If you're a contractor — roofer, plumber, HVAC tech, electrician, remodeler, painter, or any other home service pro — you already know that finding new customers is the hardest part of running your business. Word of mouth is great but slow. Online ads are expensive and competitive. Lead marketplaces like Angi and HomeAdvisor charge $50-$150 per lead and resell the same lead to 5-8 competitors.
MarketHrive is different. We give you a free, full-featured business listing, send you leads from homeowners in your area, and use industry-standard routing that sends each lead to a maximum of three contractors — so you actually have a real chance of winning the job. This guide walks through exactly how to list your business, claim an existing listing, and optimize your profile for maximum visibility.
Option 1: List a New Business
If your business isn't already in our directory, you can add it in about 5 minutes. Here's the process:
- Go to our listing page and click "Get Started."
- Enter your business name, address, and phone. We use this to verify you're a real business — no P.O. boxes, no "we come to you" listings.
- Choose your primary service category (niche). We support roofing, kitchen remodeling, bathroom remodeling, HVAC, flooring, painting, siding, plumbing, and electrical. Pick the one that represents the majority of your work.
- Add your business details: logo, description, hours, license number, insurance info, year established, specialties, and social media links. The more complete your listing, the higher you'll rank in search results.
- Submit for review. Our team reviews new listings within 1-2 business days to prevent spam and fraud. Once approved, your listing goes live immediately.
That's it. No setup fee, no monthly minimum, no contract. Your listing is yours forever.
Option 2: Claim an Existing Listing
Many contractors are surprised to find their business already listed on MarketHrive. We pre-populate our directory from public records — state contractor registries, business filings, and other public sources. If your business is already here, you can claim it for free and take control of the listing.
Here's how to claim:
- Search for your business using the search bar at the top of any page, or browse to your niche and city to find it.
- Click "Claim this business" on the listing page.
- Verify your email. We send a 6-digit code to the email address on file for the business. If you have access to that email, you can verify instantly. If the email on file is outdated, contact us and we'll help verify ownership another way.
- Once verified, the listing is yours. You can edit all details, upload your logo, add services, and respond to leads.
Claiming is fast — most contractors complete the process in under 5 minutes.
How to Optimize Your Listing for More Leads
Getting listed is just the beginning. The contractors who win the most leads on MarketHrive are the ones who invest a few minutes in optimizing their profiles. Here are the most impactful optimizations, in order of importance:
1. Upload a professional logo
Your logo is the first thing homeowners see in search results. A blurry, low-resolution, or missing logo makes your business look unprofessional. Use a square PNG or SVG at least 200×200 pixels. If you don't have a logo, a clean text-based version of your business name works fine.
2. Write a compelling business description
Your description should answer three questions for the homeowner: What do you do? Where do you do it? Why should they choose you? Aim for 2-3 short paragraphs. Mention your specialties, years in business, and any certifications. Avoid generic language — be specific about what makes you different.
3. Add your specialties as tags
The specialties field lets you list specific services you offer — "Asphalt Shingles," "Storm Damage Repair," "Gutter Installation," etc. These tags help your listing show up when homeowners search for those specific services. Add 5-10 specialties that represent your actual work.
4. Fill in your license number and insurance info
Homeowners increasingly check for proper licensing before hiring. Displaying your license number builds trust and may be required by your state. Insurance info shows you're a legitimate, professional operation — not a fly-by-night contractor.
5. Add your service hours
If you offer emergency service (many roofers, plumbers, and HVAC techs do), list your hours as "24/7 Emergency Service." Homeowners with a leaking roof at 9pm want to know you'll answer the phone.
6. Link your social media profiles
Showing your Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or Houzz profiles gives homeowners a way to see your recent work and get a sense of who you are. Free listings get one social media link; verified contractors can add all 10 platforms — a strong reason to consider the $99/year Verified upgrade.
Get Verified for Trust + Visibility
Our Verified badge ($99/year) tells homeowners you're a legitimate, operating business. It appears next to your business name in search results, on your listing page, and everywhere else your business shows up. The verification process confirms your business exists, has a real address, and matches state records.
Beyond the badge itself, verification also unlocks:
- All 10 social media profile slots (free listings get 1)
- Priority in lead routing — when we route a lead to 3 contractors, verified pros are prioritized
- The "Verified" filter in search results, which many homeowners use to narrow down their options
For most contractors, the $99/year pays for itself with the first lead won. Log in to your owner portal to upgrade.
Get Featured for Top Placement
Want to appear at the top of search results in your service area? Our Featured badge ($29/month or $290/year) gives your listing premium placement, a gold-bordered card with a crown icon, and standout visibility.
Featured listings appear at the top of:
- Niche pages (e.g. /roofing)
- State pages (e.g. /roofing/texas)
- City pages (e.g. /roofing/texas/austin)
- Search results
Featured placement is shared with other Featured contractors in your area, but the visibility boost typically pays for itself quickly in high-value niches like roofing and kitchen remodeling.
How Leads Work on MarketHrive
When a homeowner submits a quote request from a contractor's page on MarketHrive, our smart routing system distributes that lead to a maximum of three qualified contractors:
- The source contractor first — if the homeowner submitted from your page, you always get the lead (if you have credits).
- Verified or Featured contractors in the same city — we fill the remaining slots with the highest-rated pros in the area.
- Nearby contractors in the same state — if fewer than 3 are available in the city, we expand to nearby cities.
Contractors with available lead credits automatically receive the lead and can view the homeowner's full contact info. Contractors without credits see a blurred teaser — they know a lead came in, but need to buy credits to unlock the customer's details.
This system is fair to contractors (max 3 competitors per lead, not 8 like other marketplaces) and fair to homeowners (they get multiple options without being overwhelmed).
Buying Lead Credits
Lead credits are how you pay for leads on MarketHrive. Each niche has a per-lead price (roofing is $50/lead, kitchen remodeling is $75/lead, etc.). Credits are sold in packages:
- 1 lead: pay-as-you-go pricing
- 5 leads: 10% discount
- 10 leads: 15% discount (best value for most contractors)
- 25 leads: 20% discount (best for high-volume contractors)
Credits never expire. Buy them when you have budget, use them when leads come in. Buy credits from your owner portal — PayPal checkout takes 30 seconds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How much does it cost to list my business?
A: Free. There's no setup fee, no monthly fee, no per-click charge. You only pay if you choose to buy lead credits or upgrade to Verified/Featured.
Q: Do I have to commit to a contract?
A: No. You can cancel Verified or Featured at any time. Lead credits never expire, so you can buy them whenever it fits your budget.
Q: How many other contractors get the same lead?
A: Maximum 3. We use industry-standard routing — not the 5-8 competitors you'll find on other marketplaces.
Q: What if a lead turns out to be spam or fake?
A: We refund the credit. Submit a refund request within 14 days through our contact form. See our refund policy for details.
Get Started Today
Listing your business on MarketHrive takes 5 minutes and could be the most profitable 5 minutes you spend this year. List your business now or log in to your owner portal if you've already claimed your listing.
Questions? Get in touch — we're happy to help.