HomeAdvisor Pro Finder & Reviews Scraper

Scrape HomeAdvisor for home service professionals, contractors, ratings, reviews, and project cost data. Extract Screened & Approved status, Elite Service badges, service areas, and customer feedback. Now with fully functional end-to-end search and scraping pipeline. Essential for home services competitive analysis and lead generation.

What's New

• FIXED: Search Results Now Scrape Professional Pages — Previously, the search mode would find professional links but never actually enqueue and scrape them. The search-to-detail pipeline is now fully wired up. Search results are properly queued, and each professional's page is scraped for complete data.
• Real Scraping Mode Functional End-to-End — The full pipeline from search query to professional detail extraction now works as intended. No more empty results from search mode.
• Session Cookies Support (Optional) — Provide your HomeAdvisor cookies via sessionCookies if needed. HomeAdvisor is mostly public, so cookies are optional but can help with edge cases.

Features

• Professional Profile Scraping - Complete contractor profiles with credentials
• Search by Service Type - Plumbers, roofers, HVAC, electricians, and more
• Location-Based Search - Search by city, state, or ZIP code
• Review Extraction - Customer reviews with ratings and project details
• Cost Data - Average project costs and cost guides
• Credential Verification - License, insurance, and screening status
• End-to-End Search Pipeline - Search results now properly enqueue and scrape each professional page (FIXED)
• Anti-Detection - Fingerprint injection for stealth browser automation
• Proxy Support - Residential proxies for reliable access
• Demo Mode - Test with sample data before going live

Who Should Use This Actor?

Home Service Contractors

Monitor your own presence and compare against competitors. Track your review ratings, complaint trends, and how you stack up in your service area.

Marketing Agencies

Build lead lists of home service professionals for marketing campaigns. Identify contractors who may need digital marketing services based on low online presence.

Home Service Marketplaces

Research the competitive landscape before launching in new markets. Understand contractor density, pricing, and service coverage.

Insurance & Compliance Teams

Verify contractor credentials, licensing status, and insurance coverage. Automate due diligence checks for vendor onboarding.

Real Estate Professionals

Build preferred vendor lists for home inspectors, contractors, and repair services. Provide clients with vetted professional recommendations.

Authentication (Optional)

HomeAdvisor is mostly public, so session cookies are optional. However, cookies can help with edge cases where HomeAdvisor shows limited data to anonymous users.

How to Get Your HomeAdvisor Cookies (If Needed)

1. Install the Cookie-Editor browser extension (available for Chrome, Firefox, Edge)
2. Go to homeadvisor.com and log in (or browse as a logged-in user)
3. Click the Cookie-Editor extension icon
4. Click Export (bottom-left) to copy all cookies as JSON
5. Paste the JSON array into the sessionCookies input field

Important notes:

• Cookies are optional for HomeAdvisor — most data is publicly accessible
• Use cookies only if you experience incomplete results
• The actor does not store or share your cookies

Cookie Input Example

{
  "scrapeType": "search",
  "serviceType": "Plumbing",
  "location": "Houston, TX",
  "maxResults": 25,
  "sessionCookies": [
    { "name": "ha_session", "value": "abc123...", "domain": ".homeadvisor.com" }
  ],
  "demoMode": false
}

Important: Account & Rate Limiting Considerations

HomeAdvisor actively monitors for automated access. To minimize detection risk:

1. Start slow - Begin with maxResults: 10 and increase gradually
2. Use residential proxies - The actor defaults to residential proxies for better success
3. Space your runs - Wait 15-30 minutes between runs
4. Avoid peak hours - Run during off-peak hours (late evening, early morning) for best results
5. Keep sessions short - Smaller batches (25-50 results) are more reliable than large ones (200+)

No account required - This scraper uses public search results and does not require a HomeAdvisor login.

Quick Start

Demo Mode (Free Test)

{
  "demoMode": true
}

Search for Professionals (Now Fully Working)

{
  "scrapeType": "search",
  "serviceType": "Plumbing",
  "location": "Houston, TX",
  "maxResults": 25,
  "includeReviews": true,
  "demoMode": false
}

Search mode now properly discovers professionals from search results AND scrapes each professional's detail page for complete data. Previously, search found links but never enqueued them for scraping.

Scrape a Specific Professional

{
  "scrapeType": "professional_profile",
  "professionalUrl": "https://www.homeadvisor.com/rated.SmithPlumbing.12345.html",
  "includeReviews": true,
  "includeCostData": true,
  "demoMode": false
}

Filter by Quality

{
  "scrapeType": "search",
  "serviceType": "Roofing",
  "location": "Dallas, TX",
  "minRating": 4.0,
  "screened": true,
  "eliteService": true,
  "maxResults": 50,
  "demoMode": false
}

Input Parameters

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
scrapeType	string	search	Type: search, professional_profile, reviews, cost_guide
professionalUrl	string	-	Direct HomeAdvisor profile URL
serviceType	string	-	Service type (Plumbing, Roofing, HVAC, Electrical, etc.)
location	string	-	City, State or ZIP code
minRating	number	-	Minimum rating (1.0-5.0)
screened	boolean	false	Only Screened & Approved professionals
eliteService	boolean	false	Only Elite Service professionals
includeReviews	boolean	true	Scrape customer reviews
maxReviewsPerPro	number	25	Max reviews per professional
includeCostData	boolean	true	Include cost estimates
maxResults	number	50	Maximum professionals to scrape
sessionCookies	array	-	HomeAdvisor session cookies (optional, JSON array from Cookie-Editor)
proxyConfiguration	object	Residential	Proxy settings
demoMode	boolean	true	Return sample data for testing
webhookUrl	string	-	Webhook URL for results delivery

Output Format

{
  "businessName": "Smith Plumbing & Heating",
  "homeAdvisorUrl": "https://www.homeadvisor.com/rated.SmithPlumbing.12345.html",
  "serviceTypes": ["Plumbing", "Water Heater Installation", "Drain Cleaning"],
  "rating": 4.8,
  "reviewCount": 234,
  "hiredCount": 1250,
  "yearsInBusiness": 15,
  "address": {
    "city": "Houston",
    "state": "TX",
    "zipCode": "77001"
  },
  "phone": "(555) 123-4567",
  "website": "https://smithplumbing.com",
  "screenedApproved": true,
  "eliteService": true,
  "licensedInsured": true,
  "bbbAccredited": true,
  "serviceArea": ["Houston", "Katy", "Sugar Land", "The Woodlands"],
  "costRange": {
    "low": 150,
    "high": 500,
    "average": 275,
    "projectType": "Standard Plumbing Repair"
  },
  "reviews": [
    {
      "reviewId": "ha123456",
      "rating": 5,
      "title": "Excellent plumber!",
      "text": "Fixed our leak quickly and professionally...",
      "date": "November 2024",
      "projectType": "Plumbing Repair",
      "projectCost": "$285",
      "wouldRecommend": true,
      "verified": true
    }
  ],
  "scrapedAt": "2025-12-21T10:30:00.000Z"
}

Pricing (Pay-Per-Event)

Event	Description	Price
professional-scraped	Per professional profile scraped	$0.06
review_scraped	Per review extracted	$0.004

Example costs:

• 50 professionals with 25 reviews each: (50 x $0.06) + (1250 x $0.004) = $8.00
• 100 professionals, no reviews: 100 x $0.06 = $6.00
• Demo mode: $0.00

Common Scenarios

Scenario 1: Competitive Analysis for Contractors

{
  "scrapeType": "search",
  "serviceType": "HVAC",
  "location": "Phoenix, AZ",
  "minRating": 4.0,
  "maxResults": 100,
  "includeReviews": true,
  "maxReviewsPerPro": 10,
  "demoMode": false
}

Scenario 2: Lead Generation for Marketing Agencies

{
  "scrapeType": "search",
  "serviceType": "Roofing",
  "location": "90210",
  "maxResults": 50,
  "includeReviews": false,
  "includeCostData": false,
  "demoMode": false
}

Scenario 3: Cost Research

{
  "scrapeType": "cost_guide",
  "serviceType": "Bathroom Remodel",
  "location": "San Francisco, CA",
  "demoMode": false
}

Webhook & Automation Integration

Webhook Configuration

Add webhookUrl to receive results when scraping completes:

{
  "scrapeType": "search",
  "serviceType": "Plumbing",
  "location": "Houston, TX",
  "webhookUrl": "https://your-endpoint.com/webhook"
}

Zapier Integration

1. Create a Zapier Webhook trigger (Catch Hook)
2. Copy the webhook URL to webhookUrl
3. Route results to Google Sheets, CRM, Slack, etc.

Popular Zaps:

• HomeAdvisor data -> Google Sheets (build prospect lists)
• New professionals found -> Slack notification
• Results -> HubSpot CRM (lead import)

Make.com (Integromat)

1. Create a Webhooks module (Custom webhook)
2. Add webhook URL to configuration
3. Process results with Make.com scenarios

n8n Integration

1. Add a Webhook node
2. Configure with webhook URL
3. Chain with downstream processing nodes

Apify Scheduled Runs

1. Schedule this actor in Apify Console (daily, weekly, etc.)
2. Set up Apify webhooks to trigger downstream workflows
3. Use the Apify API to fetch results:

$curl "https://api.apify.com/v2/actor-runs/{runId}/dataset/items?token={token}"

Official API Alternatives

HomeAdvisor does not offer a public API for contractor data. This scraper is the most effective way to access HomeAdvisor data programmatically.

Alternative data sources for home service professionals:

• Google Maps API - Basic business listings (limited contractor details)
• Yelp Fusion API - Reviews and ratings (no contractor credentials)
• BBB API - Accreditation and complaint data (limited scope)
• Angi - Similar platform (see our Angi Scraper)

FAQ

Q: Do I need a HomeAdvisor account?

A: No. This scraper uses public search results and does not require a HomeAdvisor login. Session cookies are optional and only needed for edge cases.

Q: Why am I getting rate limited?

A: HomeAdvisor has anti-scraping measures. Solutions:

1. Reduce maxResults to 25-50
2. Space runs 15-30 minutes apart
3. Use residential proxies (default setting)
4. Run during off-peak hours

Q: How accurate is the cost data?

A: Cost ranges come directly from HomeAdvisor's cost guides, which aggregate real project costs from their network. They're industry benchmarks, not guaranteed quotes.

Q: Can I scrape a specific contractor's full profile?

A: Yes. Use scrapeType: "professional_profile" with the direct HomeAdvisor URL.

Q: Why are some reviews missing?

A: HomeAdvisor may filter some reviews. The scraper extracts all publicly visible reviews up to maxReviewsPerPro.

Q: Does search mode actually scrape professional pages now?

A: Yes. This was a bug where search results found professional links but never enqueued them for detail scraping. The pipeline is now fully connected — search discovers professionals, enqueues their pages, and scrapes complete profile data from each one.

Troubleshooting

"Search returns 0 results" (FIXED)

This was the most common issue and has been resolved. The search-to-detail pipeline previously found professional links but never scraped them. It is now fully functional. If you still get 0 results:

• Verify the service type matches HomeAdvisor categories
• Check location spelling (e.g., "Houston, TX" not "Huston TX")
• Broaden search criteria (remove minRating, screened filters)
• Try a different location — some areas have fewer listed professionals

"No professionals found"

• Verify the service type matches HomeAdvisor categories
• Check location spelling (e.g., "Houston, TX" not "Huston TX")
• Broaden search criteria (remove minRating, screened filters)

"Request blocked" or empty results

• HomeAdvisor's anti-bot protection triggered
• Wait 15-30 minutes and try again
• Reduce maxResults to start smaller
• The actor uses fingerprint injection automatically
• Try adding sessionCookies if the issue persists

"Demo data showing instead of real results"

• Set demoMode: false
• No API key or login is required for real scraping

"Reviews not loading"

• Some professionals have very few reviews
• Check includeReviews: true is set
• Increase maxReviewsPerPro if needed

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Support

• Actor Arsenal: Full Actor Catalog
• Developer: John Rippy

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Built by John Rippy | Actor Arsenal