Own a website that captures the inquiry, keep your name and phone identical on free listings, ask for Google reviews without buying stars, and treat marketplaces that sell leads as a budget line — not the whole plan. Nobody can promise a lead count.
How do I get leads I own?
A lead you own is one that hits your phone, email or inbox because the customer found your site, your Google listing, or a referral — not because you bought their contact from a marketplace. The practical stack is simple: a website with a clear form, a claimed Google Business Profile, matching details on the other free directories, and a habit of asking for reviews the legal way after each finished job.
Write a page for each service and each city you actually cover. Put the phone number and a form above the fold. Answer what the work includes and how to get in touch. Do not invent cities. For the page itself, see what to put on a contractor website and websites for contractors.
When someone does enquire, reply the same day. Speed matters more than a polished PDF. Draft a reply if you need help with the wording, then you send it. Keep a short log of where each lead came from so you know which channels earn their keep.
How do Thumbtack and Angi say they charge?
Pay-per-lead and advertising marketplaces are not “wrong.” They are expensive when they are your only pipe. Describe them from their own pages, then decide.
Thumbtack
Thumbtack’s pro help explains that you finish a profile, turn on job preferences, set a weekly budget for leads, and add a card. On smarter lead matching, you set a lead price range per trade; Thumbtack uses estimated job value to set the cost of each lead inside that range. You’re charged when a customer messages you about a job. Once you pass the weekly budget, new leads stop until the budget resets the following Monday. Decline a bad match before you reply when the product offers that path, so the match can improve.
Angi
Angi’s homeowner FAQ states that Angi is free for homeowners to use, and that revenue comes from service professionals who pay to advertise services and discount offers on Angi, plus paid homeowner memberships. Partner pages for pros describe getting matched with leads and mention enrollment discounts on leads. Angi does not list a single public dollar amount per lead on the pages checked for this guide — you have to ask them for a rate for your trade and area.
Use marketplaces with a weekly cap, track close rate, and turn them down when the cost per booked job stops making sense. Do not confuse a paid lead with a Google review — buying or incentivising reviews is a different, banned practice. See Google reviews that follow the rules.
A simple lead stack that does not start with a bid
1. Website and form
One domain, service pages, city pages you cover, phone and form. Send the form to an inbox you check on the truck. If the site is still a Facebook page, that is the first fix.
2. Google Business Profile and matching NAP
Claim the listing. Keep name, address and phone identical on Google, Apple Maps, Bing, Facebook and the site. Hours that say you are open when the phone goes to voicemail waste the click. More on that in local SEO for contractors.
3. Reviews without incentives
Google’s tips allow a review link or QR code after a genuine job. No discounts for stars. Same ask after every finished job.
4. Referrals and past customers
A short message to past customers when you have open capacity costs less than a marketplace lead. Keep it factual. Do not invent scarcity.
5. AI assistants as a check, not a campaign
Once a week, ask ChatGPT, Google AI and Perplexity for a contractor in your trade and city. Note who they name and which sites they cite. Fix those sources. That is measurement, not a promise of a mention — see how to get recommended by ChatGPT.
6. Optional marketplace budget
Only after the owned channels are working. Cap the weekly spend. Compare cost per booked job to a lead that came from your own site.
Checklist
- Website live with phone and form on every service page.
- Google Business Profile claimed; name, phone and address match the site.
- Review ask after finished jobs, with no incentive for a star rating.
- Leads logged by source so you can see what earns money.
- Marketplace spend capped weekly, if you use one at all.
- State license and insurance checked with your state board before you advertise.
Questions
Are pay-per-lead sites banned?
No. They are optional. Use them if the math works for your trade and city. Build a site and free listings first so you are not dependent on someone else’s auction.
How does Thumbtack charge?
From Thumbtack’s help pages: you set a weekly budget and lead price ranges by trade. You’re charged when a customer messages you about a job. Within your range, higher-value jobs cost more than simpler ones.
How does Angi charge?
Angi’s homeowner FAQ says service professionals pay to advertise services and discount offers on Angi. Partner pages describe enrollment with lead discounts. Angi does not publish a single public dollar-per-lead price on the pages checked for this guide.
Can you guarantee more leads from a website?
No. A clear site with a working form and matching listings removes friction. It does not promise volume.
Do I need a license to advertise?
Licensing and insurance rules vary by state. Check with your state licensing board before you advertise a trade that requires a license where you work.
Keeping leads in one inbox
You can run the owned stack with any host and a shared inbox. If you use Mortar, Morris builds the website, form leads land in the leads inbox, and Draft with Morris writes a reply you send. The free Grow scorecard shows whether new customers can find you on Google and AI assistants. Core is $49 a month for the business. Grow is $29 a month as an add-on. See pricing, Grow, and Jobber alternatives if you are comparing software.