The bottom line
HomeStars charges nothing to join and nothing each month. You pay a lead fee only when a homeowner shortlists you. The fee isn’t published: it depends on the job and is shown before you respond, and HomeStars says it never changes after you respond. There’s no contract to get out of.
The rule that costs pros money: the fee is for the shortlist, not the job. If you’re shortlisted and don’t win the work, you still pay, unless the lead qualifies for a credit.
Get told when HomeStars' fees change
Providers change fees with little notice. We email you what changed when a price here does, and nothing else.
HomeStars' fee rules, in their words
Visit HomeStars- Membership
- None
- "You only pay a fee when the homeowner shortlists you. There are no joining fees, membership fees or any other costs" Source
- When you are charged
- Charged when the homeowner shortlists you and shares contact details
- "When a homeowner shortlists you and shares their contact details, we will charge a lead fee. This is the only time you will be charged." Source
- Lead fee
- Not published
- Variable fee, shown before you respond, never changed after.
- "The lead fee is always stated before you respond to a homeowner and can vary. The fee will never be adjusted after you have responded." Source
- What changes the fee
- Job details the homeowner enters (surface area, quantity, material)
- "The lead fee is variable, based on criteria such as surface area, quantity (doors, frames, walls and / or stairs) and the material." Source
- Other pros on the job
- Not published
- How many pros a homeowner can shortlist is not published; expressing interest is free.
- "You can express interest in as many jobs as you want for free." Source
- Credits
- Credit for wrong contact details, wrong type of work, duplicate shortlist, job-seeker; unreachable homeowner only if requested 7-20 days after shortlist and you messaged within 48h via HomeStars
- "Credit requests must be submitted no later than 20 days after you were shortlisted. Requests submitted before 7 days or after 20 days aren't eligible for a credit." Source
- Support
- Mon-Fri 9 AM-4:30 PM ET, phone 1-877-549-0757, contact form
- "Our Customer Service team is available Monday to Friday from 9 AM to 4:30 PM ET. Call us 1-877-549-0757" Source
Quotes copied from HomeStars' own pages, checked Oct 20, 2026.
How a HomeStars lead works
- A homeowner posts a job. You see it and can express interest for free, on as many jobs as you like.
- The homeowner shortlists you. They share their contact details, and this is the only point you’re charged.
- You see the fee first. It’s stated before you respond and won’t be adjusted later.
Getting a fee credited back
HomeStars credits a lead fee when:
- the homeowner’s contact details are wrong,
- the job is a type of work you don’t do,
- you were shortlisted twice for the same job, or
- the person is looking for a job, not hiring.
Can’t reach the homeowner? That counts only if you send the request 7 to 20 days after the shortlist, and you messaged them through HomeStars within 48 hours. Ask before day 7 or after day 20 and it’s not eligible. So reply on HomeStars the same day, every time: it keeps the credit open.
Is HomeStars worth it?
It’s a low-risk way to try buying leads: no membership, no contract, and you see the price before you commit. Whether it pays comes down to how many shortlists turn into jobs. Track a month: lead fees paid, jobs won. If your cost per won job is under what you make on a job, it’s working.
Good fit: pros who reply fast, quote quickly and want to pay only for real interest.
Skip it if: you can’t follow up within 48 hours (you lose the unreachable-homeowner credit), or you’d rather have a fixed monthly cost.
What a HomeStars job costs you
Enter the lead fees you see on HomeStars and how often a shortlist turns into a job.
Cost per won job on HomeStars
Job numbers below are examples: put in yours. A platform box is filled in only when the platform publishes that number.
- HomeStarsprice 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
Prefer a fixed monthly cost? TrustedPros charges a flat membership instead of lead fees. Compare it with HomeStars in the cost per job calculator. Also see Google Local Services Ads in Canada and all 7 platforms on the contractor leads hub.
Common questions
How much does HomeStars cost for contractors?
There's no joining fee and no membership fee. You pay a lead fee only when a homeowner shortlists you and shares their contact details. HomeStars doesn't publish lead fees: each one depends on the job details, such as surface area, quantity and material, and is shown before you respond.
Do I pay HomeStars if I don't get the job?
Yes, if the homeowner shortlisted you. The lead fee pays for the shortlist and contact details, not the job. Expressing interest in a job is free; the charge comes only at the shortlist.
Can I get a HomeStars lead fee back?
You can ask for a credit if the contact details are wrong, the job is a type of work you don't do, it's a duplicate shortlist or the person is a job seeker. For a homeowner you can't reach, ask 7 to 20 days after the shortlist, and only if you messaged them on HomeStars within 48 hours.
Is HomeStars the same as Angi or HomeAdvisor?
It's the same family. HomeStars' help pages describe it as part of the Instapro Group and Angi family, with HomeAdvisor and Angi in the USA and HomeStars in Canada.