{ "dataset": "What a home-service lead costs, by platform", "url": "https://husky-digital.com/research/home-service-lead-costs/", "published": "2026-09-09", "lastVerified": "2026-09-09", "licence": "CC BY 4.0 — reuse with attribution and a link", "publisher": "Husky Digital", "method": [ "Platform billing mechanics came from each platform's own help centre or terms of use, opened directly: Google Local Services Help, Google Ads Help, Yelp for Business's support and product pages, and Thumbtack's Terms of Use. Two dollar benchmarks — home-services search CPC/CPL and Meta Lead-objective CPC/CPL for Home & Home Improvement — came from LocaliQ's named, methodology-disclosed benchmark reports; they are vendor averages, not government statistics, and are labeled as such in every row that uses them.", "The two Meta rows are the one exception to script-verified quotes in this dataset. LocaliQ's Facebook benchmarks page renders its comparison table client-side, so the automated gate that re-opens every source can't read the figures — they were confirmed by opening the page directly and reading the Home & Home Improvement row, and are marked \"verification: manual\" for that reason.", "The FTC's HomeAdvisor annual-membership-fee row originally pointed at an FTC business-guidance blog post that has since gone to a 404; the same $287.99 figure, verbatim, also appears in the FTC's own January 2023 press release announcing the settlement, so the row now cites that press release instead. A federal regulatory settlement is the only place in this dataset a specific per-lead-adjacent dollar figure for Angi/HomeAdvisor could be verified — the company does not publish a per-lead price, and its SEC filings disclose lead volume and percentage change, not an absolute per-lead dollar figure, which is why several Angi rows were dropped rather than estimated." ], "rows": [ { "id": "lsa-charged-per-valid-lead", "metric": "How Google Local Services Ads (LSA) charges advertisers", "value": "Per valid lead received", "unit": "billing model", "period": "current as of access", "source": { "name": "Google Local Services Help — \"How leads work\"", "url": "https://support.google.com/localservices/answer/7195435?hl=en", "type": "platform-docs" }, "quote": "You're charged for each valid lead you receive through your Local Services ad.", "accessed": "2026-09-09", "verification": "script", "note": "LSA is the only major channel here billed strictly per lead, not per click or impression — Google decides which leads are valid before charging." }, { "id": "lsa-price-varies-by-factors", "metric": "What makes one LSA lead cost more than another", "value": "Varies by location, job type, lead type, and bidding mode", "unit": "pricing factors", "period": "current as of access", "source": { "name": "Google Local Services Help — \"How leads work\"", "url": "https://support.google.com/localservices/answer/7195435?hl=en", "type": "platform-docs" }, "quote": "Lead prices may vary depending on your location, the job type, the type of lead, or your bidding mode.", "accessed": "2026-09-09", "verification": "script", "note": "Google publishes no rate card; the same trade in two ZIP codes, or a phone lead versus a message lead, can carry very different prices." }, { "id": "lsa-automatic-credit-review", "metric": "Google LSA's mechanism for refunding low-quality leads", "value": "Automated model-based re-review, credited if determined low quality", "unit": "dispute mechanism", "period": "current as of access", "source": { "name": "Google Local Services Help — \"How leads work\"", "url": "https://support.google.com/localservices/answer/7195435?hl=en", "type": "platform-docs" }, "quote": "Charged leads get reassessed by our models over time, and may be issued credits automatically if determined to be low quality.", "accessed": "2026-09-09", "verification": "script", "note": "There's no guaranteed manual dispute path described on this page — the credit is discretionary and automated, not something an advertiser can force by filing a claim." }, { "id": "google-ads-search-cpc-bidding-model", "metric": "How standard Google Ads Search charges advertisers", "value": "Per click, only when the ad is clicked", "unit": "billing model", "period": "current as of access", "source": { "name": "Google Ads Help — cost-per-click (CPC) bidding", "url": "https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/2459326", "type": "platform-docs" }, "quote": "Using cost-per-click (CPC) bidding, you'll pay only when someone actually clicks on your ad and comes to your site.", "accessed": "2026-09-09", "verification": "script", "note": "This is the structural difference from LSA: standard Search ads charge for traffic, and turning a click into a lead is the advertiser's landing page's job, not Google's." }, { "id": "search-home-services-avg-cpc-2025", "metric": "Average cost-per-click for U.S. home-services search advertising", "value": "$7.85", "valueNumeric": 7.85, "unit": "USD/click", "period": "campaigns running Apr 1, 2024 – Mar 21, 2025", "source": { "name": "LocaliQ, 2025 Search Ad Benchmarks for Home Services", "url": "https://localiq.com/blog/home-services-search-advertising-benchmarks/", "type": "industry-survey" }, "quote": "The average CPC for home services in 2025 is $7.85.", "accessed": "2026-09-09", "verification": "script", "note": "This is a vendor benchmark, not a government statistic — a median across 3,211 US home-services search campaigns of very different sizes and spend levels, not a fixed price to expect." }, { "id": "search-home-services-avg-cpl-2025", "metric": "Average cost-per-lead for U.S. home-services search advertising", "value": "$90.92", "valueNumeric": 90.92, "unit": "USD/lead", "period": "campaigns running Apr 1, 2024 – Mar 21, 2025", "source": { "name": "LocaliQ, 2025 Search Ad Benchmarks for Home Services", "url": "https://localiq.com/blog/home-services-search-advertising-benchmarks/", "type": "industry-survey" }, "quote": "The average CPL for home services in 2025 is $90.92.", "accessed": "2026-09-09", "verification": "script", "note": "Same vendor-benchmark sample as the CPC figure above (3,211 campaigns, averaged across advertisers of very different sizes) — \"lead\" here is a form-fill or call conversion tracked in the advertiser's own account, not a platform-verified lead like an LSA lead." }, { "id": "meta-home-services-avg-cpl-2025", "metric": "Average cost-per-lead for U.S. Meta (Facebook) Lead-objective campaigns, Home & Home Improvement", "value": "$41.26", "valueNumeric": 41.26, "unit": "USD/lead", "period": "benchmark table, current as of report update Oct 24, 2025", "source": { "name": "LocaliQ, Facebook Advertising Benchmarks", "url": "https://localiq.com/blog/facebook-advertising-benchmarks/", "type": "industry-survey" }, "quote": "Average CPL: $41.26", "accessed": "2026-09-09", "verification": "manual", "note": "This is the \"Home & Home Improvement\" row of LocaliQ's Leads-objective benchmark table, confirmed by opening the page directly — the table renders client-side, so the automated gate can't re-read it, and the figure is an average across advertisers of very different sizes and spend levels, not a rate card." }, { "id": "meta-home-services-avg-cpc-2025", "metric": "Average cost-per-click for U.S. Meta (Facebook) Lead-objective campaigns, Home & Home Improvement", "value": "$2.23", "valueNumeric": 2.23, "unit": "USD/click", "period": "benchmark table, current as of report update Oct 24, 2025", "source": { "name": "LocaliQ, Facebook Advertising Benchmarks", "url": "https://localiq.com/blog/facebook-advertising-benchmarks/", "type": "industry-survey" }, "quote": "Average CPC: $2.23", "accessed": "2026-09-09", "verification": "manual", "note": "Same table and category as the CPL figure above (Leads objective, Home & Home Improvement row), confirmed by hand for the same client-side-rendering reason — an average across advertisers of very different sizes, not a fixed price." }, { "id": "yelp-cpc-billing-model", "metric": "How Yelp Ads charges advertisers", "value": "Per click, at a dynamically set price", "unit": "billing model", "period": "current as of access", "source": { "name": "Yelp for Business Support Center — \"How does Yelp's Cost Per Click (CPC) advertising program work?\"", "url": "https://biz.yelp.com/support-center/article/How-does-Yelp-s-Cost-Per-Click-CPC-advertising-program-work", "type": "platform-docs" }, "quote": "Each time your ad is clicked, we will charge you according to your CPC price.", "accessed": "2026-09-09", "verification": "script", "note": "Like standard Google Ads Search, Yelp Ads bills for clicks, not verified leads — a click that never turns into a call or message still costs money." }, { "id": "yelp-min-daily-spend", "metric": "Minimum practical daily ad spend Yelp advertises to new advertisers", "value": "$5/day on average", "valueNumeric": 5, "unit": "USD/day", "period": "current as of access", "source": { "name": "Yelp for Business — Yelp Ads product page", "url": "https://business.yelp.com/products/yelp-ads/", "type": "platform-docs" }, "quote": "Spend as little as $5 a day on average.", "accessed": "2026-09-09", "verification": "script", "note": "This is a floor on daily budget, not a stated cost per click or per lead — actual CPC is set by Yelp's real-time auction and isn't published." }, { "id": "thumbtack-fees-final-nonrefundable", "metric": "Thumbtack's default rule on lead-fee refunds for professionals", "value": "Final and non-refundable, except as stated in the separate Refund Policy", "unit": "dispute/refund rule", "period": "current as of access", "source": { "name": "Thumbtack Terms of Use", "url": "https://www.thumbtack.com/terms/", "type": "platform-docs" }, "quote": "Except as otherwise expressly described herein or in our Refund Policy, all sales on the Platform and Fees paid by You to Thumbtack are final and non-refundable.", "accessed": "2026-09-09", "verification": "script", "note": "The default legal position is no refund; any credit for a bad lead is a policy exception, not the baseline right of the professional." }, { "id": "thumbtack-budget-based-fees", "metric": "How Thumbtack structures professional spending via weekly Budgets", "value": "Pro-set weekly spending limits govern which Fees are charged", "unit": "billing model", "period": "current as of access", "source": { "name": "Thumbtack Terms of Use", "url": "https://www.thumbtack.com/terms/", "type": "platform-docs" }, "quote": "The terms relevant to budgets, fees, payments, and taxes, are set forth in the Budget, Fees, Payments and Taxes Terms, which are incorporated herein by reference.", "accessed": "2026-09-09", "verification": "script", "note": "Thumbtack doesn't publish a per-lead price list in its core Terms of Use; the mechanics live in a separate incorporated document, and per-account lead prices show only inside each pro's own dashboard." }, { "id": "ftc-homeadvisor-settlement-amount", "metric": "FTC monetary settlement with HomeAdvisor (now Angi) over deceptive lead-quality marketing", "value": "up to $7.2 million", "valueNumeric": 7200000, "unit": "USD", "period": "FTC order issued January 2023, final consent order April 2023", "source": { "name": "Federal Trade Commission — \"FTC Order Requires HomeAdvisor to Pay Up To $7.2 Million and Stop Deceptively Marketing its Leads for Home Improvement Projects\"", "url": "https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2023/01/ftc-order-requires-homeadvisor-pay-72-million-stop-deceptively-marketing-its-leads-home-improvement", "type": "government" }, "quote": "pay up to $7.2 million for using a wide range of deceptive and misleading tactics", "accessed": "2026-09-09", "verification": "script", "note": "The FTC's case was about how HomeAdvisor marketed lead quality and cost to the contractors who bought leads (e.g., overstating job-close rates), not about setting a specific per-lead price." }, { "id": "ftc-homeadvisor-annual-membership-fee", "metric": "HomeAdvisor's annual membership fee charged to service providers, per the FTC's own settlement announcement", "value": "$287.99", "valueNumeric": 287.99, "unit": "USD/year", "period": "as stated in FTC's January 2023 settlement announcement, describing conduct since at least mid-2014", "source": { "name": "Federal Trade Commission — \"FTC Order Requires HomeAdvisor to Pay Up To $7.2 Million and Stop Deceptively Marketing its Leads for Home Improvement Projects\"", "url": "https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2023/01/ftc-order-requires-homeadvisor-pay-72-million-stop-deceptively-marketing-its-leads-home-improvement", "type": "government" }, "quote": "Service providers who join HomeAdvisor's network generally pay an annual membership fee of $287.99, in addition to a separate fee for each lead they receive.", "accessed": "2026-09-09", "verification": "script", "note": "This is a membership/subscription fee to be listed on the platform, separate from and in addition to the per-lead fee HomeAdvisor also charges; the FTC's own materials don't state a specific per-lead dollar figure." } ], "disagreements": [ { "topic": "What a home-service lead costs on Thumbtack", "positions": [ { "sourceName": "Thumbtack Terms of Use (primary)", "url": "https://www.thumbtack.com/terms/", "value": "No public per-lead price; price mechanics are in a separate incorporated 'Budget, Fees, Payments and Taxes Terms' document and shown per-account", "period": "current" }, { "sourceName": "Multiple secondary marketing/blog sources (not used as rows)", "url": "https://7ten.marketing/how-much-does-thumbtack-charge-for-leads/", "value": "Widely cited range of roughly $10-$100+ per lead, commonly $35-$60", "period": "2026" } ], "why": "Thumbtack does not publish a rate card; third-party sites estimate ranges from aggregated user reports, which is a different universe (self-reported anecdotes) from Thumbtack's own disclosed pricing mechanism. No specific dollar figure could be verified on any Thumbtack-owned page, so no numeric Thumbtack cost-per-lead row appears in this dataset." } ], "dropped": [ { "claim": "Angi's disclosed dollar revenue-per-lead or revenue-per-service-request figure", "why": "Angi's Q3 2025 earnings release and 10-K disclose Service Requests and Leads counts and state that \"Revenue per Lead increased 11% year-over-year,\" but do not publish an absolute dollar figure for revenue per lead in the pages fetched. A dollar figure could only be produced by dividing total revenue by lead count ourselves, which this dataset's rules treat as an estimate, not a figure directly stated by the source." }, { "claim": "Angi's disaggregated \"Lead revenue\" line item (~$151.3 million for Q3 2025)", "why": "A secondary search summary reported this figure from an Angi filing, but repeated attempts to open the Q3 2025 earnings release directly on SEC EDGAR and locate that exact table failed to surface it, so it could not be verified against a verbatim quote from a primary document actually opened." }, { "claim": "Google LSA's specific lead-dispute review window (e.g., \"72 hours to review, credits within 30 days\")", "why": "This figure appears on third-party marketing blogs describing Google's move to automated credits, but the primary Google Local Services Help page does not state a specific hours/days window, so it was dropped rather than sourced secondhand." }, { "claim": "A specific national average cost-per-lead figure for Angi/HomeAdvisor leads (in dollars)", "why": "Neither Angi's investor-relations filings nor its help center publish a per-lead dollar figure; only the membership fee ($287.99/year) and settlement figures from the FTC could be verified as real dollar amounts." }, { "claim": "Thumbtack's per-credit dollar value (e.g., \"1 credit ≈ $1.50\")", "why": "This figure appears only in third-party blogs and community-forum posts, not in Thumbtack's own Terms of Use, Refund Policy, or any other Thumbtack-owned page reachable directly." }, { "claim": "Yelp's actual average cost-per-click or cost-per-lead in dollars", "why": "Yelp's own support and business pages describe the CPC auction mechanism and the $5/day minimum spend, but do not publish an average CPC or CPL; only third-party estimates exist, and this dataset does not use those as sourced figures." } ] }