We’re Thumbtack, a technology company helping millions of people confidently care for and improve their homes. Our homeowners get personalized guidance on what to do and when to do it as well as who to hire from our growing community of 300,000 local service businesses. Every day in every county of the U.S., people turn to Thumbtack to complete small fixes, routine maintenance, and major improvements. With over 10 million 5-star projects and counting, we empower homeowners to take control and local businesses to grow. Accomplish more with Thumbtack.
Written by the business, not verified by us.
Is Thumbtack legit?
Thumbtack (thumbtack.com) has a 1.8 out of 5 rating on OK.one, based on 200 user reviews collected here. It is listed under Home Services and its reputation is poor. 76% of reviews are 1 star, a relatively high share; The business has replied to 90% of negative reviews; Reviews mostly discuss Price, Customer service. Last updated 2026-08-29.
What reviewers say
AI generated
Most reviewers were unhappy with their experience overall. Consumers frequently complain about expensive lead pricing and continually getting charged for unresponsive or fake clients who never reply. Customer support is often described as completely unhelpful, making it extremely difficult to resolve billing disputes or reach anyone.
Some reviewers were happy with the professional and efficient service provided by skilled contractors who arrived right on time. People also appreciated timely job completion, neat workspaces, and very polite communication throughout the entire project duration. A few users mentioned good experiences finding reliable help for simple home repairs and painting tasks around the house.
Auto-generated from all reviews of this business. For reference only.
This company uses misleading marketing making service providers believe that you are paying for a “direct lead” when it is actually a shared or indirect lead along with other providers. The proof is that when a client needs a service and sends a message, that message is shown to usually 3 providers and even if you reply within minutes, many times there is no response from the client and the portal will then say that client already hired another provider. If client directly contacted a provider, he would have made a response but there are times, there is no response. I deactivated today June 30, 2026. This company is just out there to take your money and even if you found work, wouldn’t even compensate for the “leads” you pay. The ratio is 1 out 12 leads you paid.
Reply from Thumbtack2026-07-06
It's disappointing to hear that our lead distribution and matching features left you feeling misled. Hardworking pros deserve clear visibility into how connections are made and an accurate return on their marketing investment. While our system routes inquiries based on specific customer selections and targeting preferences, we take your concerns regarding unresponsive clients and conversion ratios seriously.
We appreciate you sharing your experience as you deactivate your account, and we are using your insights to help us evaluate how we structure and communicate our lead options to business owners.
Run as fast as you can from this scam referral company Thumbtack. They referred 7 Website Development companies to our company each one promised they were based in the United States, it was scammers based in the same scammer call center in Karachi Pakistan. When we reported this to Thumbtack they hung up on us within 45 seconds. Here is where it gets lawsuit worthy- Thumbtack initiates the calls, they call our company an transfer the Pakistan scammers to our corporate phones. All fake web companies said they were based in the USA all provided fake business locations using REGUS Temp Office addresses. When we declined to do business with each scam company another would call 10 minutes later. We had them all go to our live website where we have software to track visitor locations in real time- All Thumbtack scammers that Thumbtack called our phone line were all scammers based in Pakistan lying to us over the phone saying they are U.S. Based companies. Thumbtack is complicit in this scam ripping off trusting Small American Business owners. We called with proof - Thumbtack customer service sounded like they were in the Philippians or china not America all hung up on our company 3 times within 45 seconds making Thumbtack complicit in this scam. Do not do business with Thumbtack who clearly sells leads & refers to scammers from Pakistan to United States Customers. We already were ripped off by MOBRILZ web development company in India.
Reply from Thumbtack2026-07-06
It is deeply concerning to hear about this influx of misleading calls and the abrupt disconnections you experienced when calling our support line. We have zero tolerance for profiles that use deceptive tactics or false locations to bypass platform standards. Since you have collected real-time visitor tracking data regarding these website development requests, we want to ensure this evidence is thoroughly reviewed by our higher-level security teams.
Please submit your tracking logs and account details directly to our Trust and Safety team at thumbtack.com/trust-safety so we can investigate these entities and take immediate, appropriate action.
Thumbtack has one of the most frustrating business models I’ve ever experienced as a small business owner.
Over the years, I spent thousands of dollars chasing leads that never responded, weren’t serious buyers, or weren’t even a good fit for my services. Yet Thumbtack still collected its money. The company gets paid whether the professional gets work or not, which creates very little incentive to improve lead quality.
The platform claims to help small businesses grow, but my experience was the opposite. It drained my marketing budget while delivering inconsistent results. Every dollar I spent on Thumbtack was a dollar I couldn’t invest in marketing that actually produced paying customers.
What frustrated me most wasn’t losing money on a few bad leads. It was the policies. They consistently felt designed to protect Thumbtack’s revenue rather than the professionals who make the platform possible. After enough disappointing experiences, I realized I was funding a system that wasn’t interested in being fair.
I’ve permanently stopped using Thumbtack and won’t recommend it to other contractors. There are far better ways to invest your advertising dollars than paying for leads that may never become customers.
Reply from Thumbtack2026-07-01
Hearing that our platform felt like a drain on your marketing budget rather than a growth tool is tough, especially coming from a small business owner working hard to invest their advertising dollars wisely.
Thumbtack is designed to charge for direct connections and initial quotes where local customers reach out to you based on your targeting preferences, rather than taking a percentage of completed jobs. We recognize that paying for leads that do not convert can feel incredibly frustrating and impact your bottom line.
Your extensive perspective on our policies and lead quality is highly valuable, and we are sharing this feedback directly with our product team as we continue working to make our system fairer for our pro community.
If I could I would give them a negative 10. I was charged for leads that I didn't even get. I don't see how that can even be ethical to charge people for leads they're not getting. the guy that got the job should get charged for it not just everybody that gets a response back saying that they didn't get the job. Shady business practices all the way around. I'm waiting to hear back on if they're going to give me a refund for ripping me off and I'm sure they're going to try to weasel their way out of it. Do not use Thumbtack there are garbage. A complete and total ripoff. It's totally stupid it's definitely not ethical at all what they're doing. So yeah if you want to go get ripped off go ahead and sign up. I would advise anybody to stay away from us company. And by the way the leads are complete garbage. One guy asked me to remove and replace 14 table tops for 150 dollars. Told me he wanted it done very professional and not to rush through it. I thought it was 150 bucks a table no he meant for the whole job. What a joke.. the leads suck. They might have fabricated their own leads. that's what I'm starting to think. okay just don't do it. save yourself your money and time and the headache of dealing with these people. You will be ripped off and you will be dissatisfied with their excuses and customer service. believe that. When they tell you they can't give you a your money back for ripping you off. Their complete scums and they should be taken down. Bottom line I hate them.
Reply from Thumbtack2026-07-02
Building a business takes immense effort, and it is incredibly stressful when an upfront marketing investment doesn't match a customer's actual project budget. Thumbtack charges pros when a customer reaches out directly based on your targeting preferences, rather than when a contract is signed, but we understand how frustrating unrealistic job scopes can be.
If you would like additional support, please reach back out to our team at (866) 501-5809. We would love to try and improve your experience with us!
The absolute worst platform for any coach to promote their business. I recently was in a dispute because they charged me over $1,900.00 on my credit card for leads that I never even had an opportunity to work. They won the dispute because I could not prove to my credit card company that I did not get the opportunity to work the lead. I requested a $100.00 weekly budget. They did not listen to that request. They charged me $145.00 per lead that I never had an opportunity to work. I never spoke to the potential so called client one time. I just got charged on my credit card. They are scammers and manipulators. They should be out of business for their unethical business practice. Run from this company. There are so many other great lead generating opportunities.
Reply from Thumbtack2026-07-01
It is disheartening to hear that your experience with our lead pricing and automated budget settings has left you feeling taken advantage of. Hardworking pros deserve transparent billing and complete assurance that their weekly spend caps are being respected by the system.
While most refund resolutions are final, we're happy to review and add more clarification. Please get back in touch with our Support team at (866) 501-5809.
Lead quality has dropped sharply in 2026 - was previously my top channel
I've been a Thumbtack Pro as a painting contractor in Chicago for
several years and historically had strong, consistent results on
this platform. It was one of my best lead sources for a long time.
However, the last 60 days have shown a dramatic decline that's no
longer sustainable.
Real numbers from my account (April 29 - June 27, 2026):
- 20 leads received
- $3,753.83 total spend (gross)
- 6 leads refunded by Thumbtack — meaning Thumbtack itself
admitted 30% of leads were not legitimate
- 3 refund requests denied despite poor quality
- Net out of pocket: $2,736.21
- Only 1 actual job closed (from a $2,900 project)
- 5% close rate (vs 30%+ industry benchmark)
- Net P&L on this channel over 60 days: approximately -$1,200
When the platform itself refunds 30% of leads, that confirms a
real, systemic quality problem — not bad luck on my end. Several
"refund denied" leads were homeowners who never responded or had
completely vague project descriptions that didn't match a real
service request.
The "share project with more pros" feature appears to charge
multiple contractors for what should be a single qualified lead,
diluting paying customers across competing pro accounts. Lead
prices have also risen significantly.
To Thumbtack: I'm not closing my account because I want to come
back. But I'm scaling down significantly until lead quality is
addressed. The product was great. The current state isn't.
To other contractors: Track your numbers carefully. What worked
1-2 years ago may not work today. Diversify your lead sources
(Meta Ads, Google Local Services, referral programs, networking)
so you're not dependent on any single platform.
Two stars because the platform's history deserves credit — but
the current product doesn't justify the current spend.
Reply from Thumbtack2026-06-29
Hearing that a platform that was once one of your best lead sources has turned into a financial setback over the last 60 days is tough, especially for a long-term painting contractor in Chicago. Your detailed breakdown regarding the volume of refunds, lead quality, and the feature mechanics is incredibly valuable to us.
If you feel like you could use the Support from our team, please give us a call at (866) 501-5809. We'd love to chat more about what you're seeing and how we can improve the incoming leads.
Our side gate had big gaps on all sides from the builder Lennar, we couldn't stand looking at it. We had our side gate replaced by Marco and he was very professional and efficient. The gate looks great and he finished on time, we will definitely recommend him!
Reply from Thumbtack2026-06-29
Connecting homeowners with professional, efficient pros like Marco who can eliminate those annoying gaps and deliver beautiful results on time is exactly why we love what we do. Thank you for the great recommendation, and enjoy your seamless new side gate!
I had a job done that was awful. Cement cracked 3 days later and contractor was rude and belligerent. Thumbtack wouldn't honor their guarantee. They only give lip service and waste your time if there is an issue.
Reply from Thumbtack2026-06-29
Hiring a pro should bring peace of mind, and hearing that our guarantee process left you feeling like you only received lip service is deeply concerning. Because you have already been navigating this dispute with us, we want to ensure your case is thoroughly re-evaluated.
Please get back in touch with the Trust and Safety agent handling your case with any concerns you have about the resolution of your incident. We want to make sure your concerns are properly addressed!
As a professional that has used the platform I can tell you it is a total rip off. Give you unauthorized leads that are outside your scope and they are very unethical towards the professionals. They dont honor their refund policy. You are better off going to LawnLove or Lawn starter for leads and lawns.
Reply from Thumbtack2026-06-29
It's tough to hear that Thumbtack has not been a successful tool for you and your business.
Our goal is to provide a reliable space where hardworking pros can successfully build their client base, and we take concerns about unethical practices or rigid policies very seriously.
We hear your frustration regarding alternative platforms and are using your insights to help us evaluate how we deliver better value and clearer billing to service business owners.
Absolutely the worst money hungry, condescending, scammers ever to be in the lead generating business. They dont care about techs, businesses or customers! All they care about is how much more can we squeeze out of everyone using the worst tactics to do so! This will be marked as an illegal scheme soon enough, just like a pyramid scheme, this will be categorised as illegal and scumbags thumbtack will be out of business. Absolute garbage ethics! Dont give them your money, find another way to advertise, generate leads! DO NOT USE THUMBTACK!
Reply from Thumbtack2026-06-29
Hearing that our platform feels like an unfair financial burden rather than a tool for growth is tough, especially when you are working hard to build a business. Thumbtack is designed to charge for direct connections and quotes where local customers reach out to you based on your targeting preferences, rather than taking a percentage of completed jobs.
Your perspective on how these upfront costs feel is incredibly valuable to us, and we are sharing this feedback directly with our product team as we work to make our billing clearer and fairer for our pro community.
If I could leave 0 stars I would. I don't know this app. Never heard of it til today, 6/23/2026, when a number called me twice from Parkersburg, WV with a foreign accent. 1-681-588-5379. LEAVE PEOPLE ALONE!!
Reply from Thumbtack2026-06-29
Protecting personal communication is very important, and Thumbtack does not authorize or conduct cold-calling campaigns to consumers.
To help us ensure your number is fully restricted and to look into why this occurred, please reach out to us directly at (866) 501-5809 so our team can immediately assist.
Hey there! Just had enough today from these thieves. Started around 7 years ago with them after very bad experiences with home advisors, Angie’s list, etc. the beginning was slow but soon I started to get good leads and comparing with above named companies, thumbtack was at least, decent. Soon after my reviews started to arrive, 5 stars only, the relationship let’s call it, improved. And I used to pay them every year between 15-20k, pretty steep, but still worthy. Starting 3 years ago, they had a campaign and ask us some questions, and I don’t know with which part of their body they analyzed those informations bu soon after that they implemented some changes which was the worst things that happened to us as customers. We pulled the alarm signals, they promised to fix them but instead the problems became bigger. Long story short, they started a system of bidding for the leads, and from 60, an installation lead became 80, after that 130 till today is around 300 or above. Of course they didn’t forget to let you know every other weak that your max level of payment is not competitive anymore so you have to bumped up. That’s not the worse part! The worse part is that the proportion of the bad leads increased exponentially to the point where last week I spend $1300.00 for leads and only one was good enough to take me in the front of potential customer. Yesterday, I received a lead for installation, I sent the message, called the customer right away, in mater then less than 5 minutes, the customer said he don’t need any work related to the system or something else in his house. Applied for refunding and I was declined because on the resolution , customer wrote, no hire. Why is that a reason do decline?! Nobody was able to explain. First rep played like her comunication device is not working, next one , like a Chinese drop, tried to make me to get fed up and renounce to the claim, asking me to write a new email after our conversation, beside the one I wrote already, and the third one, with another tactic either intentionally or not, playing a very bad English language, tried to justify her colleagues instead of solving the problem. At that time I ask for supervisor, she declined initially but when I told her that by law, I'm entitled to talk with a supervisor she said that there's supervisor but that supervisor have no phone😂😂😂 and will answer to my questions in writing, sending me an email in 48hours.
So the worst services 0 stars
The worst customer service 0stars
One of the worst , joined now to the other thieves which became now to big to care about the customers.
Reply from Thumbtack2026-06-25
Thank you for sharing your perspective with us. We understand how frustrating it can be when a lead doesn't go as planned, and we truly appreciate you taking the time to provide this feedback.
Insights from our Pros are incredibly vital because they directly drive changes meant to better your overall experience. In fact, we recently implemented updates specifically designed to improve customer response rates and provide greater protection for our Pros on leads where customers do not respond.
Regarding refunds, please note that all requests are evaluated in accordance with our established guidelines. You can view the full details of our Refund Policy here.
Thank you again for being a part of the Thumbtack community.
This is a horrible cash grabbing app for contractors, you will be forced to preload money into your account and you will be charged regardless of situations for every time a customer requests a quote. Don't reply back or decline ? Still charges you. Refund ? Nonexistence, they refuse to refund back to the original bank account and only issue credits for there own platform. This platform hasn't change at all other then more expensive and more self made up rules to be sure they don't have to refund you. You are better off learning real online marketing and canvasing your neighborhood.
Reply from Thumbtack2026-06-26
Hearing that our platform feels like a financial setback rather than a growth tool for your business is tough. Thumbtack is designed to connect pros with local customers looking for help by charging for the initial quote or direct contact based on your targeting preferences, rather than a percentage of completed jobs. We recognize that navigating refund policies and platform credits can feel incredibly stressful when you are trying to manage your business.
Your perspective on how these costs and rules impact your business is highly valuable, and we are sharing this feedback directly with our product team to help us evaluate how we support our pro community.
Thumbtack is a terrible lead source and untrustworthy to work with..
Thumbtack is terrible.
They began charging our company without any authorization even after talking to the representative Joe Spain and telling him we hadn't completed our account set-up because the lead cost was too high and not a good return on investment compared to other lead sources. We were notified by our CC company of possible double charges that flagged to us that they had already run up over $1,000 in unauthorized charges.
Reply from Thumbtack2026-06-26
Our goal is to support local pros, and unauthorized billing or double charges completely go against how we want your experience to feel. Please contact our Support team directly at (866) 501-5809 so we can assist further and get this sorted out for you.
Communication was fast. Patel responded promptly. He had my washing machine repaired quickly. Very professional service.
Reply from Thumbtack2026-06-26
We're thrilled that Patel was able to handle your washing machine repair so quickly and professionally. Cheers to a hassle-free experience and getting your routine back on track!
I had a wonderful experience today using Thumbtack to identify a "picture hanger". Malik Townsend responded to my inquiry immediately and indicated he was able to install the playbills. He indicated he would be at my home before noon and provided an estimate for the time that would be needed to install the playbills. He not only hung the playbills, but he also hung a mirror and took the packaging with him to discard.
I would recommend Malik. Professional, punctual, and he cleans up. Great find and I will refer him to my community.
Reply from Thumbtack2026-06-29
Thank you for the fantastic recommendation. We are thrilled that your experience finding a picture hanger went so smoothly and that Malik provided such fast, tidy, and reliable service. Cheers to checking that installation off your list, and thank you for sharing him with your community.
Terrible customer service and they send way too many emails with leads that are not real.
I attempted to contact customer service, waited literally all day to finally get an agent. Waste of time.
Reply from Thumbtack2026-06-25
Our platform is designed to connect local pros with genuine customers seeking services, and hearing that the leads you received felt artificial is concerning.
If you haven't been in touch with our Support team regarding these questionable leads, please give us a call at (866) 501-5809. We'd be happy to review the leads and make sure you're only being charged for genuine high-intent leads!
Predatory billing practices and a deceptive refund policy. Beware!
I strongly advise all contractors and professionals to stay away from Thumbtack. I stopped using this platform a long time ago and my account was completely inactive, yet they continued to charge my bank card for random leads. I never requested these leads, never contacted the customers, and provided zero services.
When I tried to dispute these unfair charges, their automated system immediately denied almost all of my refund requests. The worst part is their deceptive refund policy: even if they do approve a refund, they refuse to send the money back to your original payment method. Instead, they give you "platform credits." And if you decide to permanently delete your account because of these unauthorized charges, Thumbtack simply keeps all your money!
This feels like an absolute scam to drain money from inactive professionals. Do not link your credit card to this app unless you want to be charged for nothing.
Reply from Thumbtack2026-06-25
We understand how frustrating it can be to see unexpected charges and to feel like your account status isn't aligning with your current business needs.
We want our Pros to always be in complete control of their spend and availability. On Thumbtack, leads are only charged when they match the specific targeting preferences and availability that you have selected for your profile. If you are not looking to take on new jobs, you can pause receiving leads at any time directly within your account settings to prevent future customer matches: https://help.thumbtack.com/article/hide-my-business
I’ve used thumbtack for over a decade off and on and they have take a significant fall from grace. We compete against them in local advertising and they simply are spending too much to be able to offer services like they used to. You can no longer profitably use their service because the cost to acquire a new client is significantly more than it is to just market for them yourself of hire a third party marketing team (we have done both). Flatly just not worth the trouble.
Reply from Thumbtack2026-06-25
We're bummed to read that Thumbtack isn't a good fit for you and your business, especially after nearly a decade with us! While we're always working hard to make sure pricing is fair for each service category and location, we understand how rising acquisition costs make it difficult to justify the investment.
We take your feedback seriously and are sharing your insights with our team to help us evaluate how we price and deliver value to long-term business owners. We wish you the best moving forward!
I had a well-established account on Thumbtack with for 2 months with 12 reviews, active leads, and ongoing client dealings. One day I logged in and my entire account was gone, no warning, no email, no explanation whatsoever.
What made it even more frustrating is that their system was asking ME to provide a reason for why my account was deactivated — how am I supposed to know that? That is something only Thumbtack can answer.
I have invested significant time and money more then $5000 inlucind the lead fee, and other costs related to thumbatck, and in one day it was all wiped out with zero communication. My business depends on this and Thumbtack showed absolutely no regard for that, I tried contacting through email but no response
Their support is slow and unhelpful. I would strongly warn any business owner thinking about relying on Thumbtack — do not put all your eggs in one basket because they can remove your account at any time without any reason or notice.
Extremely disappointed. 😡
Reply from Thumbtack2026-06-23
We understand how frustrating it is to lose access to your Thumbtack account. However, to protect your privacy, we cannot disclose any account details on this platform.
We encourage you to reach out to our Support team so that we can provide you with the necessary steps to resolve your account issue.
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