How Much Do Contractor Leads Cost? Shared vs. Exclusive Referrals Explained

"How much do leads cost?" is the first question every contractor asks us — and it should be. Lead generation has a reputation for fine print: setup fees, monthly minimums, long contracts, and charges for leads that were never real opportunities in the first place. This post lays out exactly what a lead costs at Gold Star Referrals, what you are paying for, and how the two options — Shared and Exclusive — differ. The full breakdown also lives on our pricing page if you want the numbers in one place.

It starts with one deposit

Every pro account starts the same way: a $200 deposit, held as your draw balance. There is no setup fee and no monthly fee for the core service, and there is no contract. Your deposit just sits there until a valid lead comes in — then the lead's price deducts from the balance. When the balance reaches $50, we warn you to top up so leads never pause by surprise. If it reaches zero, leads pause until you top up. That's the whole system.

Shared leads: from $15 per valid lead

With Shared, you are recommended alongside up to two other contractors for the same service in the same area — three companies at most, never an open marketplace where a homeowner is blasted to a dozen bidders. Shared leads start at $15 per valid lead for a 10-mile radius. Shared is the lowest-cost way to keep a steady flow of real requests coming in, and it's how most companies start. The trade-off is competition: the homeowner may talk to all of you, and the fastest, clearest response usually wins the job.

Exclusive leads: from $25 per valid lead

With Exclusive, you pick a center ZIP code and a mile radius, and inside that territory you are the only company we recommend for your services. Every matching request in your radius comes to you and nobody else. Exclusive leads start at $25 per valid lead at 10 miles. You can also mix the two: Exclusive in the ZIP codes you want most, Shared across a wider area. Your plan is set per service, per area — see how pros combine them on the For Contractors page.

Your radius sets your price

Both options price by radius, because a lead 45 miles away is worth something different than one around the corner. The 10-mile base is $15 Shared / $25 Exclusive, and each 10-mile step up adds $5 per lead: 20 miles is $20/$30, 30 miles is $25/$35, 40 miles is $30/$40, and 50 miles is $35/$45. You choose the radius, so you choose the price — and you can change it as you learn which areas produce your best jobs.

What "valid" means for your wallet

A price per lead only makes sense if you're not paying for junk. A lead here is valid when (1) the person fills out our form and requests your service, and (2) we place that person in contact with you. And there's a hard rule protecting your balance: no charge is applied to a lead whose phone number AND email address are both invalid. If either channel works, it's a real person you can reach — if neither works, you don't pay. Our how it works page walks through the full flow.

Questions & Answers

Carli James writes for Gold Star Referrals.