RevBest Advertising
for Contractors.
Six channels, what each one is good at, and what it costs.
Start with the two that work fastest.
Google First, Then Meta for Planned Work.
For most contractors, the best advertising is Google.
A free Business Profile first, then Search ads and Local Services Ads.
Both reach people already looking for the job.
Meta ads suit planned work. Judge every channel on booked jobs.
Six Ways Contractors Advertise.
What each channel is good at, and what it costs.
Start with the profile, then search ads. One is free and the other is immediate.
Lead costs are published averages; the Meta figure rests on three sources, so treat it as a marker. Sources.
What Each One Does, in Plain Words.
Six channels. Most contractors need two or three of them, not all six.
Google Business Profile
The free listing that shows on Google Search and Google Maps.
Google says a business can manage how it shows up on Maps and Search at no charge.
It costs time instead: photos, the right service area, and a steady stream of reviews.
It also feeds the map pack, the ads and the Local Services ranking, so a broken profile drags every other channel down.
Fix it before spending a dollar.
Google Search Ads
The ad shows to someone who just typed the problem, so the need already exists.
Google charges for each click.
A click costs about $5 to $14.
Published averages put a lead at about $115 for electricians, $134 for HVAC, $150 to $165 for plumbing and $240 for roofing.
Waste comes from the wrong searches, so blocking them weekly is part of the job.
Local Services Ads
The ads at the very top, with the Google Verified badge.
Google says the business pays only for leads related to its services, and only when a customer gets in touch from the ad.
Published averages run about $46 to $100 a lead, lower than a Search ads lead in every trade we track.
They suit emergencies.
They need license and insurance checks before they run.
Meta Ads
Facebook and Instagram reach homeowners before they search, so they suit planned work: replacements, upgrades, remodels, maintenance plans.
For an emergency, Search wins, because the customer is already looking.
Three US sources put a home-service lead at roughly $41 to $70.
Fewer than five sources, so treat it as a marker, not a promise.
A real photo of the crew and fast follow-up do most of the work.
SEO and the Website
Ranking without paying per click.
It compounds, but it takes months before anything comes back, and the website has to be good enough to turn a visit into a call.
Paid ads and SEO send people to the same pages.
A slow page, a buried phone number, or a page that answers a different question than the ad asked loses the visitor either way.
Directories and Lead Sites
Fast volume, but shared with rivals.
The same lead can be sold to more than one contractor, so the first to call usually wins.
They can fill a quiet week.
Start with the profile and Search ads first, and treat directories as an extra once those two are working.
The Order to Add Them.
Each step pays for the next. Skipping ahead is how budgets disappear.
- Fix the Google Business Profile. It is free and it feeds everything else.
- Turn on conversion tracking. Without it, no channel can be judged.
- Start Search ads for the jobs that pay most. One campaign per job type.
- Add Local Services Ads for emergencies. Pay per lead, top of the page.
- Add Meta ads for planned work. Once Search is steady.
- Keep the website and SEO going. The slow channel that keeps paying.
Judge Every Channel on Booked Jobs.
Clicks and leads are not the goal. A booked job is.
About 7 to 10 clicks in every 100 become a lead, and only some leads book.
Compare channels on cost per booked job.
Move money toward the one that books cheapest.
Where These Facts Come From.
Google product facts from Google Help, opened November 2026.
Cost figures from the guides linked below.
- Google Business Profile at no charge: Get started with Google Business Profile, Google Help
- Search ads charge per click: Cost-per-click (CPC): Definition, Google Ads Help
- Local Services Ads charge for leads: Getting started with Local Services Ads, Google Help
- Click costs by trade: LocaliQ, Search Ad Benchmarks for Home Services
- Lead costs by trade, with every source named: the Google Ads guide
- Meta lead cost and which jobs suit Meta: the Facebook ads guide
Related Pages.
- Google Ads for contractors: lead costs by trade and how to set the account up
- Facebook ads for contractors: which jobs suit Meta and what to post
- Google, Meta and YouTube ads run by one team: $1,497 a month, no minimum term
- Free Google Ads audit: a written check of an existing account
Get My Free Ad Audit.
Four details. Two working days.
Free. No card. We reply the same day, US hours.
