What Angi is in 2026 (and what changed from Angie's List)
Angi is the residential-services marketplace formed when Angie's List merged with HomeAdvisor under parent company Angi Inc. For HVAC contractors, the pro-facing product — often still called Angi Ads or Angi Leads — is a paid lead-generation platform where homeowners submit service requests and Angi sells those requests to matching pros in the ZIP code.
If you signed up years ago as an "Angie's List" pro, you're on the same platform. The consumer brand is Angi; the pro dashboard, invoices, and lead flow all say Angi now.
How the HVAC lead flow actually works
A homeowner in your service area searches "AC not cooling" or "furnace repair near me", lands on Angi, and fills out a short form: what's broken, when they need someone, ZIP code, contact info. Angi matches the request to pros in that ZIP who cover that job type and sends the lead to multiple pros at once — usually three to five for common HVAC categories.
You get an email, an SMS, and a push in the Angi Pro app. The first shop to call the homeowner has a real advantage; by the time the third pro dials, the homeowner has already booked someone else half the time.
That "shared lead" model is the single most important thing to understand about Angi economics.
What Angi costs HVAC contractors
There are three cost buckets to plan for:
- Annual membership / setup: typically $350–$400 for the first year, sometimes waived during promos.
- Per-lead charges: $15–$100 per lead depending on job type and market. HVAC repair leads in dense metros land at $45–$85; install and replacement leads (higher ticket) run $75–$120+.
- Angi Ads (optional): a monthly ad spend on top of leads, in exchange for higher placement and exclusive-lead options in some categories.
A one-truck HVAC shop that accepts 40 leads in a month at a $55 blended cost is spending $2,200 on Angi alone — before you factor in your close rate.
The math that decides if Angi is worth it
Angi's own marketing quotes close rates in the 30–40% range. Independent contractor surveys and our own conversations with small HVAC shops put the honest number at 15–25% for shared HVAC leads, mostly because the same homeowner is talking to three to five of your competitors.
Run the numbers on your own market before committing:
- Cost per lead: $55 (typical HVAC repair, mid-size metro)
- Close rate: 20%
- True customer acquisition cost: $55 ÷ 0.20 = $275 per closed job
- Average HVAC repair ticket: $450
- Gross margin after parts/labor: ~$180
In that scenario, Angi loses you $95 on every closed repair. It only pencils out when the ticket size is high — install and replacement work at $8,000–$12,000 tickets can absorb a $275 CAC easily.
Rule of thumb: Angi tends to work for HVAC contractors whose average ticket clears $2,500. It rarely works for shops that live on $250–$600 diagnostic-and-repair calls.
How Angi compares to LSAs, referrals, and local SEO
| Channel | Typical CAC (closed job) | Lead exclusivity | Time to ramp |
|---|---|---|---|
| Angi shared leads | $250–$500 | Shared 3–5 ways | 1–2 weeks |
| Google Local Services Ads | $80–$180 | Exclusive to caller | 2–4 weeks |
| Google Business Profile + reviews | ~$0 marginal | Exclusive | 90–180 days |
| Referral program | $25–$50 credit | Exclusive | 30–60 days |
For most one-to-five-truck HVAC shops, the priority order is: local SEO + reviews first (compounds forever), LSAs second (fast and exclusive), referrals third (cheapest at scale), and Angi last — and only for install-and-replace work where the ticket size covers the CAC.
Setting up an Angi profile that actually closes
If you decide to run Angi, the setup drives 60% of your close rate. Do these five things before you accept your first lead:
- Complete every profile field. Photos of trucks, techs in uniform, and finished install jobs beat stock imagery every time. Add your NATE certifications, EPA 608, and any manufacturer credentials.
- Write service-area copy in plain English. "We service central HVAC systems, mini-splits, and heat pumps in [your county]. Same-day repair on most calls, licensed and insured." Beats marketing fluff.
- Turn on SMS + push alerts. The first-call advantage is real — five minutes late usually means the job's gone.
- Pre-qualify categories. Turn OFF categories you don't actually want (duct cleaning, humidifier install if you don't do them). Every off-target lead you get charged for is pure loss.
- Ask for reviews on every closed Angi job. Angi profile reviews compound: a 4.8-star profile with 40+ reviews gets more high-intent leads at the same cost than a 4.2-star profile with 8 reviews.
The 90-day Angi test
If you're on the fence, run a bounded experiment:
- Cap monthly spend at a number you can afford to lose entirely — $1,000–$1,500 is a realistic test budget.
- Track every lead in your CRM or job-tracking software: source = "Angi", cost, contacted-within-5-min yes/no, closed yes/no, ticket size.
- After 90 days, compute: total Angi spend ÷ total gross margin from Angi-sourced closed jobs. If that ratio is above 40%, kill the channel and move the budget to LSAs.
The shops that keep Angi long-term almost always have one thing in common: a dispatcher or CSR who answers Angi leads inside two minutes, all day, every day.
Where Ratchly fits
If you're running Angi (or LSAs, or referrals) it only pays off when you can measure it. Ratchly tags every job with its lead source, tracks cost-per-lead against closed-job margin, and fires automated review requests on every closed invoice — so the Angi profile that decides your future lead cost keeps compounding without a marketing manager.
Start a free trial — most HVAC shops have lead-source tracking wired up inside 15 minutes of signing up.