced integrations. Allowing for the right development will go a long way in achieving a great competitive leap with continuous market growth. 

Get in touch with us to build a home service app like Urban Company and turn your on-demand service idea into reality with expert app development solutions!

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