Our Story
Why We Built Rivo
Because doing it yourself shouldn't mean figuring it out alone.
The problem
Today's DIY process is fragmented
A homeowner planning one patio cover ends up managing seven different sources of truth — none of which know anything about the others.
YouTube
40-minute videos for one detail
Ten tabs, five opinions
Forums
Advice from 2011
Permit websites
PDFs written for contractors
Contractors
Quotes with no breakdown
Spreadsheets
Budgets that drift by week three
Shopping lists
Three trips every Saturday
The answer
So we built the place where all of it comes together.
Rivo takes your project, your dimensions, and your zip code, then produces the plan, the budget, the permit path, the materials, and the checks — in build order, in one app. You stop assembling advice and start building.
Our mission
Give every homeowner the same clarity a good general contractor carries in their head — the sequence, the numbers, and the code details — so they can build it right the first time.
Our vision
A world where "I'll just hire someone" is a choice, not a surrender — where any motivated homeowner can plan, permit, build, and pass inspection with confidence.
Core principles
What we hold to
Confidence over guesswork
Every answer should be specific to your project, your dimensions, and your city.
One place, not ten tabs
Plan, permits, materials, and verification belong in the same workflow.
Built for the whole project
Not just the fun part. The permit, the inspection, and the punch list too.
Homeowner first
Written for people doing the work themselves — not for the trades.
Builders
What homeowners tell us
"Rivo would've saved me so much time and money on my patio cover project."
"I failed my first framing inspection over spacing. A checklist like this would have caught it."
"The budget breakdown alone is worth it. I finally know where the money goes."
$14K
Average savings on a DIY patio cover vs. contractor bid
68%
Of DIYers say permits are the most confusing part
3x
More likely to finish when a project has a written plan
1 app
Instead of ten tabs, two spreadsheets, and a group chat
Never build alone
Great tools, plus people who've done it before
Rivo isn't just software. When a project gets past what a guide can answer, you can reach experienced builders, inspectors, engineers, architects, and trades for a straight answer.
Talk to an Expert
Help us build the thing we all needed.
Build with Rivo.
Founding builders shape what Rivo becomes. Add your name and your next project.
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