HomeAdvisor Reviews (2026): Is HomeAdvisor Pro Worth It for Contractors?

Originally published September 29, 2017. Updated November 3, 2026.

Contractors have complained about HomeAdvisor for years: leads that never pick up, leads sold to several companies at once, charges they didn’t expect, and a hard time canceling. One business owner says HomeAdvisor offered him a refund of over $1,000 to take down his video review.

Some pros do fine on it. Plenty don’t. So is HomeAdvisor Pro worth it, or a waste of money?

Below are real HomeAdvisor reviews from contractors, the public record (including the FTC case), how HomeAdvisor works in 2026, how to cancel, and what to do instead if you’re tired of paying for shared leads.

The short verdict: HomeAdvisor can fill a schedule fast, especially in niche trades. But leads are often shared, you pay whether or not you win the job, and in 2023 the FTC finalized an order requiring HomeAdvisor to pay $7.2 million over how it marketed leads to contractors. Use it as a short-term supplement, not your main lead source.

Who’s writing this: Hook Agency is a marketing agency for home service contractors, so we compete with lead services for your budget. The reviews below are the reviewers’ own experiences, and we’ve linked public records wherever we state a fact. We can’t get your money back from HomeAdvisor.

HomeAdvisor pros and cons for contractors

HomeAdvisor in 2026: it’s part of Angi

HomeAdvisor started as ServiceMagic and was renamed HomeAdvisor in 2012. In 2017 its parent company combined it with Angie’s List, and in 2021 Angie’s List was renamed Angi. Today HomeAdvisor is one of several brands owned by Angi Inc., alongside Angi and Handy.

According to Angi Inc.’s latest annual report, pros enroll for free and pay fees per lead, with options like full-price leads within a monthly budget, discounted leads in a subscription package, and membership packages that include a profile on both HomeAdvisor.com and Angi.com. For more on the Angi side, see our Angi leads reviews.

The FTC case, in plain English

In March 2022 the Federal Trade Commission filed a complaint against HomeAdvisor. The FTC alleged that, since at least mid-2014, HomeAdvisor misrepresented the quality and source of the leads it sold to service providers, made claims about how often leads turned into jobs that it couldn’t back up, and told some pros a $59.99 mHelpDesk subscription was free.

• The order was finalized in 2023. HomeAdvisor agreed to pay up to $7.2 million in redress to service providers.
• The order bars HomeAdvisor from misrepresenting its leads, from claiming products are free when they aren’t, and from making unsupported claims about how often leads become paying jobs.
• The claims deadline for affected businesses has passed.

Source: FTC press release.

Some people have had great experiences with Home Advisor!

This person is in lawn services – and says you need spend money to make money:

• Other niches that seem to do well on there: Handymen, Pool services, Sewer repair, building ponds, excavation, and some general contractors.
•  Everything ‘Works if you work it”
• Many – many other niches have had terrible experiences, and that’s why this post focuses mainly on those negative experiences. We work with a lot of roofers, HVAC, plumbers and have seen a lot of mad contractors.

Looking a savvy marketing team? Some of the niches we serve: Roofing Marketing & Lead Gen, HVAC Marketing & Lead Gen, Construction Marketing & Lead Gen, Plumbing Marketing & Lead Gen. We also drive leads for all kinds of Home Services, including Solar, Windows & Doors, Electricians, and Remodelers.

What you can expect from the rest of this post

There are several different perspectives in this article from very savvy people, and you won’t want to miss any of it.

This is for the people that have been scammed by Home Advisor.

Because sites like this don’t monitor themselves, and even collaborate with people like Better Business Bureau to get taken seriously, despite un-ethical business practices. Let’s see how long it takes them to change their name (like they’ve done before.)

Clue #1: A long trail of complaints (and a name change)

This business owner kept his video up, and in it he walks through HomeAdvisor’s Glassdoor reviews from former employees. Some background: HomeAdvisor started life as ServiceMagic, was renamed HomeAdvisor in 2012, and is now part of Angi Inc.

The most important record is public: the FTC’s 2022 complaint and 2023 order over how HomeAdvisor marketed its leads to contractors. (Details in the FTC section above.)

When we grabbed this screenshot, HomeAdvisor’s BBB profile showed an A+ rating next to mostly negative customer reviews:

A couple somewhat telling Home Advisor reviews from Better Business Bureau (these are the last three from business owners)-

This company is a scam. I have been using them for several months for the company I work for and I have always had problems with leads that do not answer the phone or respond to voicemails and emails. The number of these has been growing on a monthly basis and I am very upset as I have lost so much money! I have had people hang up, tell me they never were on Home Advisor, or they were just on their site and not wanting to talk to companies..This company is a complete scam so to all companies out there.. beware and stay away. They don’t even want to try and work with you, they just say sorry we don’t credit for unanswered calls… we have an excellent coordinator calling, emailing and all else… too many bad leads. I hope others are aware of and end business with them as well. Be warned that they now own ******* **** and ********* as well. I wish I could give 0 stars!

Homeadvisor is an expert company in ripping off businesses. * They lack good follow up and customer service – when you submit a complain nobody gets back to you. * They charge you for services that you have not enrolled and for leads that you are unable to address like if you get a lead at 2 am in the morning you better get up from you sleep and call otherwise when morning calls you will have no chance. * Anyone in the company can sign up for their service but to cancel you need a background check and the owner has to call. * They don’t explain their services properly and deceive you about how to go around it just to get you sign. At the end of the month you will have no profits and just a big bill to pay them. I would not recommend them and would find a different way to market the business and find lead sources.

We have had many issues over the years with HA not issuing credit on FAKE or WRONG numbers or just outright bad contact information. To Home Adviser, they still view this as a LEAD and have rejected countless requests for credits even when we have a “number that has been recently disconnected.” This is BAD BUSINESS. I have spoke with many other AC contractors that have these same issues. After 3 years of fighting these issues, we are done and will be moving our business else where, I’m tired of fighting these credits. I also find it silly of them to loose $6,000 / year on a $20 credit. I guess this also show’s how they conduct business poorly. So much for the customer is always right.Home Adviser promotes good business strategies through their review platform, but they do not abide by the same rules. More of us contractors need to call them out on this. Google “Home Advisor, FAKE LEADS” what you will see following that will blow your mind and make you think twice about using their services.

Related: Construction Memes, and Construction Company Name Ideas

Clue #2: Former employees seem to think they are scamming people

Given – some employees just might be sore for being fired. Employees talk about management, encouraging them to lie in order to sell, which is crazy. Check out the GlassDoor Reviews. The video above talks about contractors getting sold leads for jobs that weren’t even in their state, and for a period of time, they weren’t giving them a refund on those leads.

What about Homeowners, how do they feel about HomeAdvisor?

Clue #3: You don’t own the customer, HomeAdvisor can rank for your name in Google

I can speak as a Search Engine Optimization specialist, if another company can rank for your companies name and then sell the leads back to you, you’re getting a raw deal. HomeAdvisor makes you sign the right for them to use your brand name in their materials and pages on their site – which essentially could take away customers that would have just come to your website and become a lead in the first place. Terrible deal.

Clue #4: Some contractors say the charges were hard to stop

Reviewers describe going to real lengths to stop charges after they tried to cancel, including disputing payments with their bank. Before you sign up, read the auto-renew and cancellation terms, and see how to cancel HomeAdvisor below.

Clue #5: You’re competing with tons of companies for the same leads.

You can imagine – if you get 15 leads, and every single one of those is going to a bunch of other companies, you don’t have an advantage.

The customer didn’t express interest in you as a provider, which isn’t ideal. It’s much better to get a lead from your website or another source. You want someone to come to you in particular.

Clue #6: Charges after you cancel and beyond what you paid for.

Reviewers report confusion between pausing and canceling. One says they were told a campaign could be paused for 15 days, then heard 90 days when they called to cancel. Get any pause or cancel terms in writing.

Clue #7: Some leads aren’t even aware of how HomeAdvisor got their information.

Scary and potentially bad for your company’s reputation. Also very interesting that these YouTube videos have a crazy amount of comments like this:

Clue #8: Home Advisor Destroys the SEO on Your Website

The number one reason that you should avoid Home Advisor is that it can ruin your website and your online presence. Because Home Advisor can afford to pay for more SEO and Paid Ads, they can beat you down with money. Instead of working with Home Advisor for SEO I’d encourage you to work with me, as then you will own the lead and the customers we produce. Home Advisor targets people that are looking for the cheapest option.

Only use Home Advisor in a desperate situation – and build your own website presence instead.

“Get a lifelong and return customer and not someone looking for a one and done customer and looking for the lowest price… We stay away from HomeAdvisor, and I would advise you to do the same.”

Building Your Own Website Presence (the Alternative to Lead Generation Sites)

So yes, it may seem easier to go through a lead generation site like Home Advisor. However, if you genuinely want to take your marketing to new heights, investing in your own online presence through creating a website will help your business grow. Websites and other digital touchpoints (like social media) can help you establish your brand identity and will give your business a sense of transparency. A finely tuned site with smart SEO tactics that incorporates targeted, well-written content will benefit you far more than Home Advisor.

Want help with that? Here’s what owning your leads looks like:

• Local SEO: rank for “[your trade] near me” and your service area, so the calls come to you, not a marketplace.
• Google Maps SEO: win the map pack with a strong Google Business Profile and steady reviews.
• Local Services Ads: pay per lead like HomeAdvisor, but the homeowner calls your business directly.
• AEO: show up when homeowners ask ChatGPT and Google’s AI who to hire.
• A website built to convert: real photos, real reviews and an obvious way to call.

See how it works in our demo, or compare options in the best home services lead generation services.

Other Alternatives

If you are absolutely set on using a lead generation site, here are some higher quality options other than Home Advisor:

Houzz – Houzz is probably one of the top lead generation sites for contractors and home builders. However, there are cons associated with it, such as Houzz owning everything on a contractor’s profile, including pictures, and expensive cancellation fees. Many contractors have built their entire business through Houzz, and it is certainly an option worth looking into.

Check out our similar article on Houzz

Yelp – Yelp receives a lot of traffic for people looking for services. But because this avenue is cluttered with the competition, including those who are willing to pay to be more visible. Yelp should be utilized but not as the primary form of lead generation. Instead, it should be used to help your website presence.

About HomeAdvisor

Home Advisor is an online marketplace that connects homeowners with licensed, pre-screened, approved service professionals who offer home renovation, remodeling, and maintenance services. They provide technologies that allow customers to connect quickly and easily to service professionals. They can utilize Instant Booking and schedule appointments without having to go back and forth between phone or email, trying to schedule a time that works for everyone. Instant Connect also speeds up the process, which is a service connecting customers with a Home Advisor specialist within minutes of their request. They also offer integration with smart devices such as the Amazon Echo and Apple Watch.

Home Advisor is totally free because of advertising fees paid to them from those service professionals that participate in the HomeAdvisor network. HomeAdvisor steps in to make the connections between the new customers and these service professionals, who pay a secondary fee for each lead they receive and connect with. Your free account on the website, My HomeAdvisor, is your personalized tool that keeps all your profile information secure, and it’s the place you can review service requests, professional matches, and manage all personal info.

HomeAdvisor’s website details their 4 step process of screening their service professionals before matching them to the customer.

Step 1 – Licensing

HomeAdvisor confirms that the service professional holds an applicable state-level trade licensing for the services they claim to be providing to consumers.

Step 2 – Criminal Records Search

In the state in which the owner of the company is located, HomeAdvisor utilized third party data sources to conduct a criminal search for any relevant or active criminal convictions associated with the service company. The extensiveness and comprehensiveness of the National Criminal Databases do vary from state to state, so HomeAdvisor considers this, and ensures this information discovered is accurate. This includes a registered sex offender search. HomeAdvisor checks websites that consolidate state sex offender information to confirm there is no match based on the name of the owner/principal of the company.

Step 3 – Legal Search for Civil Judgements

Again, HomeAdvisor uses third-party data sources to check for filings associated with bankruptcy, liens, civil legal judgments, etc. in the state in which the owner of the company is located. Only instances occurring within the 12 months prior to the service professional’s application for membership on HomeAdvisor are considered.

Step 4 – Identity Verification

Lastly, HomeAdvisor confirms the social security numbers of the business owner, confirming their identity. This is mainly applicable to small businesses.

How to cancel HomeAdvisor

Per HomeAdvisor’s Pro Help FAQ, memberships are annual and auto-renew unless stated otherwise. You can cancel at any time, but the membership stays active until the end of the term you paid for. It doesn’t publish a self-serve cancel button for every account, so plan on contacting support.

1. Find your renewal date and terms. Check your agreement and billing history before you call.
2. Stop new leads first. Pause your leads or set your budget to zero so charges don’t pile up while you cancel.
3. Contact HomeAdvisor Pro support. Use the Pro Help Center or your account and ask to cancel both your membership and your lead program.
4. Get it in writing. Ask for a confirmation email with the cancel date and any final charges.
5. Watch your statements. If charges continue after your cancel date, dispute them with HomeAdvisor first, then your card company.

Contacting HomeAdvisor

Have questions about your HomeAdvisor account? HomeAdvisor points pros to its Pro Help Center, where you can find answers and contact options. Homeowners can find help through the main HomeAdvisor site.

Bonus: Why All Home Improvement Lead Generation Services Suck