Are Angi, HomeAdvisor and Thumbtack leads worth it, or should you build your own?

Angi, HomeAdvisor and Thumbtack leads are worth it only if your cost per booked job, not your cost per lead, leaves a profit. All three charge for leads, not jobs, and a request can go to several pros. Work out your own numbers first, then compare them with a Google Business Profile, your website and Local Services Ads.

Angi and HomeAdvisor are one company for pros: the Angi Pro Agreement is with "HomeAdvisor Inc. d/b/a Angi Pro" (Angi Pro Agreement, updated October 6, 2026).

How do Angi and HomeAdvisor charge for leads?

Angi says lead fees "change based on task, homeowner location, and demand for the work" (Angi Help Center). It publishes no price list. Opportunities show the lead fee before you accept. For automatic leads, get each task's price in writing.

• When you pay: once you and the homeowner both show interest, "whether or not you open or respond to them."
• Pay per lead: a monthly budget, billed weekly. It's a target, not a cap: Angi's own example is a $500 budget that ends at $520 (Angi billing FAQ). Opportunities you accept cost extra.
• Annual subscription: prepaid leads at a discount. It renews automatically, the fee can rise by up to 10% at renewal, and your contract may include an early termination fee (Angi Pro Agreement).

Angi makes no promise about "how many leads you will receive or how many jobs you will win," so treat any numbers from a sales call as estimates.

How does Thumbtack charge for leads?

Thumbtack has "no charge to join, no annual fees, and no membership fees" (Thumbtack). You pay when a matching customer contacts you, at a lead price you set. Thumbtack says that price is "the exact amount you'll pay," and a weekly budget caps your total (Thumbtack Help: lead prices, budgets). Prices vary with the job, how many pros are available and your market.

Are the leads shared with other pros?

They can be. Angi matches each request "with no more than five pros" (Angi Help Center). Thumbtack lets a customer contact five pros in the first four hours, then more (Thumbtack Quality Commitment). So reply fast. Angi's own advice is that "the faster you respond, the better your chance of winning the job."

Local Services Ads differ. Google says you only hear from customers who picked your profile (Google), though they may contact other advertisers too (Google).

How do you work out your cost per job?

1. Add up everything you paid the platform over the last three to six months: leads, subscription and add-ons.
2. Count the jobs you won from those leads. Not the leads, the jobs.
3. Divide what you paid by the jobs you won. That's your cost per job.
4. Compare it with the gross profit on an average job, and count the hours spent on dead leads.

A made-up example: you paid $1,500 for 40 leads and won 5 jobs. That's $37.50 per lead, but $300 per job. If an average job leaves $1,000 of gross profit, that can work. If it leaves $250, it doesn't.

Ask every new customer how they found you, and write it down.

What has the FTC said about HomeAdvisor?

In a March 2022 complaint, the FTC charged that since at least mid-2014 HomeAdvisor had made false, misleading or unsubstantiated claims about the quality and source of its leads, and how often they became jobs. HomeAdvisor neither admitted nor denied the allegations (FTC decision and order). The April 2023 final order required it to pay up to $7.2 million for refunds, and bars false claims that its leads are "ready to hire" (FTC, 2023). In November 2023, the FTC sent 110,372 refund checks to service providers (FTC, 2023).

The lesson applies to any lead seller: judge it on your own numbers, and get prices and terms in writing.

How do you dispute a bad lead?

• Angi may credit invalid contact details, a location outside your ZIP codes, a service you don't offer, a duplicate, or a charge while your leads were paused. The lead must be under 45 days old, and you should have tried to call within 24 hours. Leads on an annual subscription get no credits (Angi Help Center).
• Thumbtack refunds a lead automatically if the customer replies to no pro within 72 hours (Thumbtack). For other problems, such as an invalid phone number or a duplicate, request a refund within 45 days of the charge (Thumbtack refund policy).
• Local Services Ads don't charge for leads Google judges invalid, and Google credits some charged leads automatically, usually within 30 days. It no longer credits leads for job types or areas you don't serve (Google).

Angi won't credit a homeowner who hired another pro first or stopped answering. Log each bad lead with the date, the problem and a screenshot, and file before the deadline.

Set your services and ZIP codes tightly. If your Silver Spring crew won't drive to Fairfax County, leave those ZIP codes out. Before you sign any lead contract, read the term, renewal and cancellation sections. This is general information, not legal advice.

How do channels you own compare?

A Business Profile is free to create (Google), but it needs accurate details, real photos and steady reviews. A website costs money to build and keep up. Nobody can promise either one a ranking or a date. But their calls aren't sold to other pros, and your profile's reviews stay with your business.

A sensible plan: keep a platform while it pays for itself on your numbers, and build your own channels at the same time. Start with our Business Profile checklist, see whether Local Services Ads are worth it, or read about our local SEO service.

Frequently asked questions

Can I cancel an Angi subscription early?

Angi says to call Customer Care at (877) 947-3639 to cancel. If you cancel before the term ends and your contract has an early termination fee, you'll owe it. Subscriptions renew automatically unless you give notice before the renewal date in your contract. This is general information, not legal advice.

Should I stop paying for leads completely?

Not if a platform pays for itself on your numbers. Keep it while you build your Business Profile, website and reviews, then cut its budget as your own channels bring more calls. Check your cost per job every quarter, and drop any platform that costs more than its jobs earn.