# Why contractor lead sites sell your number, and how to avoid the flood of calls

> **Quick answer:** Many contractor lead sites send one request to several companies at once, and each pays for it, so they race to call first. California's privacy law gives you the right to opt out of the sale or sharing of your personal information, and sites must honor the Global Privacy Control signal. Written consent overrides the Do Not Call registry, but you can revoke it by any reasonable means, such as replying STOP.

Source: https://coachellavalleyremodeling.com/guides/lead-gen-sites-sell-your-number/
Updated: 2026-11-06
Published by: Coachella Valley Remodeling, a free referral service for homeowners; not a contractor.

Search for a kitchen contractor in Palm Springs, Palm Desert or Indio and most of the first page isn't contractors. It's national lead sites and directories with a page for every city in the valley. When we checked the search results for valley kitchen, cabinet and handyman searches, national aggregators held most of the top spots, and local businesses mostly appeared only as listings inside those sites.

Those sites don't do remodeling. They collect your request and sell it to contractors. Here's how that works, why it brings so many calls, and how to get real bids without handing your number to half the county.

We should say up front: we're also a referral service, and our partner contractor pays us too. We'll explain exactly how we differ, and you can judge.

## How a typical lead site works

1. **You fill in a form.** Project type, ZIP code, timing, name, phone, email.
2. **You check a consent box.** Often it allows "our partners" or "service providers" to call and text you, sometimes using automated technology.
3. **Your request is sold.** Many sites send it to several contractors at the same time, each of whom pays for it. Some also buy requests from other websites and resell them.
4. **The race starts.** Because several companies paid for the same request, the one who calls first has the best chance. Expect calls within minutes.

Contractors complain about this model too. In 2023 the Federal Trade Commission finalized an order requiring HomeAdvisor to pay up to [$7.2 million](https://www.ftc.gov/legal-library/browse/cases-proceedings/1923106-homeadvisor-matter) over claims it made to service providers about the quality of its leads. The FTC alleged, among other things, that many leads came from affiliates rather than HomeAdvisor's own site.

## What homeowners told us went wrong

Among the 1,593 complaints we read, 385 involved lead sites and marketplace platforms. Within those, no-shows came up in 39%, spam and resale in 35%, and communication problems in 26%. Some examples:

- A homeowner with a 760 area code got six calls in four hours, and eleven in six days.
- Another reported more than 300 spam calls after entering their details on one site.
- Someone who asked to have two cabinet doors refinished got months of full-remodel sales pitches.
- A contractor said a kitchen lead cost about $250 and went to several companies. Another platform charged three pros for the same small backsplash request.
- The phone rang within ten minutes, and then two of the three contractors never showed up for the estimate.
- Listed pros were more than 100 miles away, with trip fees, and over half wanted payment up front.

| | Typical shared-lead site | What to look for instead |
|---|---|---|
| Who gets your request | Several companies at once, sometimes resold | A small number you approve, named before they call |
| How you're contacted | A race: whoever calls first | Introductions you've agreed to |
| Local | Anyone who pays for your ZIP code | Contractors who actually work in the valley |
| License check | Varies; an app badge isn't a license check | Checked at cslb.ca.gov, and you can check too |
| After the estimate | Usually nothing | Follow-up: did they call, did they show, is the job on track? |
| Stopping contact | One opt-out per company | One "stop" that's honored everywhere |

## Why the first caller is rarely the best choice

The shared-lead model rewards speed on the phone, not quality on the job. Think about who wins a race to call you within five minutes:

- **Companies with a sales desk.** Often larger firms or out-of-area outfits with staff whose only job is calling leads. The tradesperson who would actually do your kitchen is on a job site, not by the phone.
- **Companies that cover a wide area.** A contractor who buys leads across Riverside and San Bernardino counties will happily call about your ZIP code, then price the drive or reschedule when a closer job comes up. In the complaints we read, listed pros were sometimes more than 100 miles away.
- **Companies that need volume.** Paying for every request, including the ones that never hire anyone, adds cost. Some contractors make it back with higher prices, upsells, or pressure to sign at the first visit.

Meanwhile, plenty of good local contractors don't buy shared leads at all, because they're busy with referrals. They won't be in the race.

Pressure to sign quickly is the other side of the same coin. When a contractor knows two competitors are coming tomorrow, a "sign today" discount is tempting for them. You can cancel a home improvement contract signed at home within three business days, or five if you're 65 or older, but it's easier not to sign under pressure in the first place.

## Questions to ask any matching service

Before you fill in a form, on any site, including ours, it's fair to ask:

1. How many companies will get my details?
2. Will you tell me who they are before they contact me?
3. Do you buy or resell requests from other websites?
4. Do contractors pay you, and does that affect who I'm referred to?
5. Do you check licenses yourself, and how often?
6. Are the contractors based in the Coachella Valley?
7. If I say stop, does that stop everyone?
8. What happens if a contractor doesn't show up?

A straightforward service will answer all eight in plain words. Ours are below.

## Your rights in California

**Opting out of sale or sharing.** The California Consumer Privacy Act gives you the right to tell a business to stop selling or sharing your personal information. Businesses that sell it must offer a "Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information" link, and must honor the Global Privacy Control signal if your browser sends one. Passing your contact details to contractors who pay for them is usually a sale under that law.

**Knowing and deleting.** You can ask what a business has collected about you and ask it to delete it.

**Calls and texts.** Most quote forms ask for your written consent to calls and texts, and that consent generally overrides the national Do Not Call registry. You can revoke consent by any reasonable means. Reply STOP to texts, tell each caller you're revoking consent, and note the date.

## How to request quotes without the flood

- **Read the consent box before you check it.** Does it name specific companies, or "partners"? Does it allow automated calls? If it's vague, that tells you where your number is going.
- **Look for the companies' names.** A good service tells you who will contact you before they do.
- **Use an email-only option** if the form offers one, or a secondary number for quote requests.
- **Check the privacy notice for the word "sell."** If they sell, use the Do Not Sell link once you've chosen a contractor.
- **Turn on Global Privacy Control** in your browser if it supports it, so sites that must honor it get the signal automatically.
- **Go direct when you can.** Ask neighbors, your HOA or property manager which contractors they've used, then check the license yourself at [cslb.ca.gov](https://www.cslb.ca.gov/).
- **Don't hire whoever calls first.** Speed on the phone says nothing about the quality of the work. Our guide to [hiring a contractor in the valley](https://coachellavalleyremodeling.com/guides/how-to-vet-a-contractor-coachella-valley/) covers what does.

## How we're different, honestly

We're a free referral service, and our partner contractor pays us a referral fee for the projects we introduce. Under California privacy law, that makes passing your details to it a sale, and [our privacy policy](https://coachellavalleyremodeling.com/privacy/) says so plainly. Here is what we do differently:

- **One contractor.** We introduce our one licensed partner contractor, and only if you approve.
- **Named first.** You know who they are before anyone contacts you, and your consent covers only them.
- **Never resold.** Your request isn't auctioned, resold or given to a call center, list or data broker.
- **Stop means stop.** Tell us once and we pass it to our partner contractor.
- **Local and checked.** Every contractor works in the Coachella Valley and holds an active CSLB license in the right classification, with insurance on file, which we check before every introduction.
- **We follow up.** We check whether the contractor called and showed up, and we count no-shows against them.
- **Opt out any time** on our [Do Not Sell or Share page](https://coachellavalleyremodeling.com/do-not-sell-or-share/).

We don't do the work, give bids or take payments for work. You sign with, and pay, the contractor directly. See [how it works](https://coachellavalleyremodeling.com/how-it-works/).

**Free referral:** [Get a free quote](https://coachellavalleyremodeling.com/get-a-quote/project/)

## Common questions

### Why did I get so many calls after requesting a quote online?

Many contractor lead sites send one request to several companies at once, and each pays for it. Contractors know they're competing, so they race to call first. Some sites also buy and resell requests from affiliates. The consent box you checked may have covered all of them.

### Can I stop a lead site from selling my information in California?

Yes. California's privacy law gives you the right to opt out of the sale or sharing of your personal information, usually through a 'Do Not Sell or Share' link. Sites must also honor the Global Privacy Control signal from browsers that send it.

### Does the Do Not Call registry stop these calls?

Not when you've given written consent to be contacted, which is what most quote forms ask for. You can revoke consent by any reasonable means; replying STOP to texts and telling each caller to stop are good places to start.

### Do you sell my information?

Our partner contractor pays us a referral fee, and under California's privacy law passing your details to a contractor who pays us counts as a sale, so our privacy policy says so. The difference is who and how many: one licensed partner contractor, only with your OK, named before anyone contacts you. Never a list, a call center or a data broker.

### How many contractors will contact me through you?

One. We work with a single licensed partner contractor, and it gets your details only if you approve the introduction.

### Is it free?

Yes, for homeowners. Contractors pay us a fee for introductions, That's also why our partner contractor has to meet the same written standard on every job to keep receiving referrals.

## Related pages

- [How to hire a contractor in the Coachella Valley without getting burned](https://coachellavalleyremodeling.com/guides/how-to-vet-a-contractor-coachella-valley/)
- [Contractor red flags: what 1,593 homeowner complaints teach](https://coachellavalleyremodeling.com/guides/contractor-red-flags/)
- [How to check a contractor's license, insurance and workers' comp](https://coachellavalleyremodeling.com/guides/check-contractor-license-insurance-california/)
- [Kitchen remodeling in the Coachella Valley](https://coachellavalleyremodeling.com/kitchen-remodel/)
- [Handyman help in the Coachella Valley](https://coachellavalleyremodeling.com/handyman/)