# Porch Contractors Scraper (`parseforge/porch-contractors-scraper`) Actor

Scrapes Porch contractor profiles by service and ZIP code. Returns each contractor as a flat row with name, rating, review count, and service area.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/parseforge/porch-contractors-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [ParseForge](https://apify.com/parseforge) (community)
- **Categories:** Lead generation, Automation
- **Stats:** 3 total users, 2 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $7.50 / 1,000 results

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

Actors are web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.
Actors are written with capital "A".

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.
The best way to integrate Actors is as follows.

- **AI agents and MCP clients** — the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md) at `https://mcp.apify.com` (remote, streamable HTTP, OAuth on first use).
- **Agentic workflows and local Actor development** — [Agent Skills](https://apify.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) with the [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): `npm install -g apify-cli`, then `apify login`.
- **JavaScript/TypeScript projects** — the official [JS/TS client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): `npm install apify-client`.
- **Python projects** — the official [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): `pip install apify-client`.
- **Any other language** — the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md).

For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below.

For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt).

# README

[![ParseForge](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ParseForge/apify-assets/main/banner.jpg)](https://apify.com/parseforge?fpr=vmoqkp)

### Porch Contractors Scraper

**Scrape Porch contractor profiles by service and ZIP code, up to a million per run.** Every contractor comes with its name, rating, review count, and service area. No login or API key. Export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML.

Porch's website shows contractor profiles only through a search form, with no public API for bulk access. This Actor reads the public search results directly, filtered by service and ZIP code, and returns each match in one fixed schema. It is built for lead lists, market sizing, and local competitive research.

| Who uses it | What they scrape Porch for |
|---|---|
| Home service marketers | Build a lead list of local contractors for outreach |
| Market researchers | Size the contractor supply in a metro area |
| Franchise developers | Find independent contractors to convert into franchisees |
| Insurance agents | Prospect contractors who need liability coverage |
| SaaS founders | Source prospects for contractor software tools |

### What it does

This Actor collects Porch contractor profiles by service and ZIP code, and returns each one as a flat row.

- 🔍 **Service search:** enter a service slug like plumbers, electricians, or roofers.
- 📍 **ZIP code targeting:** results are centered on one US ZIP code.
- 📊 **Flat rows:** each contractor is one record, ready for CSV or Excel.
- ⚙️ **Max items control:** set a hard cap from 1 to 1,000,000 contractors per run.

Results export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML, or straight from the API.

### What you can do with Porch data

**📈 Build a local contractor lead list.**

A home service marketer runs the Actor for plumbers in 10001 and exports the CSV to load into their CRM for outreach.

**🗺️ Size a metro market.**

A market researcher collects all roofers in a ZIP code and counts them to estimate supply density before a product launch.

**🏢 Find franchise candidates.**

A franchise developer scrapes electricians across several ZIP codes and filters for independent shops to approach.

**🛡️ Prospect insurance clients.**

An insurance agent collects contractors in their state and cross-references license data to find those without coverage.

**💼 Source SaaS prospects.**

A SaaS founder scrapes HVAC contractors in target cities and enriches the list with firmographic data for sales.

### Why choose this scraper

|  | What you get |
|---|---|
| **No API key** | Reads the public Porch search results directly |
| **One fixed schema** | Every contractor row has the same fields, no cleaning needed |
| **Runs on Apify** | Schedule it, monitor it, and export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML |
| **Scales to a million** | Collect a city or a whole state in one run |

### How it compares

This Actor scrapes individual Porch contractor profiles by service and ZIP code, while the BLS scraper returns national-level employment and wage statistics by trade.

| Feature | ParseForge | US National Contractor Employment & Wages (BLS) |
|---|---|---|
| Contractor name and business profile | Yes | Not listed |
| Rating and review count | Yes | Not listed |
| Search by service and ZIP code | Yes | Not listed |
| National employment and wage statistics | Not listed | Yes |
| City-level data | Yes | Not listed |

### Configure the run

Drive the Actor from a service slug and a US ZIP code, and set a maximum number of contractors to collect per run. The Input tab lists every parameter.

A first run with the defaults:

```json
{
  "service": "plumbers",
  "zip": "10001",
  "maxItems": 10
}
```

A larger pull:

```json
{
  "service": "plumbers",
  "zip": "10001",
  "maxItems": 200
}
```

### Pricing

Pay-per-result: **$0.0085 per result** collected. You pay only for the results written to your dataset.

| Results collected | Approximate cost |
|---|---|
| 100 results | $0.85 |
| 1,000 results | $8.50 |
| 10,000 results | $85.00 |

New Apify accounts start with $5 in free credit.

### Free users

Free-plan runs return up to 10 results as a preview. [Upgrade your Apify plan](https://console.apify.com/sign-up?fpr=vmoqkp) to collect up to 1,000,000 results per run.

### Run it

1. [Create a free Apify account with $5 in credit](https://console.apify.com/sign-up?fpr=vmoqkp).
2. Open the [Porch Contractors Scraper](https://apify.com/parseforge/porch-contractors-scraper?fpr=vmoqkp).
3. Set your inputs and any filters, then click **Start**.
4. Export the results as CSV, Excel, JSON, or XML from the **Dataset** tab.

Run it programmatically through the [Apify API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2) (`run-sync-get-dataset-items`) or the [ApifyClient](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js) for JavaScript and Python.

### Use with AI agents (MCP)

Give an AI agent live access to Porch through the Model Context Protocol. Add the Actor to Claude, Cursor, or any MCP client:

```bash
claude mcp add --transport http apify "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=parseforge/porch-contractors-scraper"
```

Then prompt it in plain language to run the scraper and read back the results.

### Troubleshooting

**Why am I getting no results?**

The service slug may be misspelled, or the ZIP code may have no contractors for that service. Try a common slug like plumbers and a dense urban ZIP like 10001.

**Why did the run stop before reaching my maxItems?**

Porch may show fewer results than your cap for a given ZIP code. Use several nearby ZIP codes and merge the datasets.

**Why are some fields empty?**

Porch does not show every field for every contractor. Empty fields mean the data was not present on the public profile.

**Why did the run fail with a timeout?**

Large maxItems values can take a long time. Increase the Actor's timeout in the run settings, or lower maxItems and run more ZIP codes.

**Can I get results sorted by rating?**

The Actor returns results in the order Porch shows them. Sort the exported CSV by the rating column in Excel or Google Sheets.

### FAQ

| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is a service slug? | It is the URL-friendly name Porch uses for a trade, like plumbers, electricians, or roofers. You can find it in the Porch search URL after /pro/near-you/. |
| Can I search multiple services at once? | No, each run takes one service slug. Run the Actor once per service, or use Apify's scheduler to run several services in sequence. |
| Does this work outside the US? | No, Porch contractor search is US-only and requires a US ZIP code. |
| What does the output look like? | Each contractor is one flat row with fields like name, rating, review count, and service area. The exact fields are shown in the sample output on this page. |
| Is there a limit on how many contractors I can collect? | You set the maximum yourself, from 1 to 1,000,000 per run. Porch may cap results per ZIP code, so use several nearby ZIP codes for full coverage. |
| Do I need a Porch account or API key? | No. The Actor reads the public search results without login. |
| Can I get the contractor's phone number or email? | Porch search results typically show only the business name, rating, review count, and service area. Contact details are not in the public listing. |
| How do I export the data? | In Apify, open the run, go to the Dataset tab, and download as CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML. |
| Can I schedule this to run weekly? | Yes, use Apify's scheduler to run it on a cron, and enable email or webhook notifications when it finishes. |
| What if I get zero results? | Check that the service slug is valid and that the ZIP code has contractors for that service. Try a broader service like contractors or a larger metro ZIP. |

### Related actors

Browse the full [ParseForge collection](https://apify.com/parseforge?fpr=vmoqkp) for more scrapers.

🆘 **Need help?** Email parseforge@protonmail.com with your run ID, your input, and what you expected.

⚠️ **Disclaimer.** This Actor is unofficial and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Porch.com, Inc. It collects only publicly available data. You are responsible for using the collected data in compliance with the source's terms of service and applicable data-protection laws, including GDPR, CCPA, and PIPL. Do not use it to collect personal data unlawfully.

# Actor input Schema

## `service` (type: `string`):

Service slug (e.g. plumbers, electricians, roofers).

## `zip` (type: `string`):

US ZIP code to search around.

## `maxItems` (type: `integer`):

How many contractors to collect per run.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "service": "plumbers",
  "zip": "10001",
  "maxItems": 10
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

No description

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "service": "plumbers",
    "zip": "10001",
    "maxItems": 10
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("parseforge/porch-contractors-scraper").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
    "service": "plumbers",
    "zip": "10001",
    "maxItems": 10,
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("parseforge/porch-contractors-scraper").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "service": "plumbers",
  "zip": "10001",
  "maxItems": 10
}' |
apify call parseforge/porch-contractors-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,parseforge/porch-contractors-scraper"
        }
    }
}

```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/dZnzAZOvQ4LxrJf4C/builds/2X6LQdlPSy6qnivDh/openapi.json