Contractor resources · 2026 guide
We looked at how HomeStars works, what it costs, and whether it still makes sense for Canadian trades in 2026. Here is what we found, and what to do instead if you are tired of shared leads.
The platform
HomeStars is a Canadian online marketplace that connects homeowners with local contractors and home service professionals. Founded in Toronto in 2006 by Nancy Peterson, it grew into the largest home services review and lead platform in Canada.
In 2017, HomeStars was acquired by HomeAdvisor, which later became part of Angi, the U.S.-based home services giant. Today, it operates as both a review directory and a lead generation platform where contractors can create profiles, collect customer reviews, and receive job leads from homeowners in their area.
For homeowners, it is a way to find trades and read reviews. For contractors, it is a paid channel for visibility and leads. The question is whether that channel is worth the cost and the trade-offs in 2026.
The business model
For contractors, HomeStars generally works on a paid model. You pay to appear prominently in your category and service area, and you pay for leads that the platform sends your way.
The critical detail every contractor should understand is that most leads are shared. When a homeowner submits a project request, that lead is often distributed to multiple contractors at the same time. You are not the only one getting that call. You are renting access to a lead, not owning the relationship.
Pricing varies by trade, region, and competition level, but the model is consistent across Canada: pay for placement, pay per lead, and compete with other pros for the same job. Some contractors do well with it. Others find the costs add up faster than the wins.
The honest scorecard
The alternative
The honest alternative to renting leads is owning your lead engine. That means a professional website that ranks when homeowners search for your trade, a review funnel that sends happy customers to Google (where reviews improve your local map ranking), automated follow-up for missed calls and form submissions, and local SEO that puts you in front of people who are actively looking.
This is exactly what the Found System was built for. For $500 per month, CAD, with no contract, you get a website and a full set of lead tools that generate leads only you get. No shared leads. No race to the bottom. You own the asset, the customer list, and the relationship.
The system includes a professional website, missed-call text-back, automated lead follow-up, a 5-star review engine, one-click marketing campaigns, and local SEO. Everything is built to turn visitors into calls and quote requests. Most contractors are live in 7 to 10 days.
Renting vs. owning
Think of it this way: using HomeStars is like renting an apartment. It gives you a place to live, but you do not own the building, and the landlord can raise the rent or change the rules. Jiffy works on a similar shared-lead model. The real question is not which platform to rent from, but whether you want to keep renting your pipeline or start owning it.
Owning your lead system is like owning the property. It takes a small upfront investment of time and money, but the equity is yours. Your website, your reviews, your customer list, and your search rankings are assets that compound over time. You are not at the mercy of a marketplace algorithm or a fee increase.
For contractors in Ontario and across Canada, this matters because the cost of customer acquisition keeps rising. The contractors who win long term are the ones who build their own channels, not the ones who rent them indefinitely.
Yes. HomeStars is a legitimate Canadian company founded in Toronto in 2006 by Nancy Peterson. It was acquired by HomeAdvisor (now part of Angi) in 2017 and remains one of the largest home services review and lead platforms in Canada.
HomeStars generally operates on a combination of subscription fees for profile placement and pay-per-lead pricing. Exact costs vary by trade, location, and competition level. Contractors should expect to pay for both visibility and individual leads, with no guarantee of winning the job.
HomeStars was acquired by HomeAdvisor in 2017. HomeAdvisor later became part of Angi, a major U.S. home services marketplace. The platform still operates in Canada but is now under U.S. corporate ownership.
In most cases, yes. When a homeowner submits a project request, the lead is typically sent to multiple contractors at the same time. This means you are often competing with other pros for the same job, which can pressure pricing.
Both operate as lead marketplaces with similar shared-lead models. The right choice depends on your trade, region, and budget. The deeper question is whether you want to keep renting leads from a platform or build a pipeline you actually own.
Yes. The alternative is building your own lead generation system: a professional website, Google Business Profile optimization, local SEO, review generation on Google, and automated follow-up tools. The Found System offers this as a done-for-you package for $500 per month, CAD, with no contract.
Your reviews live on HomeStars. They help your credibility on that platform, but they do not directly improve your Google ranking or your own website. Google reviews, by contrast, feed directly into your local map visibility and are an asset you keep.
It can be worth it for contractors who need fast visibility and do not mind shared leads and ongoing fees. For contractors who want to own their customer relationships, reduce platform dependency, and build long-term equity in their business, owning your lead engine is the stronger play.
Book a 20-minute demo. We will show you how the Found System works, answer your questions, and you can decide from there. No pressure, no jargon.
$500/mo CAD, all in. No contract. Cancel anytime.