Pricing models compared
Pay per appointment: what it is, what it costs and how it compares
Pay per appointment means you pay when a lead is booked in with your team, not for clicks, leads or software seats. Setterly works this way on your existing leads: you pay per booked appointment, with no setup fee and no retainer.
This page compares the pricing models US contractors and dealers are offered, using published prices.
Updated October 22, 2026
At a glance
Pay per lead (Angi, Thumbtack, Networx): you pay whether or not the lead ever answers. Leads are often shared.
Retainers and subscriptions (agencies, AI BDC software): a fixed monthly cost whatever the result.
Pay per appointment: you pay when something is booked or shows. Some providers add a setup fee, and most generate new leads from their own ads.
Setterly: pay per booked appointment on your own leads. No setup fee, no retainer, no software to run.
What pricing models will you be offered?
There are four common ways to pay for appointments in home improvement and automotive. They differ in who carries the risk when leads don't respond.
| Model | Example (published or reported) | You pay when |
|---|---|---|
| Pay per lead | Angi: membership plus roughly $15 to $85+ per lead, reported by third parties (LeadTruffle). Thumbtack: pros report about $16 to $102 per lead (SwiftReplAI) | A lead is delivered, whether or not it answers |
| Monthly subscription (AI BDC software) | TECOBI publishes $1,995 a month for stores selling up to 100 cars and $2,995 for 100 to 300 (TECOBI) | Every month |
| Volume-based BDC | eliteBDC publishes plans priced by lead volume (eliteBDC) | Every month, by volume |
| Pay per appointment on new ad leads, plus setup | Booked Then Built publishes $285 to $385 per pre-qualified booked appointment from its own ad campaigns, plus a one-time $2,250 setup (Booked Then Built) | Setup up front, then per booked appointment |
| Pay per shown appointment on new ad leads | RevCore HQ bills for appointments that show and meet criteria agreed before launch, from its own campaigns, with no list price published (RevCore HQ) | Per appointment that shows |
| Pay per booked appointment on your own leads, no setup fee | Setterly | An appointment is booked |
Prices are as published by each company or reported by the third party named, checked October 2026. They change, so confirm directly.
Why does the pricing model matter more than the price?
Because it decides who pays for leads that never respond. With pay per lead, every unanswered lead is a cost to you. With a subscription, a quiet month costs the same as a busy one. With pay per appointment, the provider only gets paid when your calendar fills.
That is also why pay per appointment works best on leads you already own. You have already paid to generate them. Reactivating them does not add lead cost; it adds booked appointments, and you pay for those.
Pay per appointment is not unique to Setterly. Other providers, including Booked Then Built and RevCore HQ, offer appointment-based pricing in home improvement, mostly on new leads from their own ad campaigns. Compare the details: setup fees, whether you pay per booked or per shown appointment, minimum terms, territory rules, and whose leads are used. Setterly works the leads you already own, so it sits alongside new-lead programs rather than replacing them.
What should you ask a pay per appointment provider?
- Is there a setup fee, a retainer or a minimum term?
- Do you pay per booked appointment or per attended appointment, and how is a no-show handled?
- Whose leads are contacted: yours, or leads the provider sources?
- Can you read every conversation, and who approves the wording?
- How are consent, quiet hours, opt-outs and 10DLC registration handled? (See our compliance guide.)
- How do appointments reach your calendar, and what notes come with them?
Setterly's answers: pay per booked appointment, no setup fee, no retainer; your own leads only; every conversation visible and wording agreed with you; bookings straight into your calendar with notes.
How do you know if pay per appointment is worth it?
Work out what a booked appointment and a won job cost you today. Take your monthly lead spend, divide by booked appointments, then by jobs won. Our cost per booked job calculator does this for you and lets you test your own assumptions about old leads.
If your current cost per booked appointment from platform leads is high, paying per booked appointment on leads you already bought is easy to compare against it. We talk through the numbers on a short call, using your figures.
How much does Setterly cost?
You pay per booked appointment. There is no setup fee and no retainer. CRM integration is optional and carries a one-off fee, agreed with you before any work starts.
See how pay per appointment works and how we handle texting compliance, or book a 30-minute call. US line: +1 363-203-5214.
Frequently asked questions
What does pay per appointment mean?
You pay when a lead is booked in with your team, rather than paying for leads, clicks, software seats or a monthly retainer.
Does Setterly charge a setup fee?
No. There is no setup fee and no retainer. CRM integration is optional and carries a one-off fee agreed before any work starts.
Is it per booked or per attended appointment?
Setterly charges per booked appointment. We explain exactly how bookings are counted and handled on the call before you start.
How much is each appointment?
The price per appointment is set against your average job or deal value, so it differs by trade. We do not publish a single figure because a roofing inspection and a pool consultation are worth different amounts.
Whose leads do you contact?
Only yours: past inquiries, unsold estimates, platform leads you bought and aged internet leads. We do not source or sell leads.
Is anyone else offering pay per appointment?
Yes. Several US providers price per appointment, usually on new leads from their own ads and sometimes with a setup fee. Compare setup fees, terms, lead source and visibility of conversations.
Sources
- LeadTruffle, Angi leads cost for contractors (2026, third party)
- SwiftReplAI, Thumbtack cost per lead (third party)
- TECOBI pricing (vendor-published)
- eliteBDC sales BDC pricing (vendor-published)
- Booked Then Built packages (pricing as published)
- RevCore HQ, pay per appointment
Setterly figures come from live client campaigns in the UK. Third-party figures belong to their publishers; vendor figures are marked as such. Compliance notes are general information, not legal advice.
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