Poach.rr vs Porch: Lead Sources for Roofers

Choosing a lead source comes down to three things: how a prospect reaches you, what you know about it before you spend money, and how you pay. This page sets Poach.rr beside the lead offer quoted from a public pro page in the sections below. Poach.rr is described only from our own product facts.

How Poach.rr works

Poach.rr is a marketplace of roofing, solar and HVAC prospects built from public building-permit records. Every prospect traces back to recorded permits in our dataset, which we collect from public permit portals. Data is swept daily, but coverage depends on which jurisdictions publish permits. Where a county does not publish, we have nothing to show you.

The workflow is simple:

1. Pick a state and county.
2. Filter by permit age.
3. Buy a prospect exclusively, or shared with other contractors.
4. After purchase, the homeowner’s contact details are looked up on demand. Numbers flagged on do-not-call lists are marked.

For HVAC, a prospect is a home whose last HVAC permit on record is 12 or more years old, or a home with no HVAC permit since it was built. These prospects are scored from permit history. New accounts get free prospects to try the marketplace, and no card is required.

What the competitor page says

The pro page for Porch opens with “Get qualified homeowner leads for your business”. That is a general statement, and it does not tell a roofer how a lead is qualified. If you are comparing sources, that is the first thing to ask about.

On payment, Porch says “Buy leads individually, set a monthly budget and receive leads automatically, or combine both options”. Paying per lead and paying from a monthly budget are different ways to manage spend. The right one depends on how steady your crew’s schedule is.

On delivery, Porch says “You can opt in to leads delivered via email & text, as well direct phone call leads”. For a roofer who answers the phone from a ladder, the delivery channel matters as much as the lead itself.

Porch also describes a contractor profile, saying “your expertise, credentials, reviews and projects can be highlighted and customized”. That points to a model where homeowners may compare professionals, which is a different situation from a prospect you contact directly.

Where the two approaches differ

• Starting point. A Poach.rr prospect starts from a permit record and its age. The quoted lines above describe leads in general terms and say nothing about where a lead originates.
• Exclusivity. Poach.rr lets you buy a prospect exclusively or shared, and you choose at purchase. With any other vendor, ask directly whether a lead is exclusive.
• Payment model. Poach.rr is a marketplace where you buy the prospects you pick. Porch describes its options as “Buy leads individually, set a monthly budget and receive leads automatically, or combine both options”.
• Coverage. Poach.rr only covers jurisdictions that publish permits. Check your county before you rely on it.

What to ask any lead vendor

These questions apply to Poach.rr and to anyone else selling you leads. Get the answers in writing before you spend.

1. Where does the lead come from? A permit record, a homeowner request form, a call center or a purchased list each behave differently.
2. Is it exclusive? Find out how many other contractors receive the same contact.
3. When do I see the contact details? Before or after I pay? Are do-not-call numbers flagged?
4. What does the lead tell me about the roof? Roof age, permit history and property details can save a wasted visit.
5. How current is the data? Ask how often it refreshes and how late filings are handled.
6. What does my county look like? Ask for the volume in your service area, not nationally.
7. What happens when a lead does not work out? Get the policy in plain language, and ask what counts as a failed lead.
8. Can I try it first? A small test in your own county tells you more than any feature list.

How to test both

Run a small trial with each source in the same county and track three things: how many contacts you reached, how many appointments you booked and how many roofs you quoted. Keep the sample modest. New Poach.rr accounts get free prospects, no card required, so a permit-based trial can be done without a payment method.

Neither source is right for every shop. If you want to start from the age of the last permit on a home and decide whether to buy exclusively, Poach.rr is built for that. If you prefer a profile-based model, Porch describes “your expertise, credentials, reviews and projects can be highlighted and customized”, so read that page closely and bring the questions above.