Cost Per Lead by Trade for Home Services
Updated June 17, 2026
Cost per lead for home services ranges from roughly $20 to over $150 depending on the trade and channel. High-ticket trades like roofing and HVAC install run highest; quick-turn trades like locksmith and garage door run lowest. But cost per lead is only half the math — what matters is cost per booked job, which is the lead price divided by your close rate.
Every contractor asks “what does a lead cost?” and gets a different number from every salesperson. The honest answer is a range, because the price swings with your trade, your market, the channel, and whether the lead is exclusive to you or shared with three other companies.
The bigger trap is fixating on the per-lead price at all. A $40 lead you close half the time is cheaper than a $20 lead you close one in ten. This breaks down the real ranges by trade and channel, then shows you the only number that decides profit: cost per booked job.
Cost per lead by trade
Lead price tracks job value. The bigger the ticket, the more a lead is worth and the harder contractors compete for it, which pushes the price up. A roofing lead can be worth a $12,000 job, so it commands far more than a $250 garage-door service call. The figures below are typical blended U.S. ranges across paid channels in 2026.
These are averages, not promises — your market’s competition, your reviews, and the season all move them. Demand spikes (a heat wave for HVAC, a hailstorm for roofing) drive prices up exactly when everyone is bidding. Use these as a sanity check against what a vendor quotes you, not as a fixed rate card.
| Trade | Cost per lead | Typical job value |
|---|---|---|
| HVAC repair | $30–$80 | $300–$1,500 |
| HVAC install | $60–$150 | $6,000–$15,000 |
| Plumbing | $25–$70 | $200–$3,000 |
| Electrical | $25–$65 | $200–$4,000 |
| Roofing | $50–$150+ | $6,000–$20,000 |
| Garage door / locksmith | $15–$45 | $150–$800 |
Typical cost per lead by trade across paid channels (U.S., 2026)
Cost per lead by channel
The same trade costs different amounts depending on where the lead comes from. Google Local Services Ads and Google Ads tend to deliver high-intent leads at a moderate price. Lead marketplaces like Angi and Thumbtack often look cheaper per lead but sell the same lead to multiple contractors, so your effective cost per job is higher. Facebook lead ads are cheapest per lead but lowest intent.
Exclusivity is the hidden variable. An exclusive lead that only you receive can close at three to five times the rate of a shared lead sold to four companies — so a “cheap” shared lead at $20 can cost more per job than an exclusive lead at $60. Always ask a vendor whether the lead is exclusive before comparing prices.
| Channel | Relative cost per lead | Lead quality / intent |
|---|---|---|
| Local Services Ads | Medium | High — searching now, exclusive |
| Google Ads (search) | Medium–high | High — active intent |
| Angi / Thumbtack | Low–medium | Mixed — often shared |
| Facebook lead ads | Low | Lower — interrupted, not searching |
| Referral / repeat | Near zero | Highest — pre-trusted |
Lead cost and intent by channel
The number that actually matters: cost per booked job
Cost per lead is a vanity metric. Cost per booked job is the real one, and the formula is simple: cost per lead divided by your close rate. A $50 lead closed at 25% is $200 per job; the same lead closed at 50% is $100. Doubling your close rate halves your acquisition cost without spending a dollar more on leads.
Close rate is driven by speed and follow-up far more than by lead price. Leads contacted within a minute book dramatically better than leads called back an hour later, and most contractors never follow up past the first attempt. This is the leverage BILT is built for — instant response and persistent AI follow-up on every lead, from every channel, so the leads you already paid for actually convert.
Frequently asked
What is the average cost per lead for home services?
It ranges from about $20 to over $150 depending on trade and channel. Quick-turn trades like locksmith and garage door sit at the low end; high-ticket trades like roofing and HVAC install sit at the top. Exclusive, high-intent leads from Local Services Ads cost more per lead but usually less per booked job than cheap shared leads.
Why do roofing leads cost so much more than plumbing leads?
Because the job is worth more. A roofing lead can turn into a $12,000–$20,000 project, so contractors bid aggressively for it, pushing the cost per lead to $50–$150 or higher. A plumbing service call is usually a few hundred dollars, so the lead is worth less and costs less to acquire.
How do I calculate my cost per booked job?
Divide your cost per lead by your close rate. If leads cost $50 and you book one in four, your cost per booked job is $200. Tracking this number, not the per-lead price, tells you which channels are actually profitable and shows how much improving your close rate is worth.
Are cheaper leads always a better deal?
No. A cheap lead is often a shared lead sold to several contractors, so it closes at a far lower rate and costs more per booked job than a pricier exclusive lead. Always weigh price against exclusivity and close rate — the lowest per-lead price frequently has the highest cost per job.
How can I lower my cost per lead without cutting spend?
Raise your close rate instead of cutting price. Respond to every lead within seconds, follow up multiple times across call and text, and stop letting leads sit in a voicemail. Improving close rate lowers cost per booked job directly, which is the number that decides whether your lead spend is profitable.
The takeaway
Home-service leads run from about $20 to over $150 by trade and channel, with high-ticket trades like roofing and HVAC at the top. But the per-lead price is a distraction — cost per booked job (lead price divided by close rate) is what decides profit. Since speed and follow-up drive close rate, the fastest path to cheaper jobs is working your existing leads harder, not hunting for a lower lead price.