Is Houzz Pro worth it for a contractor or designer?
It depends on your work and how you judge it. Houzz describes Houzz Pro as business software for contractors and design professionals, with an advertising package sold as an add-on that shows your business to homeowners on Houzz. It usually suits remodeling, design and other work people plan and browse photos for. Start with the free plan, read the subscription terms before paying, and judge any paid plan by the jobs it wins, not by views.
What Houzz Pro is
Houzz Pro's home page calls it all-in-one business software for contractors and design professionals. Its feature list covers planning tools such as 3D floor plans and takeoffs, project management such as schedules and daily logs, money tools such as estimates, invoices and online payments, and marketing tools including a custom website, a premium profile, targeted advertising and lead generation. The FAQ on its pricing page says it serves "professionals across the home remodeling and design industry".
So it is two things at once: software for running jobs, and a paid way to be shown more on Houzz. Judge each part on its own.
Free plan, paid plans and advertising
Houzz's pricing page offers a free plan, paid plans and an advertising package sold as an add-on. It says the 30-day free trial can be cancelled during the trial, before an annual subscription begins at the end of it. Prices are left out here; check them on Houzz's page and in your agreement.
Houzz's lead generation page describes a flat-rate model, with leads accessed through subscription-based pricing instead of pay-per-lead. That is different from sites that charge for each lead, which the related answer on buying leads from Angi or Thumbtack covers.
What the advertising does
Houzz's advertising page lists targeting by service area, services, project type and budget range; placement in Houzz search results and while homeowners browse projects and professionals; a premium listing in its Find Pros directory; and the option to turn ad activity on or off. It says it shows your finished projects to local homeowners during the research process.
The trades it lists include interior design, remodeling, kitchen and bath, landscape, architecture, decks and patios, fencing, and windows and doors. As general advice, that fits work people plan for and compare photos of. A business called in an emergency, such as a drain cleaner, will usually find its customers searching elsewhere.
Before you sign, and after
- How long the subscription runs and how it renews. The pricing page mentions an annual subscription after the trial.
- What happens to your profile, photos, reviews and leads if you stop paying. Ask, and get the answer in writing.
- Which tools you would actually use. Software you already pay for elsewhere may cover some of them.
- Keep your own copies of project photos, and copy each Houzz lead into your own lead list the day it arrives.
- Record every Houzz inquiry with its source and follow it to won, lost or still open, so the renewal decision rests on jobs won.
Sources
- Houzz Pro, "Houzz Pro: All-In-One Business Software for Contractors & Design Pros"
- Houzz, Houzz Pro pricing page and FAQ
- Houzz Pro, "Targeted Local Advertising"
- Houzz Pro, "Lead Generation"
Related answers
- Should you buy leads from sites like Angi or Thumbtack?
- Are paid directory listings worth it for a small business?
- How do you set up a simple lead tracker?
Lead generation and lead tracking
A lead that waits a day goes cold, and a lead with no source teaches you nothing. Ascent Vision fixes both.