LeadWharf vs Networx: which cleaning leads should you buy?

Networx is a home-improvement lead marketplace that sends contractors requests from homeowners. Cleaning companies weighing Networx cleaning leads usually want to know three things: how many rivals get the same request, what each one costs, and what happens when a lead is junk. This page answers those from Networx's own help center, checked in October 2026, and sets the answers next to how LeadWharf works. If you are searching for Networx reviews for contractors or a Networx alternative, the facts below should help you judge both.

A note on sources: the Networx marketing site at networx.com blocked our requests in October 2026, so every Networx fact here comes from its help center at help.networx.com, which we read directly. Each claim links to the article it came from.

LeadWharf vs Networx at a glance

How does Networx work for cleaning companies?

Networx sends you an alert when a homeowner's request matches your targeting, and passes along the person's needs, contact details and location. From there, winning the job is up to you (What are leads?). Its help center says it finds those homeowners through Google ads, search optimization, organic traffic and affiliate partners, and that it vets leads with AI software its own team built (Networx Help).

There are two main plans.

• Pay Per Lead (shared). Each lead "will go to up to 4 contractors in total" and arrives in real time by text and email. Networx says these leads cost less than exclusive ones and go through the same screening (Pay Per Lead).
• Exclusive Leads. Each lead is sent to you and no one else. During business hours, Networx tries to call as many of these requests as it can to verify them, and tries to transfer the homeowner to you as a live call (Exclusive Leads).

On top of either plan, Networx may offer Opportunity Leads: requests that can fall outside your chosen tasks or coverage area, which you can buy or pass on, charged to your card rather than your budget (Opportunity Leads). There is also a Direct Calls add-on that places you at the top of Google and connects callers to your phone, billed post-pay on a weekly budget of $200 to $500 (Direct Calls).

Matching runs on the area and job types you set, which you can change in the app. Networx's help pages describe leads as homeowner requests, so confirm the cleaning categories offered in your area when you sign up.

What do Networx leads cost?

Networx says Pay Per Lead prices range from $10 to $100+ and Exclusive Leads from $15 to $120+, and that prices vary by plan and are shown per category for your coverage area (How much do leads cost?). We found no cleaning-specific price in the help center as of October 2026.

Billing comes in two forms. Pre-pay accounts set a monthly, weekly or bi-weekly budget, and each lead's price is taken from the balance as it arrives. Post-pay accounts set a weekly spending limit and are charged on a chosen day for the leads received (When/How am I billed?). The exclusive plan article gives a worked example of a $58 lead: ten a month means a $580 prepaid budget.

Networx says it requires no contract and charges no set-up fees (Do you have a contract?, What are the set up fees?). Its billing article does mention an activation fee for post-pay, so ask which applies to you.

The sticker price is only half the sum. A shared lead that four companies chase costs you its full price, win or lose. Put your own close rate into the cost per lead calculator to see what a signed client really costs on each plan.

How do Networx lead credits work?

Networx gives credits, not refunds, for a fixed list of reasons (Lead Credit Policy):

• a disconnected phone number or fake contact details
• a service or area you did not sign up for
• a duplicate of another Networx lead
• a submitter who has no permission to hire, or no permission from the owner
• someone looking for a job rather than a service

The same policy lists what does not qualify: the customer hired someone else, changed their mind, was "just shopping", or you did not win the job. Requests made more than 14 days after the lead arrived, or for a lead received within an hour of pausing your account, are also out. All resolutions are final. Networx says most requests are settled by an automated review in under a day (Networx Help).

In plain terms, a Networx credit covers a lead that was never real. It does not cover a real homeowner who simply went with someone else.

How does LeadWharf work?

LeadWharf starts from your patch rather than from a request form. On a short call you set the area, the buildings you want and the smallest job worth your time. We learn your pitch, build a dedicated and warmed email setup, find and verify the decision-makers in your area, and write to them in your name. A person qualifies replies against five checks, and all five must be true:

1. The building is inside the service area you drew.
2. The contact has said, in their own words, they want regular cleaning at your frequency and job size.
3. The contact is the person who signs, on a direct line.
4. They have a reason to change now: the current cleaner is letting them down, the contract is running out, they are moving in, or they have grown.
5. They have already agreed to a walk-through.

When all five hold, the lead reaches you within minutes by email, text and your CRM. You get the company and building, building type and size, the contact's name and role, direct phone and email, what they need and how often, who cleans it now, why they are changing, when their contract ends or they want to start, and notes from the conversation in their own words. You pick a time, walk the building and write the quote. A lead that misses any check is never invoiced. Each lead goes to one company only, and your territory is locked to you while you stay. Pricing is a one-time setup, then a flat fee per qualified lead, with nothing monthly. See how it works and pricing for the detail.

Shared, exclusive and qualified: three different leads

These three words describe different products, and the price only makes sense once you know which you are buying.

An exclusive lead is a lead sold to one company only. A qualified lead is one that has been checked against stated standards before you pay. A lead can be one without the other. Our page on exclusive vs shared leads goes deeper on the trade-off, and exclusive cleaning leads explains how LeadWharf's version works.

Where does Networx fall short?

• Cheap leads are shared. The low entry price is for requests shared with up to four contractors; exclusivity costs more.
• Speed decides who wins. Networx itself says a fast reply helps you stand out from the competition.
• Prepaid budget. You fund the account before leads arrive.
• Homeowner requests, not commercial contracts. Requests come from homeowners; the person who signs for a building's cleaning is not who it is built to find.
• Claims only for bad details. Protection covers fake or wrong details, not a lead that wants a one-off job.

Why LeadWharf is the better choice

• You want the person who signs. Every lead names the decision-maker for the building, with a direct line.
• You want recurring work confirmed up front. The contact has already said they want regular cleaning at your frequency, and they have already agreed to a walk-through.
• You want every lead to yourself. No plan choice is needed; nothing is shared or resold.
• You want protection beyond fake details. A lead that is outside your area, lacks recurring intent, is not the signer, has no reason to change or has no agreed walk-through is never invoiced. There is no claim to file.
• You want an area held for you. One company per territory while you stay.
• You serve homes as well. LeadWharf also supplies residential cleaning leads under the same five checks.

Questions to ask Networx, LeadWharf or anyone else

1. How many other companies receive this exact lead?
2. What is the price per lead for my category in my area, in writing?
3. Is there an activation, set-up or membership fee?
4. Which bad leads can be credited, how long do I have, and can I appeal?
5. Has anyone confirmed the contact wants recurring service?
6. Is the contact the person who can sign the contract?
7. Can I stop or pause without notice?

For a wider field, our shortlist of the best pay-per-lead companies for cleaning businesses covers more marketplaces, and LeadWharf vs Angi compares another large homeowner platform.

LeadWharf or Networx: the verdict

LeadWharf. Networx sells homeowner requests, cheapest when shared with up to four contractors. LeadWharf sends every lead to you alone, in your area, wanting regular service, from the person who signs, with a walk-through agreed, or books the walk-through onto your calendar, and never invoices a miss. To see what a qualified lead looks like in your area, book a call.

Last checked: October 2026.