Many contractors have a complicated relationship with Angi, HomeAdvisor and Thumbtack. They sell leads, those leads can be expensive, and the sales calls can be relentless. So it's tempting to ignore them completely.
But there's a separate question: should you have a free, accurate profile on them because AI tools read those sites? ChatGPT reads these sites, so a free, accurate profile is cheap insurance, and setting one up does not mean buying leads. This guide shows what we found, what each site requires, where costs come in, and how to keep control.
What we found
In November 2026 we read the public snapshots behind our Who AI Recommends pages: 390 Texas markets and 2,238 ChatGPT answers. The most-cited home-service marketplaces:
| Site | Markets where ChatGPT cited it |
|---|---|
| Angi | 78.5% |
| Thumbtack | 37.4% |
| HomeAdvisor | 31.8% |
| Houzz | 14.1% |
It differed a lot by trade. Angi appeared in about 96% of window-installation and landscaping markets, 83% of roofing and plumbing markets and 61% of HVAC markets. Thumbtack was heavily cited for painters (61%), house cleaning (65%) and gutters (70%), but rarely for HVAC (4%), foundation repair (4%) or plumbers (9%).
Other research points the same way. A Cheers study of 34,742 home-services answers found ChatGPT cited Angi/HomeAdvisor in about 29% of answers (Cheers), and a plumber-focused study found Angi the most-cited site (Roundhouse). This is observational, and a citation means ChatGPT read the page, not that it decided who to name.
Both companies have also built directly into ChatGPT. According to an agency summary, Thumbtack announced a ChatGPT integration on October 6, 2025 and Angi launched a ChatGPT app on March 4, 2026 (WebFX via KRDO). We haven't verified how those work.
A profile is not the same as leads
Both Angi and Thumbtack sell leads. A profile and paid leads are separate decisions.
Angi / HomeAdvisor
- Signup starts at signup.angi.com/pro. Angi's own requirements: the owner, principal or relevant manager must pass a criminal background check, you must show proof of licensing for work that requires it, and if you have reviews your average must be 3.5 stars or higher (Angi help).
- Leads and ads are the paid products. We couldn't find a current public price list; third-party sources describe shared leads costing roughly $50 to $120 or more for roofing, so ask before you commit.
Thumbtack
- Thumbtack says there is "no charge to join, no annual fees and no membership fees"; you set a lead budget that determines how many leads you receive (Thumbtack).
- Signup asks for your service, area and personal details, and a phone verification code. A background check is a requirement for its Top Pro badge, per third-party sources.
Both: the owner has to do the identity and background steps. That isn't something a marketing helper can do for you.
A sensible way to set them up
- Claim and complete the free profile. Use your exact business name, address, phone, website and hours, matching your Google profile.
- Upload your license and insurance where asked. Credentials help customers and show up on the page.
- List every service and the cities you serve. Be specific.
- Add real photos of completed jobs, your trucks and your team.
- Fill in the description in plain language: what you do, where, and for how long.
- Respond to every review there.
- Set the lead budget to $0 (or don't turn on paid leads) until you've done the math. If you do buy leads, start with a small cap, track your cost per booked job, and stop if it doesn't pay.
The money question
Think of two separate budgets:
- Visibility budget: $0. A claimed, accurate profile costs time, not money.
- Lead budget: your call. Lead sites charge when someone requests your service. Use your own numbers: leads bought, calls answered, jobs won, revenue per job. If you can't measure it, don't spend it.
Be careful of high-pressure pitches. If a rep says that a paid package is the only way to appear in ChatGPT, that isn't something we've seen evidence for. Also see the advice in the directories ChatGPT reads.
Watch your reviews there
Angi requires an average of 3.5 stars or better if you have reviews, and customers read the scores. Reply politely to every review, including bad ones. Never write or buy reviews on any site; the FTC's 2024 fake-review rule bans it. And don't offer incentives for reviews. For more on review counts and freshness, see how many reviews and how recent.
Fix inconsistent or duplicate profiles
Old owners, lead-gen companies and past employees sometimes create profiles. Search for your business name and phone number on each site. If there are duplicates or wrong details, claim the right one and report the others to the site's support.
Where these sites fit
Marketplaces are one of several kinds of sites ChatGPT read in our study. The largest group was third-party "best of" and ranking sites such as ContractorsRanked and BestProsInTown. See the "best of" sites ChatGPT keeps citing. You can see which ones appear for your trade and city under "Websites AI read to decide" on pages like roofing in Fort Worth or plumbers in Dallas.
FAQ
Do I have to pay Angi to be cited? Not that we've seen. A profile and paid leads are separate.
Is Thumbtack worth it for HVAC? In our data it was cited rarely for HVAC and plumbing but heavily for painters, cleaners and gutters. Claim the profile if free, but check your trade before spending on leads.
What if I can't pass the Angi background check? That's between you and Angi. Don't work around it. Focus on other sources.
See which marketplaces ChatGPT reads for your trade. Run a free scan at localpickai.com. You'll see whether ChatGPT names you, who it names instead, the exact websites it read, and what to fix first. Free, no signup, about a minute.
