Why contractors leave the marketplaces
The complaints are consistent across trades, and none of them are about the platforms being evil. They are about the model.
- Shared leads. One homeowner request is commonly sold to 3 to 8 contractors. You are paying for a race you did not know you entered.
- You pay whether or not it answers. Wrong numbers, tire-kickers and out-of-area requests all bill the same. Credits exist but you fight for them.
- No qualification. A name and a phone number is not a lead. It is a row.
- The price moves. Lead prices climb with demand, and demand is highest exactly when you are busiest.
- No asset. Stop paying and the leads stop the same day. Nothing you built is yours.
Six alternatives, compared
| Alternative | How it charges | Exclusive? | Best for | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Local Services Ads | Per lead, with disputes | Mostly shared with the other LSA pros the homeowner messaged | Emergency trades with strong reviews | Background-check onboarding, and still a race to answer |
| Google Ads (search) | Per click | Yes, to your site | High-ticket jobs where intent is obvious in the query | Clicks are expensive; a weak landing page burns the budget |
| Meta lead ads | Per impression, so per lead varies | Yes | Building steady volume, seasonal pushes, retargeting | Form leads go cold in minutes if nothing texts them back |
| Google Business Profile and reviews | Free | Yes | Every contractor, always | Slow to build, impossible to turn up on demand |
| Referral system | Free or a thank-you | Yes | Established companies with happy customers | Needs a process; most contractors never ask |
| Exclusive-lead agency (BMT) | Flat monthly retainer; ad spend separate | Yes, one client per market, capped per zip | Contractors who want the whole funnel run for them and every lead answered in 90 seconds | You are trusting one partner with the funnel, so read the terms: no contract, leads replaced if unconfirmed in 24h |
The one thing that decides all six
Every channel above produces a lead that goes cold in minutes. The contractors who win on Google Ads, on Meta, even on Angi, are the ones who answer first. The ones who lose blame the channel.
Before switching channels, fix the answer. If a lead can text your business at 9 p.m. and get a real reply in a minute, every channel on this list gets cheaper. If they get voicemail, none of them will save you. Here is the simplest version of that fix, and here is what a full AI answering service does for a roofer.
How to switch without a dead month
- Keep the marketplace running for 30 days while the new channel warms up. Dispute every bad lead in that window; you have nothing to lose.
- Turn on the text back first. It improves the marketplace leads you are still paying for while the new funnel builds.
- Track cost per booked job, not cost per lead, for both channels side by side. The worksheet is here.
- Cut the marketplace when the exclusive channel books more jobs per dollar, which for most contractors is inside the first two months.
Where BMT fits
BMT is the last row in the table. We build your website from your own work, run and keep improving your ads, run your social, and answer every inquiry over SMS in under 90 seconds, qualifying it before your team calls. One flat retainer, no contract, ad spend shown line by line, and the lead is yours alone. Pick your trade: roofers, HVAC, plumbers, electricians, or build a demo below and see the ads and texts before you talk to anyone.
Questions contractors ask us
Is Angi Leads the same as HomeAdvisor?
Yes. HomeAdvisor was folded into Angi Leads. The lead-selling model, shared leads billed per lead, is the same.
Can I get exclusive leads from Angi?
Angi sells some higher-priced lead products with fewer buyers, but you are still on their platform, on their pricing, with no asset of your own when you stop.
What is the cheapest alternative?
Google Business Profile plus a reviews process is free and outperforms most paid channels over a year. It is also the slowest, which is why contractors pair it with a paid channel they own.
Is there a contract or a per-lead fee?
No. BMT charges a flat monthly retainer. Ad spend, when you run ads through us, is separate and in addition, and you see it line by line. There are no per-lead fees and no minimums.
Are the leads exclusive?
Yes. A lead that comes through your BMT funnel goes to you and nobody else. We cap client slots per zip code so two BMT clients in the same trade are never competing for the same homeowner.
What if a lead does not respond?
A lead that does not confirm within 24 hours is replaced free. You are paying for conversations, not rows in a spreadsheet.
See what BMT would build for your business.
Give us your business name and watch the AI build your demo: your homepage rebuilt, the ads we would run, and the texts your leads would get. About a minute, free, no call required.