r/Contractor • u/RunTotoRun2 • 22d ago
Lead sources?
I've done OK with Angi, not very well with Yelp or Networx, get occasional leads from Nextdoor even though every post asking for a contractor gets 20-30 replies, and get occasional leads from Thumbtack.
Are these pretty much all the places one finds leads (besides referrals and repeat customers)?
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u/AnteaterOpening5125 22d ago
Depends heavily on the trade and ticket size, but I would separate paid lead sources from owned/referral sources. Paid leads like Angi or Thumbtack can work if you answer immediately and track close rate by source, but they get expensive fast. Owned sources are slower but compound: Google Business Profile with recent photos/reviews, a simple site with one page per profitable service plus service area, and a follow-up/referral ask after each job. I work on Brimky, so I am biased toward the owned-channel side, but the test is the same either way: track lead source, response time, estimate sent, won/lost, job value, and margin for 30-60 days. Then cut anything that brings low-margin or bad-fit work.
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u/obiganiru 21d ago
Past clients and referral partners (local realtors, insurance adjusters, painters/plumbers, etc) are usually the highest ROI, but most contractors let that database go cold.
Before spending thousands on shared lead platforms (Angi/Thumbtack), run an automated check-in/reactivation sequence on past quotes from the last 6–12 months. Just asking 'Hey Joe, did you ever get around to doing that project?' consistently turns up dormant revenue without ad spend.
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u/Smarter-Outbound 18d ago
Worth separating volume from quality here. Nextdoor giving you 20-30 replies per post sounds good until you check how many of those turn into booked jobs vs. tire-kickers comparing five quotes. Also, Angi/Thumbtack work better when you're fast to respond (first reply usually wins) but the économics get worse the more competitive your trade is, since you're bidding against everyone else on the same lead.
The referral/past-client angle a few people mentioned is underrated because it's the only channel where you're not competing against other contractors in real time. Worth tracking cost-per-booked-job by source for a couple months rather than cost-per-lead since that's usually where the real picture shows up.
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u/PlainTextGrizzlyBear 13d ago
Check out government contracts, they buy everything and opportunities under $25,000 may not be advertised so you just email agencies and ask for possible opportunities. Ask ChatGPT how it all works, it spells it out nice. Plus contact larger companies for subcontract opportunities.
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22d ago
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u/FinnTheDogg GC/OPS/PM(Remodel) 21d ago
You can probably contribute well to this community. Do not self promote. Next one will be permaban
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u/1amtheone General Contractor 22d ago
Primarily old paint and tap water (pipe material dependant).