{"id":1019,"slug":"homestars-pricing-2026-no-public-rate-card","title":"HomeStars 2026 pricing: NO public rate card; contractor-reported $200–$600/month subscription + $10–$100 per-lead fees on 12-month contracts; small biz $299/mo, large/multi-category $599/mo","kind":"reference","scope":"business","status":"current","audiences":["kevin","smb-owner","candid-team"],"topics":["pricing-models","gc-vertical","lead-gen-directories","homestars"],"reference_body":"**Claim:** **HomeStars no longer publishes a public rate card.** All 2026 pricing intelligence is contractor-reported from forums, BBB complaints, and signup tests. Reported figures converge on a stable range:\n\n| Tier | Monthly | Contract |\n|---|---|---|\n| **Premium / Brand Builder** | ~$200–$300 | 12 months |\n| **Small business** | $299 | 12 months |\n| **Large business / multi-category** | $599 | 12 months |\n\nPlus **per-lead fees of $10–$100** charged on top of the subscription for each shortlist / quote-request connection.\n\n**Sources:** ContractorTalk; HomeShowOff signup test; AI Local Growth marketing blog; Sitejabber August 2025 contractor-sourced review (for the $299/$599 split).\n**Confidence:** Industry-consensus.\n\n## Auto-renewal and early-termination friction\n\nBBB complaints repeatedly describe contractors held to **remaining contract value** or **routed to collections** on cancellation. One Sitejabber reviewer cites a **30% remaining-balance penalty**.\n\n**Source:** BBB; Sitejabber.\n**Confidence:** Anecdotal (single complainants, not a primary HomeStars contract document).\n\n## HomeStars Verified Badge — included with paid tier\n\nThe HomeStars Verified Badge is **included with upgraded membership** (paid tier only) and covers criminal background check, credit check, HST registration, and licensing verification. **What it does NOT verify:** see [[homestars-verified-badge-what-it-actually-verifies]].\n\n**Source:** HomeStars blog.\n**Confidence:** Verified.\n\n## Why the no-public-rate-card matters\n\nPlatforms that **publish** their pricing (Houzz Pro, GuildQuality, HomeAdvisor pre-FTC-settlement) make their unit economics legible to the buyer. **Platforms that don't — Angi/HomeStars since the 2023 FTC settlement, plus most modern lead-gen plays — extract maximum willingness-to-pay through individualized quoting.** This is consistent with a platform optimizing for ARPU under shrinking market conditions ([[angi-fy2025-10k-and-q1-2026-network-revenue-collapse]]).\n\nFor Candid client conversations: any cost figure cited in client copy needs the *\"contractor-reported\"* hedge. **Do not publish a HomeStars price as if it were authoritative.** Cross-reference [[angi-cost-per-customer-2500-plus]] for the cost-per-booked-customer angle.","rationale_body":null,"metadata":null,"links":{"outgoing":[{"slug":"angi-cost-per-customer-2500-plus","title":"Contractor cost per booked customer through Angi can exceed $2,500 (Contractor Marketing Pros)","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"relates-to"},{"slug":"homestars-shared-lead-mechanics-3-to-10-contractors-per-lead","title":"HomeStars shared-lead mechanics: each lead routed to 3–10 competing contractors; win rate per individual contractor mathematically bounded under 20% in median case","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"relates-to"}],"incoming":[{"slug":"research-brief-homestars-platform-critique","title":"Research brief: HomeStars / Angi — the case against directory dependence, with the owned-trust-signal alternative for Ontario contractors (May 24, 2026)","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"relates-to"}]},"created_at":"2026-05-24T17:04:39.686Z","updated_at":"2026-05-24T17:04:39.686Z"}