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Angi refunds 15-22% of the leads you pay for as credits. That refund rate isn't generosity — it's an admission that a big chunk of the leads were junk to begin with. You still pay first, chase the credit later, and eat a $300-500/yr membership plus ~$542 per booked job on top.

Roofing leads cost about $79 each on Google Search, per LocaliQ 2025 — the priciest trade after general contracting — and convert at 3-7%, per WebFX 2026. Storm demand drives the price up. They still pay if you answer fast: 78% hire the first roofer to respond, per Lead Connect 2026.

For plumbers, Google Local Services Ads are the best paid leads to buy. SearchLight Digital (2026) puts plumbing LSA at about $57 per lead, a 44.5% book rate, a $1,714 average ticket, and 6.85x ROAS. They're exclusive, not shared. The catch: you have to answer fast.

Shared leads from Angi and Thumbtack close at just 6-10% because you're racing 4-12 other pros for the same call. Organic leads convert at 18-24%, and a direct call converts at up to 40% (2026 lead-network data). Owned channels convert far better than the leads you buy shared. Here's the math.

The median HVAC contractor ranking on page one of Google Maps has 519 Google reviews (Booked Job GBP scrape, 2026, TX metros) — the highest bar of any trade we measured. That's the cost of admission. Here's why HVAC is the hardest local vertical to crack, and the fastest legitimate way to stack reviews before peak season.

For most HVAC contractors, Google Local Services Ads are the best lead to buy first. They run about $51 per lead, book 44% of the time, and return 9.55x on ad spend (SearchLight 2026). Your big ticket size is what makes that math work.

A cold call or email saying you must pay to claim, verify, or fix your business listing — or it gets removed — is a shakedown. Claiming and verifying a Google Business Profile is free, and no caller can remove it. The fake deadline exists only to rush you past checking.

We scraped the plumbers ranking on page 1 of Google Maps in Austin and Dallas. The median had 337 Google reviews. Most shops have a tiny fraction of that. Here is the cadence to catch up.

A fast response makes you far more likely to win the job, because homeowners tend to hire whoever answers first. Speed beats ad spend, and it's free.

Some sellers take old, dead, or recycled leads, call them "exclusive" and "fresh," and charge premium money. A real exclusive lead goes to one pro. Test any source first: buy a small batch, demand the submission date, and measure your book rate before you spend more.