Quick Comparison
Here's how the top contractor lead generation services stack up on the features that actually matter:
| Service | Exclusive | Custom Pages | Your Brand | Seasonal Ads | No Contracts | Call Center | Online Booking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minyona | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| HomeBuddy | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Angi / HomeAdvisor | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Thumbtack | ~ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Networx | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Contractor Appointments | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ~ | ✗ |
| Modernize | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Fixr | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Generic Agencies | ~ | ~ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
✓ = Included ✗ = Not available ~ = Partial or varies
What Should You Look for in a Contractor Lead Generation Service?
The six most important factors are: lead exclusivity, brand building potential, lead quality/qualification, cost structure, algorithm health (for Meta-based services), and long-term value if you stop using the service.
Here's what each factor means and why it matters:
Lead Exclusivity
Are you the only contractor receiving the lead, or are you competing with 3-5 others who got the same phone number?
Brand Building
Does the homeowner remember YOUR company name, or do they remember the lead platform's name?
Lead Quality
How well are leads pre-qualified before reaching you? Do you waste time on tire-kickers and fake submissions?
Cost Structure
Monthly retainers, pay-per-lead, or hybrid? What's your actual cost per acquired customer?
Algorithm Health
For Meta advertising services, is the system designed to prevent bad data from training the algorithm incorrectly?
Long-Term Value
If you stop using the service tomorrow, do you walk away with anything?
The biggest differentiator between lead generation services isn't price—it's whether homeowners remember YOUR company or the platform's name. Services that build your brand create compounding value over time.
Which Lead Generation Service Is Best for Contractors in 2026?
Minyona ranks #1 for contractors who want exclusive leads that build their brand. HomeBuddy is #2 for exclusive leads without brand building. Angi/HomeAdvisor is #3 for contractors comfortable with shared leads and subscription fees.
Minyona Digital Marketing Our Pick
minyona.com →Minyona runs Meta (Facebook/Instagram) advertising campaigns through YOUR ad accounts, with custom-built landing pages branded to YOUR company. Homeowners see your logo, your company name, and your branding from first click to form submission. You pay a one-time setup fee, then a per-qualified-lead fee—no monthly retainers.
Minyona is the only service on this list specifically designed to build the contractor's brand rather than its own. When a homeowner fills out a form, they remember your company—not Minyona.
The service uses custom landing pages instead of generic Facebook lead forms. This matters because Facebook's algorithm learns from every submission. If you're using native lead forms and getting junk leads, you're actively training Meta to find you more of those people. Minyona's qualification system filters out bad leads before they're counted, keeping your algorithm healthy.
Need booked appointments instead of raw leads? Minyona sets up complete appointment-booking systems and offers a call center to contact and schedule your leads—included at no additional cost. You get the convenience of pre-set appointments with the brand-building benefits no other service offers.
Every campaign runs through your own Meta Business account. You own the data, the pixel history, and the retargeting audiences. If you ever stop working with Minyona, you keep everything you've built.
HomeBuddy
homebuddy.com →HomeBuddy generates leads through their own advertising and website, then delivers them exclusively to one contractor—no sharing. They offer both raw leads and pre-set appointments, plus an after-hours call center that operates 7 days a week.
HomeBuddy's 100% exclusive model sets them apart from most lead aggregators. They pre-screen prospects with targeted questionnaires before delivery, and their appointment-setting service handles outreach, follow-ups, and scheduling.
Their after-hours call center (up to 15 hours daily, 7 days a week) is a genuine differentiator—if leads call when your office is closed, HomeBuddy's team captures them.
Angi (formerly HomeAdvisor)
angi.com →Angi operates a massive home services marketplace where homeowners submit project requests and get matched with contractors. Contractors pay for leads or subscribe to their advertising programs.
Angi has enormous brand recognition and search volume. They're often the first place homeowners think of when looking for contractors. The platform includes reviews and ratings that can help established contractors stand out.
Thumbtack
thumbtack.com →Thumbtack is a services marketplace where homeowners post projects and contractors bid on them. You create a profile, set your preferences, and pay to contact leads that match your criteria.
Thumbtack gives contractors more control over which leads they pursue. You can see project details before paying to contact the homeowner. The platform spans many service categories.
Networx
networx.com →Networx generates leads through SEO, paid advertising, and content marketing on their own properties. Homeowners submit requests and get matched with up to 4 contractors.
Contractor Appointments
contractorappointments.com →Contractor Appointments focuses on pre-scheduled appointments rather than raw leads. They handle initial contact and scheduling, delivering homeowners who have already agreed to meet with you.
Modernize
modernize.com →Modernize generates leads through their network of home improvement websites and advertising, then sells those leads to contractors. They focus primarily on larger home improvement projects.
Fixr
fixr.com →Fixr generates leads primarily through SEO and content marketing. Their cost guides and home improvement content attract homeowners researching projects.
Generic Monthly Retainer Agencies ⚠️ Caution
You pay $1,500-$5,000/month (or more) regardless of results. The agency "manages" your Facebook ads, runs some Google campaigns, and sends you a fancy report each month showing impressions and clicks. Leads trickle in. Some are good. Many aren't. When you ask questions, you get jargon. When you ask for changes, it takes two weeks.
Same tired ad creative. The same "Is your roof ready for winter?" ads running for every roofer in America. Your competitors down the street are running identical hooks because the agency sold them the same "proven" templates.
Same junky funnel templates. They all bought the same GoHighLevel or ClickFunnels templates from some guru's course. Swap your logo, change the colors, call it "custom." Your landing page looks exactly like every other contractor's—cheap and generic. So you attract cheap, generic leads.
They poison your Facebook algorithm. Here's the real killer: when an out-of-area lead, a renter, or a tire-kicker fills out the form, it still gets counted as a conversion. Facebook thinks that's a good lead and goes looking for more people just like them. These agencies have no system to filter bad leads before they pollute your data. Every junk lead trains the algorithm to find you more junk.
The Brand Building Problem Most Contractors Don't Think About
Here's what nobody talks about: Every lead you buy from a third-party platform trains homeowners to use that platform.
When someone has a great experience with a contractor they found through HomeBuddy, what do they tell their neighbor? "I found them on HomeBuddy." Not your company name—HomeBuddy.
When they need another project done in five years, where do they go? Back to HomeBuddy.
You paid for the lead. You did the work. You delivered a great result. And HomeBuddy gets the repeat business, the referral, and the brand recognition.
The math that matters: If you spend $100,000 on third-party leads over five years and stop buying, you have zero brand equity. Zero retargeting audiences. Zero customers who specifically sought out YOUR company.
If you spend that same $100,000 on brand-building lead generation (like Minyona's model), you still have brand recognition, pixel data, retargeting audiences, and customers who know your company name—even if you never spend another dollar.
Which Service Should You Use?
Lowest barrier to entry
Thumbtack lets you pay per contact with no subscription or setup fees.
Pre-set appointments
Minyona (with brand building), Contractor Appointments, or HomeBuddy all offer appointment-setting services.
Marketplace volume
Angi has the largest homeowner base and brand recognition.
Build your own brand
Minyona is the only service designed specifically for this—everything runs through your accounts.
Diversify your sources
Most successful contractors use 2-3 lead sources. Use Angi for volume while using Minyona for long-term equity.
The Smart Contractor's Strategy
The contractors who dominate their markets in 5-10 years won't be the ones who bought the most leads.
They'll be the ones who built brands.
Lead aggregators are fine for filling your calendar today. But if you're not also investing in something that builds YOUR name, YOUR reputation, and YOUR brand recognition, you're running on a treadmill.
Use the aggregators strategically. But make sure at least part of your marketing budget is going toward something you'll own when the spending stops.
Frequently Asked Questions
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