How many strangers will see your info?
Angi sends your info to 3-8 contractors. Thumbtack to 4-10. AskBaily to 1. Before you submit the form, see the math.
The form says “get free quotes.” It doesn't say “your info will be on 8 contractor laptops by 7pm tonight.”
Every shared-lead platform earns its revenue by selling each homeowner's form submission to as many contractors as contractually possible. Angi resells to a median of 4 contractors. Thumbtack pushes each project to a median of 5. HomeAdvisor (same parent as Angi) resells to 4.
The FTC's 2023 settlement with Angi Inc. documented this structure in court filings. The company's own Terms of Service describe the match model as “matched,” not “exclusive.” It is not a hidden practice. It is the disclosed business model.
The homeowner-side consequence is a burst of 8-40 calls and texts in the first 48 hours, plus a 3-5% lead-tax baked into every quote to cover the contractor's per-lead acquisition cost. This tool shows the math for your project.
Platform reference · April 2026
| Platform | Sends your info to | Per-lead fee (contractor) | Resells to marketers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Angi | 3-8 contractors (median 4) | $20–$80 | Yes |
| Thumbtack | 4-10 contractors (median 5) | $7–$60 | Yes |
| HomeAdvisor | 3-8 contractors (median 4) | $25–$100 | Yes |
| Houzz Pro | 1-5 contractors (median 3) | $99–$399 | No |
| AskBaily | 1 contractor (exclusive) | $0 (no lead fees) | No |
Fan-out figures sourced from FTC 2023 Angi settlement exhibits and each platform's own pro-help documentation. Per-lead fees from each platform's public pricing page.
Frequently asked questions
Does Angi really sell my info to 8 contractors?+
Per the FTC's 2023 settlement, each Angi lead is broadcast to 3-8 contractors (median 4). Angi's own Terms of Service describe the match model as 'matched,' not 'exclusive.' HomeAdvisor uses the same model (same parent company, Angi Inc.).
Can I opt out of lead reselling on Angi or Thumbtack?+
Not on a per-submission basis. The shared-lead broadcast is the platform. After submission you can email [email protected] or delete your Thumbtack account to stop future marketing, but the contractors who already received your info keep it.
Why do I get so many calls after submitting an Angi form?+
Because 3-8 contractors each paid $20-80 for your info and are racing to close you before the others. On pay-per-contact Thumbtack, the fastest responder wins — so the structural incentive is aggressive immediate outreach.
What is 'lead-tax baked into my quote'?+
Contractors paying $50 per lead at a 15% close rate need to recover ~$333 per closed job. They bake this into quotes — roughly 3-5% of project value across every bid in the pool. That's the lead-tax: you pay it whether you chose that contractor or not.
Does AskBaily share my info with anyone?+
Only the 1 contractor we matched you with. No remarketing list, no CRM reselling, no cross-sharing to sibling products. If you ask us to delete your project, it's deleted. That's the structural difference.