Craigslist Alternatives for Hiring HVAC Techs and Plumbers

Craigslist's job pricing is simple: a job post costs $10–75 in the US and parts of Canada, with the fee varying by area.

Gigs in the US and selected Canadian areas cost $3–10, and a Services ad in the US and Canada costs $5.

You pay per post, the ad runs in the area you post to, and replies to live posts are relayed to your email.

What a flat-fee post does not come with is structure: the fees cover general job, gig and services categories rather than trade ones, and replies land in your inbox for you to work by hand.

That is the trade-off every alternative below is priced against — and why Craigslist still does the job when the role is very local and the budget is a few dollars.

HVAC Hires is a job board built only for HVAC and plumbing jobs — 29 role categories covering service techs, installers, apprentices and helpers, the pipe trades, and the dispatchers, estimators and managers around them.

Every listing on it sits next to other HVAC and plumbing jobs.

Pricing is published: a Standard listing is $199 and a Featured listing $399, at launch pricing (regular prices $299 and $499), each a 30-day listing and a one-time payment with no contract.

Listings are indexed in Google Jobs and appear on the matching role and city pages, and candidates who click Apply are sent to your own application link.

There is no free posting tier; shops that are always hiring can subscribe, by contacting HVAC Hires, at $899 or $1,749 a month for 10 or 25 always-live listings.

Details are on the pricing page.

BlueRecruit describes itself as a matchmaking job platform for the skilled trades.

Candidates create a profile from their phone with no resume, and both sides can signal interest and reach out directly.

It is always free for job seekers and small businesses; larger businesses and growing teams move to plans starting at $300/month.

Its site lists 18 trade industries and 170 trades — Automotive, Construction, Energy, Manufacturing and Transportation among them.

ACCA + CareerPlug is a member benefit rather than a job board: ACCA members receive a free basic CareerPlug account with a branded careers page, pre-built job templates and a configured hiring process.

Distribution is the catch — with the free account, postings go only to your careers page and the association careers page CareerPlug hosts.

The Pro subscription, at $595/year, adds unlimited job postings to top job boards including Indeed, ZipRecruiter, Google Jobs and Facebook Jobs.

Indeed says many jobs can be posted for free, subject to its terms, conditions, quality standards and usage limits.

Two limits matter for planning: some jobs are considered sponsored only, and Indeed reserves the right to require that a job must be sponsored for any reason — jobs aggregated directly from a career site or company website are an example it gives.

Sponsored jobs run on a budget: Indeed provides a recommended amount based on criteria such as job title, location and job description, you can set a different amount as long as it meets the minimum required for that job, and spending is billed on the first day of the month or when account spending reaches $500, whichever comes first.

Indeed cites over 380M sourceable profiles covering any role, industry or location (self-reported).

LinkedIn has free job posts, but they are built to run out: a free post is hidden from search results after reaching the free applicant limit, which typically ranges from 10 to 30 depending on the role, and it is paused after being active for 14 days — unpausing requires promoting the job, which is the paid product.

New job posters can get a free trial to promote a first job, subject to eligibility and posting limits; if you do not close the job before the trial ends, you are charged at the recommended budget.

Promoted jobs are pay-per-click, shown at the top of search results with a Promoted tag, can receive unlimited applicants, and expire after 6 months of being active.

The published prices, side by side:

• Craigslist: $10–75 per job post, varying by area; gigs $3–10; services ads $5. Per-post, no subscription.
• HVAC Hires: $199 Standard or $399 Featured per 30-day listing at launch pricing, one-time; $899 or $1,749 a month for 10 or 25 always-live listings.
• Indeed: free for many jobs within its usage limits; sponsored budgets vary by job and are not published.
• BlueRecruit: free for small businesses; plans start at $300/month for larger businesses.
• LinkedIn: free posts within the free applicant limit; promoted jobs billed per click on a budget; prices are not published.
• ACCA + CareerPlug: free basic account for ACCA members; Pro at $595/year for job-board syndication.

Note the billing shape as much as the number.

Craigslist is a flat fee per post.

HVAC Hires is a one-time payment per 30-day listing, or a monthly subscription.

BlueRecruit and ACCA's Pro are recurring, and Indeed and LinkedIn charge against a budget.

And none of these prices buys an applicant: every board here, this one included, is a place to post, not a guarantee of a hire.

Match the board to the role you are actually trying to fill:

• A tech in one specific town, posted today for a few dollars: Craigslist still does this — the fee varies by area ($10–75 for a job, $3–10 for a gig).
• HVAC or plumbing roles specifically: a trade-only board such as HVAC Hires lists the role only alongside other HVAC and plumbing jobs, at $199 per 30-day listing at launch pricing.
• Reach across any role and you can screen: Indeed's free posts, accepting the usage limits and the chance a job must be sponsored.
• Matched trades candidates without sifting resumes: BlueRecruit — free for small businesses, plans from $300/month for larger teams.
• A careers page and a structured process, if you are an ACCA member: the free basic CareerPlug account, with Pro at $595/year when you want job-board distribution.

Whichever you pick, the posting basics do not change: name the pay and the license you require, say which city the work is in, and reply quickly when candidates come back.