u/DuckAutomatic3681

Hi! Wanted to see if anyone using Nextdoor app to advertise their services and if it works for them ?
Or is it better to pay Google ?

I’ve worked with home warranty companies for years, and honestly, one of the worst parts isn’t the low pay or the warranty company itself—it’s some of the customers.

Before anyone gets offended, this isn’t about everyone. We’ve had plenty of wonderful homeowners. But the bad ones are so unbelievably bad that they make you question why you’re doing this job at all.

We walk into homes trying to help people, and from the moment we arrive we’re getting yelled at because their warranty company denied coverage, approved only part of the repair, or won’t replace an entire system because one component failed. Somehow that’s supposed to be the contractor’s fault.

We’ve had customers approve non-covered repairs, sign the paperwork, watch the work get completed, and then refuse to pay. Then we’re forced to spend our own time taking them to small claims court just to collect money they already agreed to pay.

We’ve been threatened with lawsuits more times than I can count. Some customers literally believe that if they don’t get exactly what they want, they can just threaten legal action and the contractor will magically do free work.

The amount of entitlement is unreal. People demanding extra repairs for free. Demanding upgrades for free. Demanding work that isn’t covered. Demanding we violate code requirements because it’s cheaper. Demanding we stay for hours beyond the authorized scope because “I’m the customer.”

The best part is when they tell you how to do your job. You’ve spent years in the trade, have licenses, insurance, experience, and training, but somehow the homeowner who watched three YouTube videos last night is now the expert.

And when the warranty company denies something? Guess who gets the one-star Google review. Not the warranty company. The contractor.

Many homeowners seem to think contractors are getting rich on warranty calls. The reality is that most warranty contractors are already working for reduced rates, dealing with mountains of paperwork, angry customers, denied claims, and constant threats.

The truth is that some of the most difficult customers we’ve ever encountered have been home warranty customers. Not because their plumbing, HVAC, or electrical problems are complicated—but because they believe every problem in their house should be fixed for free and anyone who says otherwise is trying to scam them.

If you’re thinking about signing up with AHS, learn from our mistake.
AHS may look attractive at first because they can provide a high volume of work orders. However, once you’re in the system, you’ll quickly realize that the pay structure is heavily stacked against contractors.

The pricing expectations are often so low that they don’t realistically cover labor, overhead, insurance, fuel, office expenses, equipment costs, and the materials needed to perform quality repairs. Contractors are expected to maintain certain averages, and if you don’t, your performance can be affected.

What makes it even worse is that when contractors report what is actually needed to complete a repair properly, coverage is frequently limited or denied. The homeowner becomes frustrated, but instead of blaming AHS, they often blame the contractor standing in front of them. We end up getting the one-star Google and Yelp reviews while AHS walks away untouched.

Over time, those reviews damage local businesses and make it harder to generate work outside the AHS network. Contractors become dependent on AHS while simultaneously being underpaid and penalized for trying to do the job correctly.

In our experience, AHS does not provide compensation that reflects the real cost of operating a professional service company. Many skilled contractors eventually leave because the numbers simply do not work.

If you’re a contractor considering signing up, read every contract carefully and understand exactly what you’re agreeing to. Don’t assume the volume of calls will make up for the low compensation.
Looking back, if we knew then what we know now, we would never have signed up.
Contractors deserve fair pay. Homeowners deserve honest coverage. The current system does not accomplish either.