Why Tradespeople Are Leaving Angi and HomeAdvisor for MakeNation

If you're a carpenter, deck builder, fencer, or HVAC technician, you already know the lead generation game is rigged against you. Platforms like Angi (formerly Angie's List) and HomeAdvisor have built billion-dollar businesses by selling leads to tradespeople at premium prices — regardless of whether those leads ever turn into paying jobs. For years, this was the only game in town. That's changing.

MakeNation offers a fundamentally different model: no lead fees, no monthly subscriptions, and no paying for tire-kickers. You only pay a 10% platform fee on work you actually complete and get paid for. Here's why that distinction matters more than most tradespeople realize.

The True Cost of Angi and HomeAdvisor Leads

Angi and HomeAdvisor charge between $15 and $100+ per lead depending on your trade, location, and project type. A fence installation lead in a major metro area can cost $60-$80. An HVAC lead can run $75-$100+. These fees are charged the moment you receive the lead — before you've spoken to the homeowner, before you've given a quote, and before you know if the job is even real.

Industry data shows that lead-to-close conversion rates on these platforms hover between 10% and 25%. That means for every job you land, you're paying for 4 to 9 leads that went nowhere. A tradesperson spending $500/month on leads might close $1,500-$3,000 in work — meaning lead acquisition costs eat 17-33% of revenue before materials, labor, or overhead.

Thumbtack follows a similar model with its "instant match" credits. You pay to send a quote, whether or not the customer ever reads it. The credits range from $5 to $50+ depending on the project size, and they're non-refundable if the customer ghosts you.

How MakeNation Works Differently

MakeNation uses a request-and-bid model. Customers describe their project — what they need, their budget range, their timeline — and that request goes out to makers and tradespeople in the relevant category. You review the project details, decide if it's worth your time, and submit a bid with your exact pricing and timeline. There's no cost to browse requests. There's no cost to bid. You only pay MakeNation's 10% platform fee when the project is completed and you've been paid.

This means zero upfront risk. If a customer posts a vague request that doesn't seem serious, you skip it. If you bid on a project and don't win it, you pay nothing. If a project gets cancelled, you pay nothing on the uncharged stages. MakeNation only makes money when you make money.

Cost Comparison: Lead Fees vs. Commission

Scenario	Angi / HomeAdvisor	Thumbtack	MakeNation
Cost per lead	$15-$100+	$5-$50+	$0
Cost if lead doesn't convert	Full lead fee (non-refundable)	Full credit cost (non-refundable)	$0
Monthly subscription	$0-$300+/month	$0 (pay per lead)	$0
Fee on $3,000 completed job	$60-$80 lead fee (paid upfront)	$30-$50 quote credits	$300 (10%, paid after completion)
Total cost to win 5 jobs/month (with typical conversion)	$1,000-$4,000+ in leads	$600-$2,500 in credits	$1,500 (10% of $15,000 revenue)

The math is stark. On Angi, a tradesperson who closes 5 jobs per month at a 20% conversion rate needs to purchase 25 leads. At $60 per lead, that's $1,500/month in lead costs alone — before you've bought a single board or scheduled a single crew. On MakeNation, that same tradesperson doing $15,000/month in completed work pays $1,500 total, and only after the money is in hand. Same dollar amount, but with zero upfront risk and no wasted spend on leads that go nowhere.

Staged Payments Protect Your Cash Flow

MakeNation's payment system is built for project-based work. Each job is split into three payment stages — deposit, mid-project, and completion — and you set the split percentages in your bid. The customer's card is charged automatically at each stage, so you're not chasing payments or waiting 30 days for a check. This matters especially for trades where materials are a significant upfront cost. You can set a higher deposit percentage to cover your material purchases before work begins.

No More Paying for Tire-Kickers

The biggest complaint tradespeople have about Angi and HomeAdvisor is the lead quality. Shared leads get sent to 3-5 contractors simultaneously, creating a race to the bottom on price. Many leads are from people who are "just getting quotes" with no intention of hiring anytime soon. Some are outright spam. On MakeNation, you read the full project description before deciding to bid. You see the customer's budget range. You choose which projects are worth your time. And if you don't win the bid, it costs you exactly nothing.

MakeNation is built for tradespeople and makers who are tired of paying platforms for the privilege of maybe getting work. The 10% commission model aligns MakeNation's incentives with yours: the platform only succeeds when you succeed. No lead fees. No monthly subscriptions. No paying for leads that never pick up the phone.