Permit Data vs. Angi:
The Real Cost of Roofing Leads
Most roofing contractors know that Angi leads are expensive. What they often don't know is exactly how expensive, once you do the math all the way through to cost per closed job. That number tends to change people's minds about where to spend their marketing budget.
This post walks through the real comparison: permit-based leads vs. Angi and HomeAdvisor, with specific numbers on cost per lead, expected close rates, and what you actually pay per job acquired.
The sticker price problem
Lead platform pricing looks reasonable until you understand what you're actually buying. A $75 lead from Angi isn't a $75 exclusive opportunity to sell a roof. It's a $75 share of a homeowner who submitted a quote request and is simultaneously being contacted by three to five other roofing contractors.
That's the model. Angi, HomeAdvisor, and similar platforms monetize by selling the same lead to multiple contractors. You're not paying for a customer. You're paying for a chance to compete for a customer who already knows they have four other options and will likely go with the lowest bid.
Permit data works differently. When you generate a lead list from county records, that list is yours. No other contractor has the same spreadsheet. You're not competing for the homeowner's attention. You're the first person to bring the roof to their attention at all.
The math on cost per lead
Here's a direct comparison of what you pay per lead on each channel:
| Lead Source | Cost Per Lead | Shared or Exclusive | Lead Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| Angi / HomeAdvisor | $75 to $150 | Shared (3-5 contractors) | Homeowner already shopping |
| Thumbtack | $40 to $100 | Shared | Homeowner already shopping |
| Google Local Services Ads | $30 to $80 | Semi-exclusive | High intent, active search |
| Permit data (Roof Permit Leads) | $0.40 to $0.60 | Exclusive | Not yet shopping, needs outreach |
The cost per lead difference is roughly 150x. But cost per lead alone doesn't tell the full story, because permit-based leads require outreach and have a lower conversion rate than inbound leads from someone already looking for a quote.
The math on close rates
A homeowner who filled out a quote request on Angi is further along in the buying process than someone who got a door knock based on a permit list. That's a real difference. The question is whether the close rate gap is large enough to close the 150x cost gap.
Let's use realistic numbers. Experienced roofing contractors report closing 20 to 30 percent of Angi leads when they respond quickly and price competitively. For permit-based door knocking with a well-trained rep, a 3 to 6 percent conversion rate from contact to signed contract is realistic. Phone outreach from the same list typically runs 1 to 2 percent due to lower contact rates.
Running the cost per acquired job math:
| Scenario | Cost Per Lead | Close Rate | Cost Per Job |
|---|---|---|---|
| Angi (competitive) | $100 | 25% | $400 |
| Angi (typical) | $100 | 15% | $667 |
| Permit data (door knocking) | $0.50 | 4% | $12.50 |
| Permit data (phone outreach) | $0.50 | 1.5% | $33 |
Even at a dramatically lower close rate, permit data wins by a significant margin on cost per acquired job. A $400 to $667 customer acquisition cost on Angi versus $12 to $33 on permit data is not a close comparison.
What the math misses
The cost per job number is compelling, but it doesn't capture a few other factors worth considering.
Permit data requires more labor. Door knocking has to be staffed. Phone outreach requires someone working a dialer. Angi leads come to you. You just answer the phone. If you're a solo operator without a canvassing crew or a dedicated inside sales rep, permit data is less immediately actionable.
Angi leads have faster cycle times. A homeowner who filled out a quote form wants a call back today. A permit lead you knock might say "we've been thinking about it" and take six weeks to sign. If you're managing cash flow week-to-week, the faster conversion from Angi might be worth the premium in certain situations.
Permit data scales differently. Angi's lead flow is limited by what homeowners submit. Your permit-based lead volume is effectively unlimited within your coverage area: you can generate as many lists as you have credits. For a roofing company trying to grow from 10 jobs a month to 50, that scalability matters.
How contractors actually use both
The most successful roofing contractors in Tampa Bay don't treat this as a binary choice. They use permit data for their canvassing and direct mail programs, and they keep a modest presence on Google Local Services Ads for homeowners who are actively searching. They've mostly stopped buying Angi and HomeAdvisor leads because the math doesn't work once you've built a permit-based pipeline.
The transition usually starts with a test: download 200 permit leads, door knock them for two weeks, and track the results. Most contractors who do this come back and buy a larger package, because the math they calculated in advance turns out to hold in practice.
The one thing Angi has that permit data doesn't
Ease. Signing up for Angi takes ten minutes and leads start coming in the same day. Building a door-knocking operation, training reps, and developing a follow-up cadence takes time and management bandwidth. For a contractor who's stretched thin, that friction is real.
But for any roofing company serious about growing profitably, the cost math on permit data is hard to ignore. At $0.50 a lead and $25 per acquired job, the question stops being "can we afford to do this" and becomes "why are we still paying Angi $400 per job."