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The best lead generation companies for contractors, compared

The best lead generation for a contractor depends on the size of the job. Pay-per-lead companies such as Angi and Thumbtack and Google Local Services Ads suit small, fast jobs. For larger jobs, sources a contractor keeps fit better: their own website, past customers and referral partners. This guide compares six options and what each one charges.

By Imad Haq, founder. Last updated 8 October 2026. One of the six is our own service, and it is listed first.

We put it there because it is ours. Weigh our view with that in mind, and check the sources at the bottom. Who we are.

How this list is ordered

There are no scores here. A score from a company that sells one of the options would not be worth much.

The six are ordered by one question: when you stop paying, what do you still have? At the top, you keep the relationships. At the bottom, you keep nothing but the jobs you already won.

That order favors established contractors who sell larger jobs. If you are new, or your jobs are small and quick, read it from the bottom up. Speed matters more to you than what is left afterwards.

The six options

  1. Referral partner networks

    Contractor Referral Partners (this is our own service)

    What it charges
    A one-time setup fee and a monthly subscription. Nothing per lead.
    Who it suits
    Established trade contractors, around $1M a year or more, who sell larger jobs.

  2. Google Local Services Ads

    Google

    What it charges
    Per valid lead, not per click. Google says the price varies with location, job type and lead type.
    Who it suits
    Contractors who can pass verification and answer calls as they come in.
    Where it falls short
    You still pay for each lead, and the leads stop when the budget does.

  3. Your own search ads

    Google Ads and Microsoft Ads, run by you or an agency

    What it charges
    Per click. LocaliQ's median cost per lead across home services is $90.92, and $228.15 for roofing and gutters.
    Who it suits
    Contractors with a good website and someone to manage the account.
    Where it falls short
    You pay for the click whether or not anyone calls, and an agency adds a management fee.

  4. Thumbtack

    Thumbtack

    What it charges
    Per lead, with no subscription. Pros on its forum report $30 to $102 for small jobs.
    Who it suits
    Smaller jobs, solo pros and new businesses. Cheap to test, because a pro can cap the lead price.
    Where it falls short
    Pros report the same customer contacting three to five pros, each of whom pays.

  5. Angi Leads

    Angi (which now includes HomeAdvisor)

    What it charges
    Per lead. Hook Agency reports $15 to $85, near $100 in some markets.
    Who it suits
    Small, fast jobs, and businesses with someone free to answer every lead within minutes.
    Where it falls short
    Leads are reported as shared with at least three other contractors, and BBB reviewers report charges on cancelling.

  6. Other pay-per-lead sites

    Networx, Porch, Modernize, Houzz Pro

    What it charges
    These sell homeowner leads to contractors. We have not reviewed their prices or terms yet, so we print none.
    Who it suits
    Not yet reviewed.
    Where it falls short
    Not yet reviewed. Ask each one how many contractors receive a lead and what it costs to leave.

How to choose

Ask five things of any lead generation company before you pay it.

  • What am I charged, and when? Per lead, per click, per month?
  • How many contractors receive the same lead?
  • What does it cost to leave, and is that in writing?
  • How fast does work arrive?
  • If I stop paying, what do I still have?

Then test it with real numbers. Take a month of spend, count the jobs you won from it, and divide. The lead cost calculator does the arithmetic.

You do not have to pick one. A contractor can run ads for this month's phone calls and build partners for next year's work.

Questions about lead generation companies for contractors

  1. What is the best lead generation for contractors?

    The best lead generation for a contractor depends on job size, so no one company is the best lead service for contractors. The best lead services for contractors with small, fast jobs are pay-per-lead sites and Google Local Services Ads, which bring volume quickly. For larger jobs, a homeowner chooses slowly and compares several companies, so sources a contractor keeps fit better: their own website, past customers and referral partners.

  2. What are pay per lead companies for contractors?

    Pay per lead companies for contractors sell a homeowner's request to one or more contractors and charge for each one. Angi Leads, Thumbtack, Networx, Porch and Modernize work this way. Every lead is charged, so track cost per booked job. Lead generation apps for contractors, the apps for contractors to find work, are the same companies on a phone. With Facebook lead ads for contractors, the contractor pays for the ad, not each lead.

  3. How should a contractor compare lead generation companies?

    A contractor should compare lead generation companies on five points: what is charged and when, how many contractors receive the same lead, what it costs to leave, how fast leads arrive, and what is left if the contractor stops paying. Then run a month of real numbers and divide total spend by the jobs won.

  4. What are the best lead generation websites for contractors?

    The best lead generation websites for contractors depend on the job. Lead generation websites for contractors tend to pay for small, quick jobs where the homeowner hires the first company to call back. They pay less well for large projects, where the same homeowner is sold to several contractors and takes weeks to decide. Results depend on trade, market and speed of reply.

Sources

Company names are trademarks of their owners. Contractor Referral Partners is not affiliated with any company listed here other than itself.

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