Top Lead Generation Websites and Tactics for Contractors

What is Contractor Lead Generation?

Contractor lead generation is a marketing process that connects your contractor business to potential clients. 

Lead generation aims to develop a list of potential clients you can nurture over time to book a job (conversion).

Contractors can generate leads by various methods, such as:

• A quote request form

• A downloadable guide that requires contact details for access

• Websites and landing pages

• Ads

• Social media

• Referrals

Why is Lead Generation Important for Contracting Businesses?

Lead generation is important for contracting businesses because it attracts potential clients, drives client acquisition, and helps to build a steady flow of work and sustained growth. This, in turn, contributes to secure profitability.

The key benefits of lead generation activities for contractors are listed below:

• Precise targeting: Unlike traditional marketing methods like billboards or mass flyering, lead generation can be targeted to potential customers needing a contractor in your field. This targeting makes it more likely that you will capture leads.

• Tailored approach: Because there are so many different methods of contractor lead generation, the strategy can be adapted to fit your specific goals and business needs.

• Reaching people in the right place: By placing your lead generation content, ads, or links in the right places, you reach potential customers where they search or browse. 

• More qualified leads: Thanks to the benefits above, lead generation offers a unique opportunity to earn qualified leads, meaning prospects who are genuinely interested in the services you offer and are more likely to become clients.

Which Websites Do Contractors Use to Get Leads?

Contractors use the following websites and platforms to generate leads:

• Google Business Profile

• Angi

• HomeAdvisor

• Houzz

• Bing Places

• BuildZoom

• Google Local Services Ads

• Thumbtack

• Porch

• Yelp

• Taskrabbit

• Facebook Business

• Nextdoor

• Pro Referral

• Handy

It’s important to manage your online listings and reviews on these websites and platforms to keep your details updated and to show your customers you care about their business. However, manually updating information and replying to reviews can be overwhelming.

ServiceTitan’s Reputation Management feature is helpful here as it lets you update information across all your listings at once, and you can manage and respond to reviews from different platforms all in one place.

The tool helps you streamline lead generation and reputation management, saving time and money.

Now, let’s take a look at each of these platforms in more detail.

1. Google Business Profile

Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is a Google service that helps potential customers in your local area find your business through Google Search and Google Maps.

Google Business Profile is free to use and easy to set up. To get started, you simply need to claim a listing. 

The benefits of using Google Business Profile include:

• It’s free.

• It increases local search engine optimization (SEO), so your business will appear in “near me” search results.

• It contributes to your online reputation as it collects reviews.

• It includes your business contact information, website, services, reviews, and photos.

• Customers can book jobs directly from your listing.

• Your business is highlighted in Google Search results.

Some key potential cons of Google Business Profile are:

• As the platform is free for anyone, it can sometimes attract more spam reviews than others. Moreover, although there are systems to detect fake or spam reviews, Google reviews are not verified. There is a chance of receiving damaging fake reviews.

• It’s not possible to customize the information your customers see.

• There’s not a lot of support if you run into problems.

Google Business Profile is free to use.

2. Angi Ads

Angi Ads is a digital advertising platform where contractors can promote themselves to homeowners seeking specific services.

The benefits of using Angi Ads include:

• The platform learns your job preferences (type, hours, regions, etc.) over time and uses “smart matching” to match you with potential customers, so you’re more likely to get quality leads. 

• You can increase your business’s visibility in search results by generating more branded searches and driving traffic and engagement with your website or profile.

• As you can gather reviews on Angi Ads, it can help improve your online reputation.

• Angi Ads is available through the website and a mobile app.

Some key potential cons of Angi Ads are:

• A fee is charged for every lead, even if you don’t win the job.

• The platform can be expensive when paying for every lead on top of advertising costs.

• You could get charged for fake leads.

• You will struggle to generate leads if you don’t use paid ads.

• You need lots of reviews to get a lot of visibility.

Creating an Angi Ads profile is free, but further pricing isn’t available publicly.

Angi seamlessly integrates with ServiceTitan so every lead automatically populates your ServiceTitan Bookings Page.  This integration helped Barron Heating & Air Conditioning increase their revenue by finding new customers.

“We get a lead from Angi, and we do a good job with that customer. If we do it right, they're not shopping again,” says Michael Takemura, Director of Supply Chain and Technology.

3. HomeAdvisor

HomeAdvisor is an online platform used by local home service professionals to connect with homeowners. Customers can browse through contractors and request quotes to compare.

The benefits of using HomeAdvisor include:

• It helps build your reputation and improves search visibility.

• It offers a good return on investment.

• You can pause leads if you’re too busy to take on new jobs.

• HomeAdvisor is available on the web and via a mobile app.

• It’s easy to use.

• You're given a credit if a lead isn’t a good fit.

Some key potential cons of HomeAdvisor are:

• It charges a lot for leads, regardless of whether you get the job.

• Some users report low-quality or fake leads.

• HomeAdvisor is free for homeowners, so you can still be charged for a lead even when customers are window-shopping.

• HomeAdvisor owns all reviews so you can’t republish them on your website.

HomeAdvisor costs $300 for an annual subscription with an additional fee of around $30 to $60 per lead.

4. Houzz

Houzz is a community and online platform where home improvement contractors can showcase their portfolio, services, and advice. It features an online marketplace where homeowners can look for design and renovation contractors.

The benefits of using Houzz include:

• It’s free to list your business and share completed projects.

• Option to improve visibility on the platform by answering questions in Q&A threads.

• Houzz screens leads for you so you can focus on quality leads who are more likely to hire you.

Some key potential cons of Houzz are:

• Premium subscribers are prioritized over free accounts and subscribers on lower tiers, so you may lose out if you’re not on the highest package.

• Premium subscriptions are expensive.

• Areas with more competition result in a higher cost per lead.

Houzz offers a free Basic plan for professionals to list their companies and showcase their work and services. It also offers five pricing plans for premium features:

• Starter: $85/month for access to the CRM, proposals, estimates, invoicing, and more

• Essential: $129/month for takeoffs, phone support, selections, and Google Drive integrations.

• Pro: $199/month for premium support, subcontractor management, assemblies, change orders, and project schedule.

• Custom: Tailored pricing for advanced features and support.

• Advertising package: Starting at $499/month for access to the lead generation program, targeted advertising, and preferred directory placement.

All packages are an annual commitment, except the advertising and custom packages, which have a seven-day free trial. View the Houzz pricing page for more information. 

5. Bing Places

Bing Places is an online service from Microsoft that works similarly to Google Business Profile. Businesses create a Bing Places Business Listing so the company appears on Bing Maps and local search results. 

Users add information such as their office address, business hours, and contact details so customers can easily get in touch.

The benefits of using Bing Places include:

• Creating a Bing Business Profile and claiming your listing is free.

• You will appear higher in Bing search results when you have a listing.

• It helps you reach local leads through Microsoft’s search engine.

Some key potential cons of Bing Places are:

• Although the offering is much the same as Google, Bing is a less popular search engine.

Bing Places is free to use. 

6. BuildZoom

BuildZoom is a database of contractor profiles that includes customer reviews, historical project data, and licensing information. It also offers cost estimation and project management tools. 

Unlike other websites, BuildZoom invites contractors to bid for jobs.

The benefits of using BuildZoom include:

• The platform uses smart matching to provide qualified leads.

• You only pay for won leads via a referral fee, so you can consider jobs and meet with clients for free.

• It’s free to use with no subscription.

• Every client is vetted, so there’s no risk of fake leads.

• Review the full project before bidding.

• BuildZoom operates a performance-based model where the better you work and communicate, the more projects you can get.

Some key potential cons of BuildZoom are:

• The platform is very competitive, so small or new businesses may find it hard to get jobs.

• A 2.5 percent referral fee is charged on the agreed project price, so it can get pricey on large jobs.

BuildZoom is free to use.

7. Google Local Services Ads

Google Local Services ads are an excellent lead-generation strategy. The ads place your Google Business Profile at the top of local search results when a potential client searches for services you provide in your area.

The benefits of using Google Local Services Ads include:

• You won't be charged if someone clicks your ad while looking at different contractors. You only pay when someone contacts you.

• Businesses can earn a Google Guaranteed badge that shows they are reliable.

Some key potential cons of Google Business Profile are:

• Ad targeting and content are limited.

• Competition can be very high in popular areas.

• You still have to pay for every lead who contacts you even if they don’t hire you.

• No lead screening means there’s no guarantee of quality so you may pay for poor-quality leads.

Google Local Services pricing isn’t publicly available, but you can set your own budget, and there’s a budget calculator on the website. According to this, an average budget for a general contractor in New York, NY, to get one monthly lead would be $36 to $54 a month.

You can optimize your Local Services Ads using ServiceTitan’s Ad Optimizer to boost revenue and increase lead quality.  Proximo Marketing’s Senior Account Manager, Liz Soto, says: 

“The most important aspect of digital marketing [...] is being able to link that directly to job details and all the way through to the revenue.” 

Ad Optimizer uses Titan Intelligence to learn what your ideal customer looks like.  It uses this information to teach Google to show your ads to the searchers who are most likely to book with you.

Proximo Marketing increased lead quality from 44% to 60% and brought in an almost 100% better ROI for one of their plumbing clients thanks to the Ad Optimizer tool.

8. Thumbtack

Thumbtack is a database of contractor profiles where you can list your business for free and generate leads based on your targeted preferences.

The benefits of using Thumbtack include:

• It’s free to join with no membership or subscription.

• It offers two methods of lead generation—either leads contact you, or you can reach out to potential customers who may be interested in your services. In the first model, you pay for every lead who contacts you, whereas in the second model, you only pay if they respond.

• Users can earn profile badges to help them stand out, such as “In High Demand” and “Responds Quickly.”

• Competition limit improves your chances of winning jobs.

• Available as a mobile app.

• Integrates with many customer management platforms including ServiceTitan, Housecall Pro, and Workiz.

Some key potential cons of Thumbtack are:

• Potential for expensive but low-quality leads.

• Popular locations or services can have high competition, even with the limit.

Thumbtack is free to use, and the price per lead varies depending on the job, location, and competition.

9. Porch

Porch is a platform where homeowners can connect with contractors by requesting work. Unlike some other platforms on this list, Porch allows more customization so users can set work preferences, decide how to receive leads, and how to pay.

The benefits of using Porch include:

• It’s free to create a Porch profile.

• Choose how you want to receive leads: email, text, or direct phone calls.

• There are options to buy individual leads, receive leads automatically with a monthly budget, or combine the two.

• Transparent pricing helps with setting a budget.

• Users can upgrade to the Vetted Pro network and receive a profile badge that shows trust. If certain conditions are met, Vetted Pros can receive lead credits and a five percent discount.

Some key potential cons of Porch are:

• As Porch is a smaller lead generation platform, it doesn’t offer as many high-quality leads as larger services

Listing your profile on Porch is free, and lead costs vary depending on the project price. The Vetted Pro network costs $360 a year.

10. Yelp

Yelp is a review website where customers can leave reviews about their experience with your company. Potential customers often search Yelp for local businesses to look at reviews from past customers, so it’s important to maintain your Yelp business profile and build a good reputation.

The benefits of using Yelp include:

• Claiming a Yelp business profile is free.

• According to Comscore, over 77 million people visit Yelp each month.

• Yelp Ads display your business profile in search and competitor pages to improve reach.

• You only pay for Yelp Ads when someone clicks your ad or requests a quote.

• At the time of writing, Yelp offers $300 in ad credits when you sign up for Yelp Ads.

• Paying for the Upgrade Package lets you add call-to-action buttons so leads can contact you directly from your listing.

Some key potential cons of Yelp are:

• Competitors can advertise on your page unless you have the Upgrade Package.

• Limited listing customization on free profiles.

A basic Yelp business profile is free. The Upgrade Package costs an average of $6 per day, billed monthly, and Yelp Ads cost anywhere from $5 a day, billed monthly. Yelp offers a 14-day free trial of premium features.

11. TaskRabbit

TaskRabbit is a home services directory platform where customers can request tasks and connect with “Taskers”. It doesn’t directly generate leads but is a good way of filling business gaps and promoting your business.

The benefits of using TaskRabbit include:

• Taskers who register for skilled home services tasks are vetted, and all certifications are checked, so accepted Taskers are proven credible.

• Taskers pay a once-off registration fee of $25. You set your rates for tasks and keep all earnings as the client pays the lead fees.

• The platform has invoicing and payment features.

Some key potential cons of TaskRabbit are:

• Jobs are assigned based on client demand so opportunities can be inconsistent.

• The platform is primarily used for small, quick tasks and projects, so it’s unlikely you’ll find large or long-term jobs.

• Most clients are seeking budget-friendly services. This, paired with the small-scale work, can mean a lower pay rate.

TaskRabbit charges a one-time $25 registration fee.

12. Facebook Business

Facebook Business is a social media platform where you can make a business page for your company, run ads, collect reviews, and communicate with potential clients.

The benefits of using Facebook Business include:

• Creating a profile is free.

• It serves multiple purposes in addition to lead generation.

• You can share company updates, discounts, competitions, and images and videos of completed projects for free.

• It’s easy to set up and run ads.

• You can run broad ads or hyper-target them to put your services in front of the right audience.

Some key potential cons of Facebook Business are:

• Ads aren’t guaranteed to generate leads even if they’re seen by a lot of users.

• There is a lot of competition as many businesses run Facebook ads.

• Facebook has a broad range of users, so it can be difficult to reach serious prospects without hyper-specific (and more expensive) targeting.

• When users are exposed to lots of similar ads, they can get ‘ad fatigue’, reducing effectiveness. 

Facebook is free to use.

13. Nextdoor

Nextdoor is a social networking platform where a neighborhood’s residents and businesses can connect and share local news, talk about community issues, and ask for recommendations.

The benefits of using Nextdoor include:

• It’s free to claim a business page.

• You can connect with homeowners in your service area.

• Nextdoor recommendations can help turn word-of-mouth referrals into leads.

• It puts your business in front of prospects who want to hire a local company.

Some key potential cons of Nextdoor are:

• Businesses only get two free posts a month. Advertising beyond that can be expensive.

• Nextdoor focuses on a hyper-local, niche audience, so it may not be relevant to contractors looking for large or specialty jobs.

• Negative comments spread quickly and can damage your local reputation.

You can use Nextdoor for free. You are only charged for ads and posts beyond the two free monthly posts.

14. Pro Referral

Pro Referral is a contractor referral platform operated by Home Depot. It connects Home Depot customers with contractors who offer the services they need. The system works similarly to a loyalty program as contractors earn points for shopping at Home Depot, and the points turn into leads.

The benefits of using Pro Referral include:

• Leads are ‘cost-free’ as they are bought with reward points.

• Two reward points are awarded for every $1 spent on tools or materials at Home Depot. Leads cost 40 points each which is equivalent to $20 spent.

• It has a strict vetting process including background checks, ID verification, license checks, and insurance coverage validation. This means approved contractors are given automatic credibility.

• Set your own prices and keep all your earnings.

Some key potential cons of Pro Referral are:

• Users have to pay $41.99 for the background check.

• Points are deducted for leads regardless of whether you win the contract.

• It’s only available for Home Depot customers.

Pro Referral charges new users $41.99 for a background check, but after that, the service operates on reward points from Home Depot spend.  Leads don’t require any further monetary spending.

15. Handy

Handy is a contractor directory that pays contractors an hourly rate for jobs requested by homeowners.

The benefits of using Handy include:

• It’s free.

• You don’t pay for leads, as homeowners are charged directly.

• Handy partners with large brands like Wal-Mart, Google Home, Next, and Wayfair so their customers can purchase installations at point-of-sale, routing more jobs to Handy contractors.

• Payments are deposited into your bank account when a job is completed.

• As homeowners pay for the service, it’s unlikely you will receive fake or spammy leads.

Some key potential cons of Handy are:

• You have to apply for access to the platform and may not be accepted.

• You aren’t in control of your pricing.

Handy is free to join.

These platforms offer various benefits for building your reputation and finding potential customers, but there are many other ways to generate more contractor leads. We’ll look at some of them in the next section.

How Can You Get More Contractor Leads?

Listing your contractor business on directories and review platforms is a great way of gathering reviews and generating leads, but it doesn’t end there.

Contractors should use a combination of digital and traditional marketing strategies to reach more customers and generate leads.

Some other ways contractors can generate more leads beyond using the websites we mentioned above are shown in the graph below:

Let’s take a look at each of them in detail.

1. Local SEO

Local SEO is a digital marketing strategy that puts your business in front of customers who search for local intent queries on search engines like Google and Bing.

For example, if you searched “general contractor near me” from your office in Ann Arbor, you would get a different search results page than if you searched from your home in Dexter.

Local SEO can help contractors generate more leads because customers prefer to hire local contractors. 

To do local SEO well, you want to get your business in the Google Map Pack. The map pack consists of three businesses and a map insert showing where those three businesses are located. 

The Google algorithm picks the businesses included in the map pack. To increase your likelihood of appearing you should do the following:

• Optimize your Google Business Profile: Ensure you use the correct business name, have up-to-date and high-quality images, a local phone number, correct hours, and links to your social media.

• Create keyword-optimized, location-specific service pages: If you serve different locations, you should create different pages explaining the services offered in each location. Optimize the pages with keywords to improve their ranking.

• Collect positive reviews: People often forget to leave reviews, even if they received stellar service. That’s why an automated review process is beneficial. You can set one up with ServiceTitan’s Marketing Pro – Reputation platform.

With Marketing Pro, your customers receive an automated review request once their job is completed. Plus, all reviews from different business listings are consolidated in one dashboard so you can easily respond to reviews.

2. Facebook lead ads

Facebook lead ads are an ad type that helps businesses collect contact information from potential customers. Lead ads direct users to a pre-filled form (using their profile data) so they can submit their contact details quickly and easily.

Facebook lead ads can help contractors generate more leads by offering a seamless user experience. Plus, data shows that over 186 million people in the United States use Facebook, so it’s worth investing in getting your company in front of them.

To increase your lead ad’s effectiveness, you can:

• Integrate Facebook Ads Manager with your CRM so your collected contact information is automatically available where you need it.

• Only use the necessary questions and fields to minimize the bounce rate.

• Add click-to-call and call-to-action buttons to book an appointment.

3. PPC (Pay-Per-Click) advertising

PPC is a type of online advertising where companies pay to put their ads on various digital platforms like websites, apps, and search engines. There are various PPC advertising platforms, including Google Ads, Bing Ads, Facebook Ads., and YouTube Ads.

PPC advertising can help contractors generate more leads by targeting specific keywords related to the provided services. This puts your company in front of clients actively looking for solutions you can help with. 

You can also track PPC performance in real time to optimize your strategy. However, services like Google Analytics only track the number of calls you get from each ad. Not every call leads to a booking, so the campaign ROI information is a little skewed.

ServiceTitan’s Home Service Marketing Software lets you track the actual revenue generated from each campaign, offering a more precise alternative. It lists your campaigns according to generated revenue so you can see which do well and which don’t.

You can also create trackable phone numbers to monitor the number of calls from each ad.

4. Local Services Ads

Local Services Ads (LSAs) are another type of paid ad offered by Google that allows local service businesses to generate leads straight from Google’s search results page. Customers can call or message a business directly from the ad.

LSAs can help contractors generate more leads because they are featured in a prime location in the search results and show other important information, including the review rating. This helps prospects decide if you’re a good fit.

LSAs differ from PPC as you’re charged for each click with PPC but with LSAs, you only pay when someone calls you, sends a message, or books an appointment.

ServiceTitan’s Local Service Ads integration is a helpful partner for generating leads and bookings with LSAs. ServiceTitan is partnered with Google so that the integration can pull contact information from the LSA booking straight into your ServiceTitan account.

By automating this process, you eliminate the problem of data redundancy and any risk of data errors from manually copying the information.

5. Referral marketing

Referral marketing is the process of encouraging your existing customers to recommend your services to the people they know.

Referral marketing can help contractors generate more leads because almost a third of consumers prefer learning about brands, products, or services through word of mouth. Prospects automatically trust you more when someone recommends you.

To get referred by your customers, you need to deliver a top-notch service. That means doing the job well, and ensuring customer service is at its best to ensure customer satisfaction.

All calls should be picked up quickly, customers should be regularly updated throughout the full job cycle, and techs should be on time and fully prepared to tackle the job.

ServiceTitant’s Customer Experience features help you provide excellent customer service every time. 

You can keep customers in the loop with text reminders and send them a bio of the tech who will be working on their project. This helps reduce the customer's apprehension about a stranger entering their house.

With ServiceTitan’s GPS technology, your customers can remain up-to-date with real-time location information so they know exactly when to expect the tech’s arrival.

6. Lead magnets

A lead magnet is a resource that a business offers to interested potential customers. The resource is given for free in exchange for the prospect’s contact information. 

There are many content options for lead magnets, such as webinars, downloadable resources like e-books, website articles, infographics, and competitions.

Lead magnets can help contractors generate more leads because they target prospects interested in your services.

Once you have the contact’s email address, add them to your newsletter list and send them other email marketing campaigns to nurture them toward converting. 

ServiceTitan’s Marketing Pro – Email features let contractors easily and quickly create email campaigns using professional, pre-built templates and an easy-to-use intuitive interface.

The software also shows the return on investment for each email campaign so you can optimize them where necessary and get the most from your budget.

7. Involvement in the local community

Getting involved in your local community is an effective—yet often overlooked—strategy for attracting local leads. It allows you to connect with potential customers and earn their trust by showing your expertise in your field. 

Furthermore, showing you care for your community paints your brand positively.

Some ways to get involved with your local community include:

• Host free seminars and webinars to teach your community about key maintenance tasks they can do themselves.

• Volunteer with local nonprofit organizations.

• If you have offices that are large enough, you can make them available for networking events, workshops, and other community events.

• Sponsor local events like expos, festivals, fairs, and other local festivities.

• Organize events related to your services, like a community clean-up or a DIY woodworking workshop.

8. Customer loyalty programs

A loyalty program is a system that rewards customers who give contractors repeat business. The rewards can take any form, such as perks like loyalty discounts, points, and even gifts.

Loyalty programs can help contractors generate more leads because you can incentivize existing customers to recommend your business to their friends and family.

A good tactic for creating a loyalty program that customers want to join is to survey your current customers and find out what they want from a reward system. This way, you’ll know exactly what to offer them to get repeat business. 

9. Free inspections

Offering free inspections is a traditional lead-generation strategy that allows you to show potential customers your expertise. 

Free inspections can help contractors generate more leads because prospects who may be concerned about a problem will contact you to have their house inspected. This means the leads are automatically more qualified and may turn into a booking.

To give you the best chance of turning the inspection into future work, you should:

• Conduct a thorough inspection of the property.

• Note any issues and explain them clearly to the customer, alongside the solutions you suggest. It’s a good idea to give them a quote here to keep them well-informed should they choose to hire you.

• Answer any questions and provide details.

• Consider offering a limited-time discount to customers if they book a job with you after the inspection.

You can promote your free inspections in your advertising, social media posts, and email campaigns.

10. Teaming up with other local Businesses

Partnering with other businesses in your area that offer complementary services is a great lead-generation strategy as it lets you cross-promote your services. It gives both businesses more opportunities as you can recommend each other’s services and offer bundle packages.

It’s important to choose a partner wisely and opt for a business that offers services your own customers will likely need. 

For example, a general contractor could partner with an electrician to offer home renovation and electrical upgrade services and a landscaper could partner with a fence installation specialist for a yard makeover bundle.

11. Trade shows and events

Trade shows and events provide an excellent way of connecting with complementary businesses and prospects.

Events can help contractors generate more leads because you get to meet potential customers in person. This gives you a unique opportunity to find out more about their needs and preferences. You can also collect their contact information and follow up with them.

You can collect qualified leads here too, as prospects actively looking for contractors may go to trade shows to meet and chat with contractors as part of their research. It’s a great opportunity for you to sell yourself and your services.

Keep an eye out for trade shows and events in your local newspaper, community center calendar, and your local chamber of commerce.

The Bottom Line

You need to generate a lot of leads to grow your contractor business.

You can gather leads from many different sources by listing your business on the websites and platforms we covered in this article, managing your reviews and reputation, and employing other traditional and digital lead-generation strategies.

Use ServiceTitan’s features to generate more leads and easily manage your cross-platform lead-generation strategies.

ServiceTitan provides home services contractors with digital solutions for automating and improving business processes. It is trusted by over 100,000 contractors nationwide.