If Angi is what you are leaving, my guide to Angi leads explains the billing and credit rules you are dealing with.
| Option | Type | How you pay | Published cost (source) | Who owns the customer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Angi Leads (HomeAdvisor) | Rented | Per matched lead, fee set by Angi | Not published; FAQ says call (Angi Leads pro FAQ) | Platform |
| Networx | Rented | Prepaid balance, per lead | $10 to $100+ per lead, exclusive $15 to $120+ (Networx help center) | Platform |
| Google Local Services Ads | Paid, on Google | Per lead | Varies by trade and market; see my LSA guide | Mostly you |
| Google Business Profile | Owned | Free listing; your time or an agency | Free to create (Google) | You |
| Organic SEO | Owned | Monthly retainer or your time | Mine from $750/month | You |
| Referrals and repeat customers | Owned | Follow-up system, maybe a referral reward | What you choose to offer | You |
The largest direct competitor. You set job types and zips; Angi sets the lead fee by job size. Bad leads earn store credit if requested within 30 days, and credits expire six months after issue, per Angi's Lead Credit Guidelines. Leads are not creditable if the homeowner just never answers. Details: Thumbtack vs Angi and is Angi worth it for contractors.
Networx is one of the few lead sellers that publishes ranges. Its help center lists $10 to $100+ per lead on Pay Per Lead and $15 to $120+ on Exclusive Leads. Networx says it charges no monthly membership fee and has no contract. Full breakdown in my Networx review.
Sometimes the best Thumbtack alternative is a better Thumbtack setup: lower your lead prices, focus on Opportunities (Thumbtack says you pay only if the customer responds), and decline poor-fit Smart Match leads for the automatic refund. See is Thumbtack worth it.
This is the listing that shows in the Google Maps pack. It is free to create. For emergency trades like locksmith, garage door and plumbing, it is often the biggest source of calls. The work is in categories, service areas, photos, reviews and steady updates. I cover the details in GBP optimization for service-area businesses.
LSA still charges per lead, so it is not fully owned. The difference from Thumbtack and Angi: the homeowner searched Google, saw your name and called you, not a pool of pros. For how it works and costs, see my guide to Google Local Services Ads.
Your website ranking for "roof repair near me" or "AC repair [city]". No per-lead fee, slow to start, and it keeps working after you stop spending, as long as competitors don't outwork you. No honest agency guarantees a ranking, including me. See local SEO for contractors.
Reviews feed Maps rankings and close rate on every channel. Ask every customer, including the ones who came from Thumbtack or Angi. That turns rented leads into owned proof.
A simple follow-up after every job, a reminder for seasonal maintenance, and a clear ask for referrals. It costs almost nothing and nobody else owns it.
Before you move budget, know how each rented option handles bad leads. Each row comes from the platform's own help page.
| Platform | How you ask | Window | What comes back |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thumbtack | Refund request with details and up to six screenshots (how to request a refund) | Duplicates within 45 days qualify | Refund to your Thumbtack balance; answer usually in 24 to 48 hours |
| Angi Leads | Credit request (Lead Credit Guidelines) | 30 days from the charge | Store credit that expires six months after issue |
| Networx | Report Lead in your account (Lead Credit Policy) | 14 days from the lead | Credit for wrong number, wrong industry or renter; decisions final |
These are my leanings from how each channel works, not platform claims:
A lead platform is a bet you can measure. Here is the test I walk owners through before they add budget or quit.
| Column | What to write |
|---|---|
| Date and platform | When the lead arrived and where from |
| Job type and zip | So you can see which categories and areas pay |
| Price paid | The charge on your statement, not the list price |
| Minutes to first reply | Speed is the variable you control most |
| Reached the customer? | Yes, no, or bad number |
| Credit or refund requested | Date requested and outcome |
| Quoted, won, lost | And the job value if won |
| Gross profit | Job value minus materials and labor |
Thirty days is short for big-ticket work, so for installs and replacements keep logging until the quotes from those 30 days have been decided. Then keep, trim or cut.
Example with stated assumptions. Not platform prices or a client result. A plumbing company spending $2,000 a month on rented leads at an assumed $50 per lead gets 40 leads. At an assumed 15% close rate that is 6 jobs, about $333 per job, and the spend buys nothing lasting.
| Month | Rented only (example) | Shift $1,500 to SEO, keep $500 rented (example) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 3 | 6 jobs a month | 1.5 jobs from rented leads, plus whatever organic brings early, often little |
| 4 to 12 | 6 jobs a month, same cost | Organic calls grow if rankings grow |
| If you stop spending | Calls stop | Rankings and reviews keep working for a time |
The honest risk is the dip in the early months. That is why I recommend shifting gradually. Trade-specific numbers: roofing lead generation, HVAC leads without buying them, plumber leads you own. For the full comparison of what Angi leads really cost, start at the hub.
For emergency and local trades, a strong Google Business Profile and reviews usually beat any lead site because the caller chose you. Among lead sites, Angi and Networx are the main alternatives.
Thumbtack, Networx, Google Local Services Ads, your Google Business Profile, SEO and referrals.
Networx offers an Exclusive Leads plan, which its help center prices at $15 to $120+ per lead.
Over a year it often is per job, but it is slower to start and has no guaranteed result. Compare your cost per job on each.
It differs by platform: Networx says 14 days from the lead, Angi says 30 days from the charge, and Thumbtack accepts duplicate claims within 45 days.
Book a free 30-minute call or get the free 24-hour audit. I will tell you which owned channel to start with in your market.
I specialize in home services SEO: taking websites that sit invisible on page three and turning them into the business Google and ChatGPT recommend first. I started on the developer side, writing software and doing SEO on the side, until I saw how much home-service owners were overpaying for work that quietly hurt them. So I built a method that fixes the broken technical work and the outdated thinking behind it.
From garage door companies to plumbers, roofers, locksmiths and cleaning services, the playbook is the same: rank where your customers actually search, earn real reviews, and back it with a fast site that books the job. No PBNs, no bought reviews, no directory spam. Only work that survives Google’s next five updates. See exactly how it’s priced on the pricing page.
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