Signing up with Thumbtack is free for customers, and there are hundreds of different services available on Thumbtack.

Your First Pro Search

The first basic step for customers is to input a job request into the search box and to enter in your zip code. The search box will also automatically drop down a list of related services for you to pick from.

After the initial search, a list of company profiles will show up on the desktop website or phone app. You will also be able to refine the list of companies by using the filter widget. 

I recommend that you look at least three different company profiles, and you can read some of their customer reviews. There will also be some company pictures for you to check out.

Once you are comfortable with a particular company, you can reach out to them to either get a quote, book the job, or the chat with them.

Further Details For Pro

After clicking on the button to contact the pro, Thumbtack will likely ask you several more questions on the details of the job.

If you are requesting an exterior paint job, Thumbtack may ask…

1. Who is buying the paint?

2. How much is the paint area in square feet?

3. Is there any wall damage?

4. How many coats of paint?

When the customer has asked these questions, they are asked if they want to add any additional comments before contacting the pro. That’s pretty much it.

The pro will contact you with a quote, may ask for additional details, and you guys set up a day and time. 

Since Thumbtack charges the pro based on the lead, all payments for the job will go directly to the contractor.

Read More: How Does Thumbtack Work? (Full Guide)

How Thumbtack Works For Pros?

If you own a company or engage in professional services, Thumbtack may be a great resource for you to get more business. Thumbtack currently has over 150,000 active service pros.

In essence, Thumbtack uses its website and app to attract customers, asks them a few questions about their job request, and then sells that customer lead to businesses. 

Each lead may cost anywhere from a few dollars up to possibly a hundred dollars or more. Obviously, a kitchen remodel or basement renovation lead will cost a lot more than a carpet cleaning lead.

The cost of each lead will depend on the industry, the level of competition, as well as the number of leads Thumbtack sells.

Lead Discounting

Thumbtack has an algorithm that automatically discounts a lead the more customers it sells it to. This makes sense since the more competition you have for a lead, the less likely you will get the job.

A lead given to five companies will cost less than if it is given to just one company.

Getting Started

Thumbtack only requires two steps before they are willing to start sending pros leads.

The first step is to simply create a free profile, and to add a profile picture. After you create a profile, you will be required to fill out your targeting preferences.

These preferences will tell Thumbtack where you want to work, and what type of jobs you want. And you can get pretty detailed in telling Thumbtack the types of jobs you want. 

For example, if you own a painting company, you can specify jobs with a certain amount of square footage, the zip codes, coats of paint required, and degree of wall damage.

Thumbtack Vs. Yelp

I think the biggest difference between Thumbtack and Yelp is that Thumbtack was designed from the ground up with service pros in mind.

Read More: Thumbtack Vs. Yelp? (Full Guide)

Restaurants

Yelp certainly has profiles for service companies like plumbers and electricians, but they also have a massive presence in the restaurant industry. In fact, for the past 15 years, I have mainly thought of Yelp as the place to go for restaurant reviews. 

Thumbtack doesn’t have this issue because it doesn’t even have restaurants — only service professionals. I think designing Yelp with only service pros from the ground up is reflected in Thumbtack’s design and software application.

Targeted Ads

In regards to paying for customer acquisition, Yelp charges its service pros for targeted ads, similar to google ads, on a cost per click basis. Yelp users can set a monthly budget for these targeted ads. These ads are shown above the organic search results.

With Thumbtack, service pros are charged on a per lead basis. So if a customer fills out several questions about the type of exterior painting job they want done, a company will be sent this lead and charged a certain price.

Thumbtack has different pricing programs, and one of these programs is called exact match. If the customer lead exactly matches what the pro has specified they want (including the type of job and area), then the pro will be automatically charged and sent the lead. 

Each pro can also set a monthly budget for these highly targeted leads.

TaskRabbit Vs. Thumbtack

TaskRabbit is an online marketplace that matches customers with service professionals — similar to Thumbtack. 

In my viewpoint, the main difference between TaskRabbit and Thumbtack is that TaskRabbit is geared more for random jobs such as furniture assembly, grocery delivery, or cleaning.

Individuals Over Companies

When I view the profiles of TaskRabbit pros, known as Taskers… these are just normal people (some more skilled than others). In fact, when you read their reviews, you can even segment the reviews based on the random jobs they did, which may be a wide spectrum, all the way from furniture assembly to cleaning — from the same person.

Read More: TaskRabbit Vs. Thumbtack (Full Guide)

Also, the TaskRabbit profiles list the persons name, and not a company name. In contrast, Thumbtack always appears to list a company name, and that company specializes in one particular area such as plumbing, electrical, or HVAC work. 

Basically, Thumbtack is a marketplace for professional companies, and TaskRabbit is a marketplace for individuals (the so-called gig economy).

What’s My Verdict?

Personally, if I am looking for a professional service, I am much more likely to use Thumbtack than TaskRabbit.  If I have a leaking toilet, and need a qualified contractor to fix it — I would use Thumbtack, and it currently has over 1,100+ different services available.

The Thumbtack app and website are really easy to use, and it will ask you details about the job you need done — and it will match you with the right pro. 

You can sign up for Thumbtack right here.

However, if I need something more random, such as picking up a few groceries, or painting some cabinets, or cleaning a bathroom — I would go with TaskRabbit.  Basically, if it is a low priced job, and doesn’t require very much skill, TaskRabbit is more suitable.

Thumbtack is a more professional marketplace, and the profiles are actual companies, not individuals. TaskRabbit is a marketplace for individuals, part of the so-called gig economy.