The bottom line
You decide what a Thumbtack lead costs, within limits you can’t see. You set an exact price for each service. Thumbtack sets minimum prices and doesn’t publish them, and if your price sits at the minimum it can go up when Thumbtack changes it. Joining is free, there’s no membership fee and no contract.
The part worth knowing before you pay: some leads come back automatically. If a customer doesn’t reply to any pro within 72 hours, Thumbtack refunds you, but only if you replied within 4 business hours.
Thumbtack's fee rules, in their words
Visit Thumbtack- Price per lead
- Not published
- No price list or range published. Pro sets the exact price; Thumbtack sets minimums it does not publish.
- "We may occasionally adjust the minimum prices that pros pay. If your lead prices are at or near the minimum, they may increase automatically when the minimums change." Source
- What changes the price
- Job type and size, number of available pros, market
- "Prices will vary since a job’s value can change based on things like the type and size of the job, how many pros are available, and your market." Source
- When you are charged
- Auto-pay per direct lead from weekly budget; Opportunities pay only if the customer responds
- "For Opportunities, you reach out to the customer first if you're interested in their job. You only pay the price shown if the customer responds to you." Source
- Spending limit
- Weekly budget
- "Every lead you pay for comes out of your weekly budget. Once you reach your limit, you’ll stop getting leads until the next week." Source
- Other pros on the lead
- Not published
- Pros per lead not published. Thumbtack claims "Limited competition per lead" without a number.
- "Limited competition per lead" Source
- Refunds
- Automatic Fair Shot refund if the customer replies to no pro within 72 hours (you replied within 4 business hours and kept first contact on Thumbtack); other requests within 45 days; refunds to Thumbtack balance by default
- "we automatically refund you if a customer doesn’t reply to any pro they contacted within 72 hours." Source
- "For all other situations, you can request a refund within 45 days of the charge." Source
- Refund to your card
- Only if you ask within 10 business days of approval; courtesy credits, prepaid packages and promotional balances excluded
- "if you’d like your refund to be sent back to your original form of payment (such as your credit card on file), contact us within 10 business days of your original refund request approval and let us know." Source
- "Courtesy credits, prepaid packages, and promotional balances aren't eligible to be refunded to your payment method" Source
Quotes copied from Thumbtack's own pages, checked Oct 26, 2026.
Two kinds of leads, two ways to pay
- Direct leads: charged automatically at your set price, from your weekly budget. When the budget runs out, leads stop until next week.
- Opportunities: you see a job and reach out first. You pay the price shown only if the customer replies.
Opportunities are the lower-risk way to test a new service or area, because a customer who never answers costs you nothing.
How to get your money back
- Reply fast. Answer within 4 business hours, and keep first contact on Thumbtack.
- Wait 72 hours. If the customer replies to no pro in that time, the refund is automatic.
- Anything else: ask Thumbtack within 45 days of the charge. These are decided case by case.
- Want cash, not credit? Refunds go to your Thumbtack balance. To get one back on your card, ask within 10 business days of the refund being approved. Prepaid packages and promotional balances don’t qualify.
What it takes to join Thumbtack
Joining is free, but you can’t skip the background check. Thumbtack says: "All account owners must take and pass a criminal background check through a nationally accredited third-party provider when they create a Thumbtack account." (Thumbtack help) If you’re just starting out, plan for the wait below before you count on Thumbtack leads.
Thumbtack
- What you need
- Every account owner must pass a criminal background check (free; an SSN or a photo ID such as a passport or driver's license) source
- How long
- Background check results typically in 5 to 7 business days, then 1 to 3 business days for the badge to show source
- You pay
- Only once the customer contacts you or replies"On Thumbtack, you pay for leads, new customers who reach out to you directly." source
From each platform's own pages, read Oct 24, 2026. A to Z, not a ranking. "Not published" means we found no page of the platform that says.
The catch
- Prices you can’t see. The minimums are not published, so you can’t check whether a price rise came from you or from Thumbtack.
- Competition isn’t counted. Thumbtack says “limited competition per lead” but doesn’t say how many pros see the same job.
- Refunds stay in Thumbtack by default. Fine if you keep using it, a problem if you’re leaving.
Who it’s for, and who should skip it
Good fit: pros who want to test lead buying without a contract, can answer within a few hours, and want a weekly cap on spend.
Skip it if: you can’t reply during the workday (you’ll lose the automatic refund), or you want to know the price before you sign up.
What a Thumbtack job costs you
Enter the lead price you see on your Thumbtack leads and how often you win. The calculator shows your cost per won job and the most you can pay per lead.
Cost per won job on Thumbtack
Job numbers below are examples: put in yours. A platform box is filled in only when the platform publishes that number.
- Thumbtackprice not published, enter yours below
"Most you can pay per lead" is the lead price where profit after leads is zero at your close rate. "Break-even close rate" is the share of reached leads you need to win to cover the month's lead costs.
Every unanswered lead is money spent twice: once on the lead, again on the next one. Field service apps that reply and book for you
Comparing with Angi? See Thumbtack vs Angi. Want a published price instead? Networx publishes its per-lead range and caps shared leads at four pros, details on the contractor leads hub. Compare three platforms in the cost per job calculator.
Get told when Thumbtack's fees change
Providers change fees with little notice. Alerts start soon, and we'll send nothing else.
Common questions
How much does Thumbtack charge for leads?
Thumbtack doesn't publish a price list. You set an exact price for each service, and Thumbtack says prices vary by job type and size, how many pros are available and your market. It also sets minimum prices it doesn't publish, and prices at the minimum can rise when it changes them.
Does Thumbtack charge for leads that don't respond?
It depends on the lead type. Direct leads are charged from your weekly budget when they arrive. For Opportunities, you contact the customer first and pay only if they respond. And if a customer replies to no pro within 72 hours, Thumbtack refunds you automatically, as long as you replied within 4 business hours.
Is Thumbtack worth it for contractors?
It's low risk to try: no joining fee, no membership fee and no contract, and your weekly budget caps spend. Whether it pays depends on your cost per won job. Track a month of lead charges and jobs won, then run them through our cost per job calculator.
Can I get a refund on Thumbtack leads?
Yes, in two ways. The automatic refund covers customers who reply to no pro within 72 hours, if you replied within 4 business hours and kept first contact on Thumbtack. For anything else you can ask within 45 days. Refunds go to your Thumbtack balance unless you ask for your card within 10 business days of approval.
How does Thumbtack work for pros?
You list your services and set an exact lead price for each. When a customer who matches your job preferences reaches out from search results, you pay that price automatically from your weekly budget. You can also contact customers through Opportunities and pay only if they reply. Joining is free.