Angie’s List: 4 Things to Know Before Signing Up

Some tasks and projects are simply too big to tackle on your own. If you’re thinking about hiring a professional to help you, Angie’s List may be a resource worth checking out.

I recently created an account on Angie’s List and requested a few quotes for a kitchen painting project — just to see how the process would go. You can also use Angie’s List to connect with professionals in other fields including auto services, health care and more. In this article, I’ll take a closer look at what exactly you can do on Angie’s List and how this resource can help you find the right professional for the job.

What to Know About Angie’s List Before You Sign Up

Whether you need help with plumbing, roofing, house cleaning, pest control or something else entirely, you'll likely find a professional on Angie's List that can do the job. In addition to searching for professionals and requesting quotes, you can also read verified reviews, browse available deals in your area and more.

Before you visit the website or download the app, you’ll save time if you read these four things about Angie’s List:

What Is Angie's List?
How Much Does Angie's List Cost?
How Does Angie's List Work?
How to Cancel Angie's List

In each section below, you’ll find detailed information about the services offered by Angie’s List, what tools you can access for free and how to get started.

1. What Is Angie’s List?

Angie's List is a website and app (iOS and Android) owned by ANGI Homeservices that allows members to research, hire, rate and review local service providers. You'll find businesses and professionals specializing in more than 700 categories including home repair, auto services and health care.

In addition to hiring professionals, Angie's List offers online resources including free expert advice in the site's Solution Center. You can also watch videos to learn more about home improvement and DIY projects. The Pricing Guide is another tool available on the website and in the app. You can use it to see the average costs for particular types of projects.

To use most of the features on Angie’s List, including reading reviews and requesting quotes, you’ll have to create an account, but it’s free!

2. How Much Does Angie’s List Cost?

There are three membership options to choose from. When you first create an account, you'll join the free Green membership plan by default. With this status, you can view nationwide ratings and reviews, access service pros and receive a digital magazine.

Silver membership costs $29.99 per year and Gold membership costs $99.99 per year. Each option provides members with additional access to perks such as a print magazine, a fair price guarantee, care support, an emergency service line and more.

Membership Plan	Annual Cost
Green	Free
Silver	$29.99
Gold	$99.99

Check out this page in the FAQ section to learn more about membership options, privileges and pricing. Still, a free membership is enough to gain access to ratings, reviews and business information. Usually, that’s all you’ll need to make an informed decision on who to hire!

While a lot of the company's resources are free, the professional you're looking to hire won't be. Prices for general contracting work and other services vary based on the type, location and details of the job. You can use the Pricing Guide to get a general idea of what to expect, but the best way to get an accurate estimate is by requesting quotes from nearby companies.

3. How Does Angie’s List Work?

Angie’s List works by connecting its members with local companies while providing access to verified reviews and ratings. You can use the service to compare nearby businesses, find discounts, read about other customers’ experiences, request quotes and share your reviews.

If you’re looking to hire help for a project or service, Angie’s List can be a great resource for finding recommended contractors, freelancers and businesses in your area.

Getting Started

To get started, visit Angie's List online or download the mobile app for iOS or Android. While you won't be prompted to create an account as soon as you visit the website or download the app, I recommend getting it out of the way. Creating an account is easy and free, plus you'll have to sign up before you can see any business information from professionals in your area.

To create an account, click “More” in the app or click the three dots in the top right corner of the website’s homepage to join.

Finding a Professional

There are three main ways to find a professional using Angie’s List.

Search for a specific professional. If you're looking to read information or trusted reviews for a specific company in your area, you can enter its name in the search bar and see if it's on Angie's List.
Search by category or project. If you're gathering quotes or looking for recommended companies, you can search based on your location and the type of service you need. You can type in a category, or you can browse popular categories. After choosing a category, you'll be asked for some specific information regarding your project. Then you'll see a list of recommended businesses in your area. You can also find nearby general contractors by entering your ZIP.
Browse deals in your area. If you're on the website, you can scroll down on the homepage or click "Shop Deals" to find coupons and deals in your area. If you're using the app, click "More," and then "Browse Deals." From there, you can scroll through featured deals or narrow the results based on popular categories and project types. Note that Angie's List does make money from company advertisements including coupons, discounts and other promotions. But to advertise, all companies must maintain an "A" or "B" overall rating on the site.

When I visited Angie’s List, I searched by category/project. I typed in the service I was looking for and chose the most appropriate suggestion: “Painting – Interior.” From there, I answered a few questions about the project before viewing the recommended service providers in my area.

Keep in mind that to see any business information or read any reviews, you’ll have to create a free account and be logged in.

Gathering Information and Requesting Quotes

Once you’ve found a company that you’d like to learn more about, you can click on its name to view contact information, read customer reviews and more.

Each business has an overall grade ("A" through "F") based on customer feedback. For service professionals, it's based on price, quality, responsiveness, punctuality and professionalism. For medical providers, the grade is based on availability, office environment, punctuality, friendliness of staff, bedside manner, communication, the effectiveness of treatment and billing/administration.

You may notice that some businesses are Angie's List Certified. These companies are paying to advertise their services and discounts to members and will appear higher on your search results. They have also met the following standards:

Maintaining an overall member rating of "A" or "B"
Remaining in good business standing with Angie's List
Passing a biennial criminal background check (owner or relevant manager)
Attesting that they have the proper licensing to perform listed work
Maintaining a company-verified profile page

Additionally, businesses may display a Super Service Award badge. These companies aren't necessarily paying Angie's List for advertising, but they do meet the following high standards:

Maintaining an "A" rating
Remaining in good business standing with Angie's List
Passing a criminal background check (owner or relevant manager)
Attesting that they have the proper licensing to perform listed work
Having at least three reviews indicating that services were performed

When it comes to customer feedback, Angie's List prides itself on offering reviews you can trust. The company says it takes several precautions to ensure that reviews are unbiased including no anonymous comments and feedback verification.

Once you’ve found a few companies with good reviews and an “A” or “B” rating, begin requesting quotes. You can click “Request a Quote” on a company’s profile page to start the process. You can also click “See Phone Number” in the company’s “About” section to call and request a quote directly.

I decided to gather a few quotes through Angie’s List to see what the process would look like. For my first quote, I went with one of the most highly-recommended companies in the area.

I provided a few more details about the project before requesting the quote. I did have to check a box authorizing Angie's List, its affiliates and their networks of service professionals to deliver marketing calls or texts about my project and other home service offers.

Once I requested the first quote, I was quickly able to checkmark other recommended businesses that I was interested in receiving quotes from. Then, my information was sent to them all simultaneously.

What’s Next?

If you request quotes through Angie’s List, you’ll probably start hearing back from professionals within a day. There are a number of ways that service providers may reach out to contact you.

You may receive a direct phone call from the company, a message via Angie’s List or an online invitation letting you know they’re interested in bidding on your project. Depending on your account settings and preferences, you’ll receive text, email or other notification alerts when someone tries to contact you through Angie’s List.

Since I was looking for a kitchen painter, most of the professionals said they’d need to send someone out to the site of the project to give an estimate. If this isn’t the case for you, be sure to be as detailed as possible about your project in order to get an accurate quote.

For more on how to hire a contractor (or any service provider) be sure to check out these six tips.

4. How to Cancel Angie’s List

If you have a free account and are subscribed to the Green membership plan, you don't have to worry about canceling anything through Angie's List. If you have a Silver or Gold membership, you can cancel at any time online or over the phone.

To cancel your membership online, log in to your Angie’s List account, visit the “Manage My Account” page and click “Cancel Auto-Renew.” You can also call Angie’s List at (888) 828-5478.

Note that you must submit your cancellation request no later than 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the business day prior to your renewal date in order to avoid the charge. For more information on how to cancel your account, visit the company's FAQ page.

If you have booked a professional and need to cancel the project, communicate directly with the business/contractor you’ve hired. Disputes are only handled through Angie’s List for Gold members.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I think Angie’s List is a great resource for anyone looking for a local service provider of any kind. It’s easy to compare credible, local businesses and all of the necessary tools are free to use.

After creating an account and requesting a few quotes through Angie’s List myself, here are the biggest pros and cons I found…

Pros:

Price. There's no need to pay for an expensive membership.
Reliability. You can find credible businesses in your area, read verified reviews and write your own.
Convenience. The mobile app has all of the key features and is very easy to use.
Additional resources. You can watch videos, read expert tips and use the Pricing Guide to plan ahead.

Cons:

Spam mail. You can expect to get emails about related services from Angie's List and its affiliates.
Quotes come in different forms. If you request quotes through Angie's List, you may hear back from the companies in several different ways (messages, texts, emails, calls, etc.)
Usability. The website can be intimidating/difficult to navigate for new members.

If you’re looking for a contractor or service provider to hire, here’s my advice: Use Angie’s List to find professionals in your area, read reviews and collect business information. Once you’ve decided on a few companies that you’re interested in, call them directly. That way, you can discuss your project or job and request a quote yourself. This also allows you to keep all of your information in one place as you move on to the next step of the hiring process.

Have you ever hired a professional that you found on Angie’s List? Tell us about your experience in the comments below!

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