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
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:
| Tier | Monthly | Contract |
|---|---|---|
| Premium / Brand Builder | ~$200–$300 | 12 months |
| Small business | $299 | 12 months |
| Large business / multi-category | $599 | 12 months |
Plus per-lead fees of $10–$100 charged on top of the subscription for each shortlist / quote-request connection.
Sources: ContractorTalk; HomeShowOff signup test; AI Local Growth marketing blog; Sitejabber August 2025 contractor-sourced review (for the $299/$599 split). Confidence: Industry-consensus.
Auto-renewal and early-termination friction
BBB complaints repeatedly describe contractors held to remaining contract value or routed to collections on cancellation. One Sitejabber reviewer cites a 30% remaining-balance penalty.
Source: BBB; Sitejabber. Confidence: Anecdotal (single complainants, not a primary HomeStars contract document).
HomeStars Verified Badge — included with paid tier
The 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" verifies criminal background + credit + HST registration + professional licensing — NOT HCRA, Tarion, COR, WSIB, project permits, or workmanship competency.
Source: HomeStars blog. Confidence: Verified.
Why the no-public-rate-card matters
Platforms 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 Inc. financials: FY2025 revenue $1,030.5M (down ~13% YoY for 2nd straight year); Q1 2026 Network Revenue collapsed 56% YoY on "homeowner choice" implementation).
For 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 Do not publish a HomeStars price as if it were authoritative.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 Contractor cost per booked customer through Angi can exceed $2,500 (Contractor Marketing Pros) for the cost-per-booked-customer angle.