HomeAdvisor vs Angi: What Contractors Really Pay in 2026

HomeAdvisor and Angi both belong to the same parent company, and over the last few years their differences have gotten smaller and smaller. This isn't just a matter of branding; it affects how leads are distributed, the kind of homeowner requests you'll see, and what you agree to pay. When you sign up, whether it says Angi Leads or HomeAdvisor Pro, your profile and business details usually sync between both, and you may show up on both platforms.

• Expect similar dashboards and processes for lead buying.
• Your reviews and photos might appear on both sites, even if you only signed up for one.
• Changes to one account can affect the other.

Angi and HomeAdvisor work on a shared-lead system. When a homeowner fills out a request - say, for a driveway cleaning or tree removal - the system matches their location and project type with several contractors. The big piece to remember: you are likely not the only company calling. The same lead is commonly sold to multiple contractors, sometimes as many as four or five at once.

• Leads get distributed to many pros within your trade and area, often within seconds.
• You may pick up the phone to find a homeowner already talking to someone else - or several someone elses.
• It's first-come, first-served for booking an appointment.

Both Angi and HomeAdvisor charge you per lead - not just for the jobs you win, but for every homeowner request that matches your profile. These charges apply whether or not you win the work. The moment the system matches a lead to you based on ZIP code and service, you see a bill in your account, even if the lead turns out to be unavailable, unqualified, or just tire-kickers.

• Lead fees are not tied to booking a quote visit or securing the job.
• You pay for each opportunity delivered to your dashboard, not just the work you score.
• Expect the charges to hit your account even if you reject or miss the lead unless you dispute it.

How much you pay for leads through HomeAdvisor and Angi in 2026 depends on your trade's competition and ZIP code. They publish their base rates (which change by area and service) on their sites, and state that rates cover "competitive demand" for leads. Larger, big-ticket jobs are often priced at a higher lead fee. The HomeAdvisor Pro agreement and Angi Lead Policy outline current lead fee ranges by category, but these numbers can shift suddenly without warning.

• Your charge per lead can change month to month as the platform tests new prices in your area.
• Read the actual agreement before you click, since you sign up to pay for leads as soon as they match you.
• Public reports at various times have shown both platforms introducing new fees or service tiers - watch for these in your billing breakdown.

Most pressure washing or tree pros walk in thinking they can call a few leads, win a job, and be done; the frustration comes from surprises and wasted time. Some common mistakes:

• Not pausing your account before a vacation or busy season, causing a pile of leads you get charged for but can't handle.
• Not tracking your contact attempts. Platform policies support disputes if you have a record of when you called, texted, or emailed each lead (including times and screenshots).
• Forgetting to adjust the ZIP codes you serve, which means paying for leads in areas you can't reach or don't want.
• Thinking lead refunds are automatic. The process is manual - expect to have to follow up, provide documentation, and sometimes get denied.

Before you clear a slot in your day to quote an Angi or HomeAdvisor lead, there are steps that help avoid wasted trips. This takes more time up front but protects your margins:

• Confirm the homeowner's project details before leaving: Are they the real decision maker? Is the problem urgent or just a "price check"?
• Ask if they've booked with anyone else - many will admit they've scheduled three or four quotes.
• Set expectations about your process and what happens at a quote visit, so the homeowner knows it's not just an over-the-phone estimate.
• Only block your time on the calendar once you have a phone confirmation, not just a lead alert.

One alternative to shared-lead systems is exclusive, pre-booked appointments. With an exclusive lead - such as those provided by StingLeads - the homeowner's free quote visit is already scheduled on your calendar, and it's not being sold to other providers in your area.

• You choose the ZIP codes where you want these quote visits to occur, focusing your team's travel.
• Each appointment is exclusive, so you're not calling behind three or four other companies who got the same request.
• Leads are billed per appointment, not subscription, and if the homeowner isn't there or doesn't want the service, you can mark it as a bad lead.
• Find pricing details and area/trade specifics at this link - it is always current for your region.

Whether you're using Angi, HomeAdvisor, or another source, owners often overlook how much bad leads quietly eat into their spend. Both major platforms do allow for reporting of leads that are wrong-number, renters, or not interested in the right service, but the process can be tedious and far from automatic.

• Always save screenshots of your calls and texts so you have proof when you file a dispute.
• Track which leads are actual homeowners and which ones are mismatches, as you must document this in your claim.
• If a lead has a real defect (a wrong or disconnected number, outside your area, a service you don't offer, a homeowner who canceled before the visit, or a wrong address), report it and we credit it back or replace it.

This part is not our opinion, it is public record, and it is worth reading before you spend with any shared-lead marketplace.

In March 2022 the Federal Trade Commission filed an administrative complaint against HomeAdvisor, alleging that since at least mid-2014 the company made false, misleading or unsubstantiated claims about the quality and the source of the leads it sold to service providers, including how often those leads turned into paying customers. In January 2023 the FTC issued an order requiring HomeAdvisor to pay up to $7.2 million and to stop deceptively marketing its leads, and in April 2023 the Commission approved the final order. In November 2023 the FTC returned more than $3 million to businesses that had paid for HomeAdvisor memberships and opened a claims process for more.

State regulators have acted too. On 13 October 2025 the Vermont Attorney General settled with Angi over the marketing term "Angi Certified Pro": Vermont has no contractor certification of that kind, Angi agreed to stop using the term and to pay the State $100,000, and to point users at the State's own register instead.

Read the orders yourself rather than taking our word for any of it. We compete with these companies, so we are not a neutral party. What the record shows is that claims about lead quality are worth checking, whoever is making them, including us.

If you want to dial in how you get new business, the choice is between shared leads vs. booked, exclusive appointments. With shared leads, you are in a race - speed, process, and follow-up matter most, but you'll have to accept that some percentage is wasted time. With exclusive booked visits, quality is higher per lead since no one else is calling the same homeowner for that slot, and your crew can go straight to a confirmed quote appointment.

• Match your lead buying to your sales process: crews who can sell on the spot may do better with booked appointments.
• If you rely on volume, or your area is underserved, shared leads may fill your schedule - if you monitor your cost and process closely.
• Always check the lead source, the terms, and the refund/reporting process before you start paying per lead.