Is HomeStars worth it for Ontario contractors?

Why does HomeStars matter for Ontario contractors?

Homeowners use it to compare contractors, and AI tools now read it too. In our August 2026 study we asked ChatGPT, with web search on, “Who is the best trade in town, Ontario?” We asked one question for each of 39 towns and 10 trades. That gave 390 question pairs.

When ChatGPT cited a third-party site, homestars.com was the most common one. This does not prove that HomeStars causes a company to be named. It shows that the model reads the site often.

What do the study figures show?

The top five third-party sites made up 67.1% of all third-party citations. A small group of sites supplies most of the outside evidence that ChatGPT uses. HomeStars is the largest of them.

The same study found that 58.8% of the companies ChatGPT named were out of town. A strong, complete profile on a site that the model reads can help a local contractor appear in these answers. We cannot promise it will.

Is a free profile enough, or do I need a paid plan?

Start with the free profile. Check HomeStars directly for the current plans and prices, because they change. Do not pay on the strength of our study alone. The study shows citations. It does not show leads or jobs.

How do I get value from HomeStars?

Follow these steps.

1. Claim your company profile. Search for your business name first, so you do not create a duplicate.
2. Make the name, phone number, website and service area match your Google Business Profile exactly.
3. List only the services you actually perform.
4. Add photos of real finished jobs.
5. Ask past customers for honest reviews. Ask each customer once, after the job is done and paid.
6. Reply to every review, good or bad, in a calm and polite tone.
7. Ask each new customer where they found you. Write the answer down every time.

If you send review requests by email or text, remember that Canada’s anti-spam law (CASL) applies to commercial electronic messages. Get consent before you send them. Never offer money or gifts in return for a review, and never write reviews for your own company. The Competition Bureau treats fake reviews as misleading advertising.

Does HomeStars replace my Google Business Profile?

No. Google says local results rely mainly on relevance, distance and prominence. Google also says there is no way to pay for a better local ranking. Your Google Business Profile is still the first thing to fix.

Google says it builds profiles from several sources, including crawled web content and user contributions. A consistent name, address and phone number across your sites helps Google match your business. See the Google help page on how Google sources business information.

If you travel to customers and do not serve them at an office, Google asks you to list a service area and remove your address. You can set up to 20 service areas. Keep the whole area within about 2 hours of driving time from your base.

How do I decide if it is worth the money?

Use your own numbers. Count the enquiries that come from HomeStars for a full season. Count how many of those become paid jobs. Compare the job value with what you paid. If you have no clear answer, keep the free profile and do not upgrade.

Do not let one directory become your only source of leads. Your Google profile, your website and your past customers should all work for you.