Angi vs. Thumbtack vs. Yelp leads for contractors

Why contractors use lead platforms at all

Lead platforms sit between homeowners and pros. For a homeowner, they promise a quick way to find someone. For a contractor, they promise work without building a marketing engine. The demand is real: in an Angi survey, an average of 53% of US homeowners reported difficulty finding pros in 2025^[5], and US households spent an average of $12,472 on home projects that year, up from $12,050 in 2024^[6]. The question for a contractor is not whether the platforms have customers, but whether their leads turn into profitable jobs at a cost you can carry.

How each platform charges

Angi's quarterly results describe leads as connections between consumers and pros resulting from a service request, and state that a single service request can result in multiple leads^[1]. Thumbtack says there is no charge to join and no membership fees, and that you control your pricing and budget for leads, which determines how many leads you get^[2]. Yelp's support center says each time your ad is clicked you are charged according to your cost-per-click price, which varies with supply and demand, and that you will never be charged more than the monthly budget you set^[3].

Shared leads change the game

When the same homeowner reaches several pros, the job usually goes to whoever responds first with a clear answer and a time. That is why response speed matters more on lead platforms than on almost any other channel. In one audit of US companies' handling of web leads, firms that tried to contact leads within an hour were nearly seven times as likely to qualify them as firms that waited even an hour longer^[4], yet 23% of companies never responded at all^[7].

The practical rule is simple: if you cannot respond to platform leads within minutes during business hours, you will pay for many leads that a faster competitor wins. Our guide to winning shared leads covers the follow-up cadence in detail.

Reviews and profile quality

All three platforms show ratings and reviews next to your name, and customers read them. 82% of US adults at least sometimes read online ratings or reviews before buying something for the first time^[8]. A strong platform profile includes real photos, licensing and insurance details, a clear description of the jobs you want, and steady reviews from real customers.

• Ask every platform customer for a review on that platform after the job.
• Never buy reviews or reward only positive ones; the FTC's 2024 rule bans the sale or purchase of fake reviews^[9].
• Reply to reviews briefly and professionally.
• Keep job preferences narrow, so the reviews you collect are for the work you want more of.

Which platform suits which business

• Newer companies with few reviews: Thumbtack or Angi can bring early volume, provided you can answer fast and price clearly.
• Established companies with strong reviews: Yelp Ads can work well in markets where Yelp is widely used for local services, because the profile does much of the selling.
• High-ticket replacement work, such as roofs or HVAC systems: track job value carefully; a few won jobs can justify many lost leads.
• Low-ticket recurring work, such as cleaning or lawn care: watch lead cost against the first job's value, and count the lifetime value of customers who stay.
• Solo operators who are on jobs all day: only buy leads if someone can respond during the day, or the platform spend will mostly benefit competitors.

Questions to ask before you sign up

Platform sales calls focus on lead volume. Ask the questions that decide whether those leads can make you money, and write the answers down so you can hold the platform to them later:

1. How many other pros can receive the same request, and how does the customer choose?
2. What exactly am I charged for: a lead, a click, a message, an appointment or a booked job?
3. Which leads are credited or refunded, how do I request it, and how long does it take?
4. Can I exclude job types, sizes and ZIP codes I do not want?
5. Is there a contract, a minimum spend or a cancellation notice period?
6. Who owns the customer relationship after the first job, and can I contact them directly afterwards?

Turn platform customers into your own customers

The best use of a lead platform is to buy a customer once, not every time. After a good first job, give the customer a reason and a way to come straight to you next time, within the platform's terms.

• Leave a branded card or sticker with your direct number and website.
• Offer a maintenance plan or seasonal reminder for recurring work.
• Ask for a Google review as well as a platform review, so your own profile grows.
• Add the customer to your own records with their consent, so you can remind them about seasonal service.
• Make sure your phones are answered when they call you directly, or they will go back to the platform and pick someone else.

Track how many platform customers become direct repeat customers. It is often the number that decides whether a platform is worth keeping.

Measure return on investment properly

1. 01

   Log every lead

   Date, platform, job type, response time, outcome and job value. Use the same log for every platform.

2. 02

   Track response time

   Record minutes from lead arrival to first real contact. It will explain much of the difference between good and bad months.

3. 03

   Calculate cost per booked job

   Total platform spend for the month divided by jobs booked from that platform.

4. 04

   Add job value

   Compare revenue and gross profit from platform jobs with your spend, not just the number of jobs.

5. 05

   Count repeat customers

   A platform customer who joins a maintenance plan or calls you directly next year is worth more than the first ticket shows.

6. 06

   Decide monthly

   Raise, hold or cut each platform's budget based on the numbers, not on the account manager's advice.

Example: a handyman compares two platforms

Example (fictional): a two-person handyman business tests one platform for two months, then another for two months, with the same monthly budget and the same rule: reply within ten minutes during business hours. The owner logs every lead, response time and job value in a spreadsheet.

Example: the first platform produces more leads, but many are small jobs that also went to several other pros, and the booking rate is low when replies take longer than half an hour. The second produces fewer leads, with a higher booking rate and larger jobs. Cost per booked job is lower on the second, so the owner keeps it, drops the first, and moves part of the savings into asking past customers for reviews on the Google Business Profile.

Common mistakes

1. Testing several platforms at once, so results blur together.
2. Accepting every job type and area the platform offers.
3. Replying hours later and blaming the leads.
4. Judging by lead count instead of booked jobs and profit.
5. Not moving happy platform customers onto your own channels, such as direct booking and maintenance plans.

Platforms work best as one channel among several. Compare them with Nextdoor, Facebook and Instagram ads and your own website, and make sure your website can book jobs when platform customers look you up.