Is Thumbtack (or Angi) worth it? Run the numbers per closed job

Thumbtack or Angi is worth it if your cost per closed job, meaning all your lead fees divided by the jobs you actually won, stays well below the gross profit on those jobs. Reviews from other contractors can't tell you that, because the number depends on your trade, your market, and how fast you respond. You can work it out from three numbers in your own account.

How Thumbtack charges

Thumbtack's help center explains it directly (How much do I pay for leads?):

• You pay for leads: customers who reach out to you directly. When a customer contacts you from search results and the job matches your job preferences, you auto-pay for the lead.
• Prices vary with the type and size of the job, how many pros are available, and your market.
• You set your lead prices. A slider in the Pro app sets how competitive you want to be, and that's the exact amount you pay per lead.
• Opportunities (open leads) show the price upfront. You reach out first and only pay if the customer responds.

In other words, you're paying for the introduction, not the job. A paid lead can still hire someone else.

What Thumbtack refunds, and what it doesn't

Thumbtack's refund policy for pros says some refunds are automatic, for example when a lead is flagged by its Trust and Safety team or when you decline a Smart Match lead and say it wasn't a fit. For everything else you can request a refund within 45 days of the charge, and Thumbtack decides case by case, at its sole discretion.

Situations the policy says will most likely qualify:

• the job changed significantly, such as moving outside your travel area
• the customer's first message on an Opportunity is a clear "no thanks"
• the lead violates Thumbtack's Terms of Use
• a fixed date falls outside the availability you blocked on your calendar
• an invalid or disconnected phone number
• a duplicate lead for an identical job within 45 days, or being charged twice

What's not on the list: a real customer who simply picks someone else. That's the cost of doing business on a lead platform, and it's why you have to count closed jobs, not leads.

What to ask Angi before you sign

Angi's pro sign-up page advertises "over 1.5M opportunities last month" but doesn't publish a rate card. Before you sign, get these answers in writing:

1. What's the price range per lead for my trade and ZIP codes?
2. Is there a membership or monthly fee on top of lead costs?
3. How long is the contract, and does it renew automatically?
4. What does it cost to cancel early?
5. Which leads can I get credited, and how do I ask?

If a rep won't put the numbers in writing, treat that as your answer.

The worksheet: cost per closed job

Pull the last three months from your account and write down:

Then:

• Cost per lead = A ÷ B
• Close rate = C ÷ B
• Cost per closed job = A ÷ C

A made-up example: $900 spent, 30 leads, 5 jobs won. That's $30 per lead, but $180 per closed job. Compare the $180 to your average gross profit per job, what's left after materials and labor. If a typical job leaves you $1,200, the platform is working. If it leaves you $250, most of your margin goes to the introduction.

How to improve your number on the platform

• Respond fast. On a lead platform, other pros may be contacting the same customer.
• Tighten your job preferences so you only pay for jobs you actually want: service types, travel area, job size.
• Lower your lead price on services where your close rate is low, and raise it where you win often.
• Request refunds for every lead that fits the policy, within 45 days.
• Track by service. Your cost per closed job for water heaters and drain cleaning can be very different.

Is it worth it? A simple rule

Keep a platform for the services where your cost per closed job is comfortably below your gross profit per job, and use it to fill gaps. Where it isn't, spend the time on sources you own: a complete Google Business Profile, a page for each service and town on your website, and a steady review routine. Measure those with the same worksheet.

For a side-by-side of the owned options, see our guide to Thumbtack and Angi alternatives.

Quick recap

• Thumbtack charges per lead. You set your lead price, and prices vary by job, market, and competition.
• Refunds cover specific problems, not a customer who hires someone else.
• Angi publishes no rate card, so get pricing, contract term, and cancellation terms in writing.
• The number that decides it: total spent ÷ jobs won.

Want to know how many customers in your area could find you directly on Google instead? Request the free visibility check below.