Is Thumbtack Pro Legit & Worth It?

How Much You Can Make With Thumbtack?

How much you can earn with Thumbtack completely depends on you. When the leads reach out to you, you are giving them the quote according to their project needs.

And the price you’ll charge per project will highly depend on the following factors:

• The category of your service
• The difficulty of the project
• How much work you’ll have to do
• Your level of experience

According to Glassdoor, Pro Service providers’ salaries at Thumbtack can range from $40,000 to $45,000 plus per year.

Who is Thumbtack Best for?

Thumbtack is best for pros looking for customers who can hire their services. The platform is also suitable for customers looking for pros to hire.

Thumbtack Benefits: What Does Thumbtack Offer?

Free to join

As a free-to-join platform, users and professionals don’t pay anything to join. You only pay for the lead that you want to communicate with.

Flexibility for the Pros

Thumbtack allows professionals to pick the projects that they want to take up and set the number of hours and days they want to work.

One-stop shop for all services

Thumbtack gives you the convenience to access local professionals from all service backgrounds.

Great for professionals with no online presence

Whether you are a small business owner or have just started as an independent contractor, Thumbtack can be a great place to start and generate leads.

You get a refund if the customers don’t respond

Thumbtack refunds professionals who don’t hear back from leads within 48 hours.

Thumbtack Requirements

Joining Thumbtack as a Pro doesn’t have many requirements.

You just have to:

• Be at least 18 years old
• Be providing any professional service with any level of experience
• Pass a background check for criminal records

Thumbtack Costs to Consider

While it’s free to create a pro profile and there are no monthly subscription fees, you pay a fee for each lead you get from Thumbtack. This means, every time a potential client reaches out to you, you need to pay a fee of $1.50 to the platform.

Also, if a customer contacts a number of different pros, you’ll get a competition discount This could, however, be as high as $100 depending on the supply and demand.

In order to ensure only the right kind of customers reach out to you, who are really interested in hiring you, make sure you set your preferences. 

Preferences you can set:

• What kinds of jobs you’d like to take
• What hours you’d like to work
• Where you’d like to work

In fact, if a customer who reaches out to you only partially matches your preferences, you’ll automatically pay for that lead at a 20% discount. But if a customer’s requirements match your preferences fully, you can either decline the offer or accept it and pay the full price for the lead.

In case you reach out to a customer who is already interviewing other pros, you’ll only be charged if the customer replies to you.

You’ll also get a refund for a lead if you answer them within 4 business hours, but they don’t view your message for 48 hours.

Since Thumbtack lists professionals with varying degrees of expertise and experience, seasoned professionals may be forced to undercut themselves to stay in the competition.

Thumbtack Payout Terms and Options?

Since Thumbtack is an online platform marching you as a local contractor with customers, it has no payout terms and options.

Thumbtack Reviews: is Thumbtack Legit?

Thumbtack is a legitimate company, providing you with real leads and ensuring a safe payment system. The platform has been on the market since 2011 and is accredited by the Better Business Bureau with an A+ rating. Thumbtack also has a rating of 2.3 on Sitejabber and 4.4 on Trustpilot.

The vast majority of positive reviewers described the platform as the go-to place to look for leads. Others were also happy with its ease of use.

Many of them are happy with the service they have been provided. However, there are few complaints from the site.

For instance, most drivers were not happy that you have to pay for the lead even if you are not hired. Overall, Thumbtack is a legit company that actually works.

Thumbtack Pros & Cons

Thumbtack Pros

• Get 30,000+ leads on Thumbtack a day
• There’s no fee to join or a monthly subscription to pay
• You only pay when an interested client reaches out to you – from $1.50 per lead
• It’s possible to get a refund for the canceled job lead

Thumbtack Cons

• You must pay for the lead, even if the client doesn’t hire you
• Competition increases cost per lead

If you’re looking for a quick answer, your best bet is the Live Chat. If you need a personal touch, use Thumbtrack’s phone number or the email address Otherwise, you can always use the Help Desk if you have a frequently asked question that can probably be answered by a help article.

How Good is Thumbtack Support and Knowledge Base?

Thumbtack Customer Support Team helps the pros provide a great experience to their customers, build customer loyalty and grow their business. 

You can either call them through call-free number 866-501-5809, email them at  support@thumbtack.com or contact them through live chat. You can also reach Thumbtack through the help page which you will find at the bottom of the home page.

Thumbtack Review Verdict: is Thumbtack Worth it?

Taking into consideration the pros and cons of using Thumbtack to get the leads, I’d say it’s worth it as you can make up to 45,000 a year. 

If you have a complete profile, price your services competitively, respond to leads quickly, and provide high-quality services, your experience with Thumbtack is going to be a success.

Especially if you’re just starting and don’t have previous customers who can refer you and keep you busy, Thumbtack is a great place to start. Just don’t rely on it as your sole source of leads because you don’t control it.

How to Start Earning With Thumbtack?

Getting started as a Thumbtack Pro is a simple and straightforward process. Let’s review all the steps you’ll need to go through to become a Thumbtack Pro and start selling your professional services.

Step 1 – Select services you offer

The very first thing you need to do to become a Thumbtack Pro is to select your location and the category that best matches your services/industry. 

Then you’ll be redirected to a page where you’ll specify the services you offer. You can select as many or as few services as you’d like. If you don’t see a service that you want to offer in the list, you can select the ‘Other’ box and enter your service.

Once you’ve selected all the relevant services that you offer, click the ‘Next’ button. Thumbtack will generate the list of additional services based on your selected ones. You can select a few services from this list to reach even more clients.

If you accidentally select wrong services or would want to cut off some services later on, don’t worry – you can always change it from your profile later on.

After you’ve selected all the appropriate services, click the ‘Next’ button and you’ll be required to sign up.

Step 2 – Sign up 

Once you’ve clicked the ‘Next’ button, a sign up window will pop up, requiring you to sign up on the platform in 3 ways:

You can sign up using:

• Facebook account
• Google account
• Email address

Step 3 – Set up your profile

At this point you already have a specialized Thumbtack Pro account. But you’re lacking the most important part of your success – your profile.

Setting up your Thumbtack Pro profile involves following information:

• Detailed information about your service. 
• Your personal information, such as your name, date of birth, street address and ZIP code.
• Your profile picture

Pro tip: Leverage the link Thumbtack gives you to send to your previous customers asking to leave a positive review.

Step 4 – Send quotes

Now that your profile is all set up, you’ll start receiving quote requests from prospects. The requests you’ll receive will include the scope of the project. 

Accordingly, you are free to offer a quote depending on how much time/work you’ll be investing in that project.

Sites Like Thumbtack

Thumbtack vs. Doordash

DoorDash Summary

• Choose your own flexible working hours
• Earn $25 per hour during peaks
• Get $150 when you refer a friend to join
• You get to keep 100% of all tips

Doordash is a popular food delivery app that allows you to deliver food and make money. While Thumbtack is a website that connects contractors with customers, Doordash is a food delivery app. 

Unlike Thumbtack that only charges if the lead contacts you, Doordash’s price varies based on the restaurant, items ordered, and location. With Doordash, you don’t have to look for work. Instead, orders come from you. In terms of similarities, both platforms allow you to find gig jobs online.

Thumbtack vs. Grubhub

GrubHub Summary

• High average earnings of $12 per hour
• Instant cash out for your earnings
• Earn more from tips and peak periods
• Deliver with car, bike, scooter, motorcycle

Grubhub is a food delivery app that allows you to make money while delivering food. Compared to Thumbtack which focuses on connecting contractors with companies, Grubhub’s primary focus is to deliver food. 

While Grubhub gives you a chance to make up to $13 per hour, your Thumbtack earnings depend on the type of job or contract you get. As for requirements, you need to be at least 19 years old and have a driver’s license to join Grubhub. Contrary to this, Thumbtack requirements include being at least 18 years old and having a professional service level of experience.

Thumbtack vs. Gopuff

GoPuff Summary

• Potential to earn up to $21 per hour
• Additional ways to earn extra cash
• Good side hustle even with a full-time job
• Work as much or as little as you want

GoPuff is an online platform you can use to shop for items you need within minutes. While Thumbtack connects you with customers looking for your services, GoPuff allows you to buy items like foods, drinks, cosmetics, cleaning items, and pet stuff. 

Like Thumbtack that delivers a variety of items, Thumbtack gives you access to several contracting opportunities. That said, both platforms are not only free to join but also give you a variety to choose from.

Thumbtack vs. Handy

Handy Pro Summary

• Earn between $22 per hour to $62 per hour
• Working hours based on your availability
• Jobs will be within 100 miles of your home
• Get paid within 7 days after a gig

Just like Thumbtack, Handy is a platform that allows you as a professional to offer any service that’s related to home improvement.

Unlike Handy, Thumbtack offers far more services than home improvement, such as for example, photography, babysitting, etc.

There’s a difference when it comes to platform-related costs as well. While it’s free to set up and list your profile on Thumbtack, Handy charges you a flat fee of $25. Plus, they offer you to pay for a recurring subscription – Handy Pro – to elevate your listing.

Thumbtack vs. TaskRabbit

TaskRabbit Summary

• Offer services in 50+ categories
• Set your own rates
• Deliveries are most in-demand tasks
• Build your long term clients base

TaskRabbit is for random simple tasks, while Thumbtack is more focused on acquiring professionals and letting you offer your pro services to customers. And providing professional services ultimately translates into more income than doing random quick tasks.

When it comes to comparing costs of these 2 platforms, registering as a Thumbtack Pro is free, while TaskRabitt has a $25 registration fee. However, don’t forget that Thumbtack charges you a fee –  $1.50 per lead.

Thumbtack vs. Wonolo

Wonolo Summary

• Flexible work schedule
• Easy-to-use app
• Relatively quick payout
• Quick response from support team

Wonolo is a great alternative to Thumbtack when you’re looking for leads to sell your professional services to. Like Thumbtack, Wonolo provides you with leads. But the difference between the two platforms is that Wonolo doesn’t charge you anything – not a commission fee and not a cost per lead. 

However, it charges the customers a fee that starts at 45% and could be too high for many customers, meaning there might not be as much demand for Wonolo as there could be on Thumbtack.

Other Sites Like Thumtack

Thumbtack FAQ

What is Thumbtack?

Thumbtack is an online platform matching you as a local professional with customers. The platform was founded in 2008 aiming to make it easier for people to hire professionals in different niches and for professionals to find the best gig economy jobs.

Since then, Thumbtack has made a start of over 50 million projects. Currently, Thumbtack has over 30,000 daily leads and pros offer more than 400 different services through the platform. Apart from helping you hire professionals, Thumbtack offers a variety of other online resources. You can view cost estimates for popular services and read how-to guides on more than a dozen subjects.

The company’s goal is to make hiring a plumber, handyman, gardener, dog groomer, or any local service business as easy as ordering products from Amazon.

Does Thumbtack require a license?

You are not required to have a license to be a service provider at Thumbtack.

When will Thumbtack go public?

While Thumbtack has not officially endorsed the plan to go public, there are signs that it might go public in a year or two.

How do I contact Thumbtack customer support?

You may visit Thumbtack customer service page, where you can find all available.

How long does it take to get background check results?

Thumbtack will email you your background check within 10-17 working days after you have submitted the credentials required.

What type of customers have Thumbtack worked with?

Thumbtack has worked with a large variety of clients including local businesses such as Real Estate agencies, Food and Beverage, Gaming, and Construction.