The Real Cost of Cheap Leads: Why Buying from Angi and HomeAdvisor Is Hurting Your Roofing Business

If you’ve been in the roofing game long enough, you’ve probably tried buying leads from platforms like Angi or HomeAdvisor. At first glance, they seem like a no-brainer—pay a fee, get connected to a homeowner, book the job, and make a profit. Simple, right?

Not quite.

While these services promise a steady flow of leads, what they often deliver is a frustrating cycle of wasted time, low-margin jobs, and chasing customers who never pick up the phone. Worse, they keep your business stuck in survival mode rather than growth mode.

In this post, we’ll explain why these “cheap” leads aren’t actually cheap and how smart roofing companies are moving toward lead systems that actually produce results.

1. Shared Leads = Race to the Bottom

The biggest issue with platforms like Angi and HomeAdvisor is that they sell the same lead to multiple contractors—sometimes five or more at once. The second the homeowner hits “submit,” the race is on.

You and four other roofers are now cold-callings a homeowner who may:

• Not answer
• Be overwhelmed by the calls
• Choose the cheapest bid, not the best company

Translation: You’re not competing on value. You’re competing on speed and price.

If you're running a $1M+ roofing company, you’ve built a brand worth more than being a commodity bidder. Shared leads don’t respect that.

2. Quality Control? Not Their Priority

Lead platforms aren’t built to vet homeowner intent. You often end up with:

• Renters (not homeowners)
• Price shoppers
• Unqualified leads
• People are just “looking around.”

Many roofing companies report spending hours calling and following up, only to discover that the lead was never serious in the first place.

So, while you’re paying $50–$150 per lead, the real cost is in the time your team spends chasing unqualified people instead of focusing on high-intent prospects.

3. Your Reputation Is at Risk

Here’s something most roofers don’t think about: when you rely on Angi or HomeAdvisor for leads, you’re building their brand—not yours.

Homeowners remember them, not you.

And worse, if there’s a dispute (fair or not), these platforms can:

• Post negative reviews on your profile
• Lower your visibility in their algorithm
• Suspend your account without warning

If your business relies on someone else’s platform for lead flow, you’re not in control of your growth—or your reputation.

4. “Cheap Leads” Are a False Economy

Let’s do some simple math:

• You buy 10 leads at $100 each = $1,000
• You only connect with 3
• You book one job worth $2,500
• Your close rate? 10%. Return? Maybe break even after labor.

Now compare that to a Google Ads campaign or SEO strategy where:

• You attract local homeowners already searching for a roofer
• You control the message and brand experience
• You close 1 in 3 leads instead of 1 in 10

High-intent leads = higher close rates = better ROI.

The roofers we work with at Roundhouse have seen returns like:

• 3,232% ROI in 30 days
• 183 leads in one month from Google Ads
• 40% increase in traffic and 31% more calls from SEO

This isn’t a theory. It’s happening now for roofing contractors who stop renting low-quality leads and start building real marketing systems.

5. There’s a Better Way to Grow

If you’re tired of chasing bad leads and burning money with little to show for it, it’s time for a new approach.

At Roundhouse Digital Marketing, we help roofing companies build systems that generate consistent, exclusive, and high-quality leads.

That means:

• Google Ads tuned for high conversion
• Local SEO that drives traffic month after month
• A website that converts clicks into phone calls
• Transparent reporting—so you always know what’s working

We don’t sell leads. We help you own them.

🔨 Ready to Stop Renting and Start Growing?

Your time is too valuable to waste on unconvertible leads. Let’s build a system that consistently brings in calls from real, local homeowners who are ready to buy.

👉 Contact us today for a free strategy session and learn how Roundhouse can help your roofing business grow confidently.