What lead aggregators are
Lead aggregators and marketplaces, such as Angi and Thumbtack, collect homeowner requests and sell them to contractors. You may pay per lead, per job or on a subscription, depending on the platform. Some leads go to several companies at once, and others are exclusive.
They can be a quick way to fill a calendar, enter a new market or cover a slow season. They can also become the largest line in a marketing budget without anyone knowing what it sells.
Why they need watching
The platform reports leads and cost per lead, and both can look reasonable. The cost that matters is the cost of a sold job. A source with cheap leads and a low close rate can cost more per sale than a source with expensive leads that close.
Shared leads add a second problem: speed. When several companies receive the same lead, the first to reach the homeowner often has the advantage. If your team calls back hours later, the lead was already gone.
What we run
Bids and budgets
Set by service, market and source, and adjusted as results come in.
Lead quality and disputes
Invalid, duplicate and out-of-area leads reviewed and disputed where the platform allows.
Speed-to-lead
Leads reached in minutes through routing, text and call, so you are first when it counts.
Reconciliation to sold jobs
Every lead matched to booked and sold work, source by source.
Cost per closed job
The number that decides whether a source stays.
Mix and exit decisions
Which aggregators to keep, which to cut and where to move the money.
How we run it
Audit what you buy
Every source reviewed against leads, booked jobs, sold jobs and spend.
Fix the response
Routing and follow-up set up so new leads are reached quickly.
Manage quality
Disputes filed, bids and budgets tuned and duplicates tracked.
Keep, cut or shift
Sources that sell get more. Sources that do not get cut or reduced.
Cost per lead vs cost per closed job
What the platform shows
What we report
Leads received
Booked appointments
Cost per lead
Cost per closed job
Lead volume by category
Revenue by source
Credits available
Credits requested and received
Once leads are matched to jobs, the picture often changes. A source that looked expensive may earn its place, and one that looked cheap may not. You see both, and decide with the numbers.
Speed wins the lead
With a shared lead, the homeowner usually talks to the first company that picks up. We set up instant notification, routing to whoever is available and a fast text when no one can answer. The aim is simple: reach the homeowner before the competition does, and measure how often it happens.
When to cut a source
Cutting a source should be a decision with evidence behind it, not a reaction to a bad week. These are the signs we look for.
Cost per closed job above what the job can support
The lead may close, but the margin does not cover it.
Low contact rate
Many leads are unreachable or invalid, and disputes do not recover enough.
Heavy overlap with other sources
You are paying for homeowners you would have reached anyway.
Results that do not improve after fixes
Faster follow-up and tuning have not moved the numbers.
Lead aggregators by trade
Which platforms matter, and how they perform, depends on the trade and the market.
Roofing
High-ticket jobs and long decisions. Shared leads need fast contact and a quick estimate process, and cost per sold roof matters more than lead volume.
HVAC
Repair leads are often urgent and replacement leads are planned. Track them separately, since they cost and close differently.
Plumbing
Urgency makes speed decisive. After-hours handling and call routing often decide who wins the lead.
Electrical
Mixed urgent and planned work. Match leads to the services you want, and dispute those outside your scope.
Landscaping and lawn care
Many leads are one-time, but recurring plans change their value. We track what leads become recurring customers.
Pest control
Leads often become recurring plans. We measure plan signups and renewals, not only first treatments.
Garage doors
Urgent and call-driven. Speed and an accurate service area decide whether a lead is worth buying.
Cleaning services
Quote-driven and price-sensitive. We watch repeat bookings, because a one-time lead is worth less than a regular.
Every other home-service trade
Every trade gets the same test: what each source books and sells, and what it costs per closed job.
Common mistakes
× Judging on cost per lead.
The cost that matters is per sold job.
× Slow response.
Shared leads go to whoever answers first.
× Never disputing leads.
Credits are not automatic.
× Dropping a source overnight.
If it is a large share of your calendar, plan the shift.
× Not tracking sources through to sale.
Without it, you are guessing which platforms pay back.
What to expect
The first step is an honest look at what you buy today. Many companies find a mix of sources that earn their place and sources that do not. From there we improve response and quality, and shift budget as the evidence supports. We cannot promise lower costs, but you will see the cost per closed job for every source.
