In today’s competitive home services industry, generating high-quality leads at an affordable cost is crucial for maintaining a steady stream of business. Choosing where to spend your advertising dollars can be confusing for home service businesses like plumbers, electricians, and landscapers.
There are many options out there—Facebook, Google Ads, direct mail, and more—and it’s hard to know which one will get you the most customers for your money. — it’s essential for business owners to understand where their marketing dollars are most effective.
To uncover the true cost of lead generation across various platforms, we conducted an in-depth study by contacting over 200 to 300 businesses in each home service sector across the United States.
Through calls, interviews, questionnaires, and surveys, we gathered real-world data on the average cost per lead (CPL) from platforms like Facebook, Google Ads, Yahoo/Bing, Google Local Services, and direct mail.
This article provides a comprehensive breakdown of our findings, offering valuable insights into how businesses are using these channels to attract new customers and the associated costs for each. Whether you’re a plumber, HVAC technician, landscaper, or roofer, this data will help you make informed decisions about your advertising strategies and ensure you’re getting the most out of your marketing budget.
1. Average Cost Per Lead For Plumbers
- Facebook: $20–$40
- Google Ads: $35–$65
- Google Local Services: $25–$45
- Yahoo/Bing: $25–$45
- Direct Mail: $50–$80
2. Average Cost Per Lead For Electricians
- Facebook: $15–$30
- Google Ads: $30–$60
- Google Local Services: $20–$40
- Yahoo/Bing: $20–$40
- Direct Mail: $40–$70
3. Average Cost Per Lead For HVAC Services
- Facebook: $25–$50
- Google Ads: $40–$80
- Google Local Services: $30–$55
- Yahoo/Bing: $30–$55
- Direct Mail: $60–$100
4. Average Cost Per Lead For Landscaping and Lawn Care
- Facebook: $10–$25
- Google Ads: $25–$50
- Google Local Services: $15–$30
- Yahoo/Bing: $15–$35
- Direct Mail: $40–$70
5. Average Cost Per Lead For Roofers & Roofing Services
- Facebook: $25–$55
- Google Ads: $50–$100
- Google Local Services: $35–$60
- Yahoo/Bing: $35–$65
- Direct Mail: $70–$120
6. Average Cost Per Lead For Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning
- Facebook: $10–$20
- Google Ads: $15–$30
- Google Local Services: $10–$25
- Yahoo/Bing: $10–$25
- Direct Mail: $30–$50
7. Average Cost Per Lead For Window Cleaning
- Facebook: $10–$25
- Google Ads: $20–$35
- Google Local Services: $15–$30
- Yahoo/Bing: $15–$30
- Direct Mail: $30–$60
8. Average Cost Per Lead For Pest Control Services
- Facebook: $20–$40
- Google Ads: $30–$60
- Google Local Services: $25–$45
- Yahoo/Bing: $25–$45
- Direct Mail: $50–$80
9. Average Cost Per Lead For Handyman Services
- Facebook: $15–$30
- Google Ads: $25–$50
- Google Local Services: $20–$35
- Yahoo/Bing: $20–$35
- Direct Mail: $40–$70
10. Average Cost Per Lead For House Cleaning and Maid Services
- Facebook: $15–$25
- Google Ads: $20–$35
- Google Local Services: $15–$30
- Yahoo/Bing: $15–$30
- Direct Mail: $30–$50
11. Average Cost Per Lead For Painting Services (Interior and Exterior)
- Facebook: $20–$40
- Google Ads: $30–$60
- Google Local Services: $25–$50
- Yahoo/Bing: $25–$50
- Direct Mail: $40–$80
12. Average Cost Per Lead For Pool Cleaning and Maintenance
- Facebook: $15–$30
- Google Ads: $25–$50
- Google Local Services: $20–$35
- Yahoo/Bing: $20–$40
- Direct Mail: $40–$70
13. Average Cost Per Lead For Garage Door Repair
- Facebook: $25–$45
- Google Ads: $40–$75
- Google Local Services: $30–$55
- Yahoo/Bing: $30–$55
- Direct Mail: $60–$90
14. Average Cost Per Lead For Appliance Repair
- Facebook: $15–$30
- Google Ads: $25–$50
- Google Local Services: $20–$40
- Yahoo/Bing: $20–$40
- Direct Mail: $40–$70
15. Average Cost Per Lead For Gutter Cleaning and Repair
- Facebook: $15–$30
- Google Ads: $25–$50
- Google Local Services: $20–$40
- Yahoo/Bing: $20–$40
- Direct Mail: $40–$70
16. Average Cost Per Lead For Pressure Washing Services
- Facebook: $10–$20
- Google Ads: $15–$35
- Google Local Services: $10–$25
- Yahoo/Bing: $10–$25
- Direct Mail: $30–$50
17. Average Cost Per Lead For Home Renovation and Remodeling
- Facebook: $30–$60
- Google Ads: $50–$100
- Google Local Services: $40–$75
- Yahoo/Bing: $40–$75
- Direct Mail: $80–$120
18. Average Cost Per Lead For Flooring Installation and Repair
- Facebook: $20–$45
- Google Ads: $35–$70
- Google Local Services: $30–$60
- Yahoo/Bing: $30–$55
- Direct Mail: $60–$90
19. Average Cost Per Lead For Fence Installation and Repair
- Facebook: $20–$45
- Google Ads: $35–$70
- Google Local Services: $30–$60
- Yahoo/Bing: $30–$55
- Direct Mail: $60–$90
20. Average Cost Per Lead For Siding Installation and Repair
- Facebook: $25–$50
- Google Ads: $45–$90
- Google Local Services: $35–$70
- Yahoo/Bing: $35–$70
- Direct Mail: $70–$120
21. Average Cost Per Lead For Tree Trimming and Removal
- Facebook: $20–$45
- Google Ads: $35–$75
- Google Local Services: $30–$55
- Yahoo/Bing: $30–$55
- Direct Mail: $60–$90
22. Average Cost Per Lead For Deck and Patio Installation or Repair
- Facebook: $25–$50
- Google Ads: $40–$80
- Google Local Services: $35–$65
- Yahoo/Bing: $35–$60
- Direct Mail: $70–$100
23. Average Cost Per Lead For Smart Home Installation
- Facebook: $30–$60
- Google Ads: $50–$100
- Google Local Services: $40–$75
- Yahoo/Bing: $40–$80
- Direct Mail: $80–$120
24. Average Cost Per Lead For Security System Installation
- Facebook: $30–$60
- Google Ads: $50–$100
- Google Local Services: $40–$75
- Yahoo/Bing: $40–$75
- Direct Mail: $80–$120
25. Average Cost Per Lead For Water Damage Restoration
- Facebook: $35–$70
- Google Ads: $60–$120
- Google Local Services: $45–$85
- Yahoo/Bing: $45–$90
- Direct Mail: $100–$150
26. Average Cost Per Lead For Mold Removal and Remediation
- Facebook: $35–$70
- Google Ads: $60–$120
- Google Local Services: $45–$85
- Yahoo/Bing: $45–$90
- Direct Mail: $100–$150
27. Average Cost Per Lead For Solar Panel Installation
- Facebook: $40–$80
- Google Ads: $60–$120
- Google Local Services: $50–$100
- Yahoo/Bing: $50–$100
- Direct Mail: $100–$150
28. Average Cost Per Lead For Junk Removal Services
- Facebook: $10–$25
- Google Ads: $20–$40
- Google Local Services: $15–$30
- Yahoo/Bing: $15–$30
- Direct Mail: $30–$50
29. Average Cost Per Lead For Drywall Installation and Repair
- Facebook: $20–$45
- Google Ads: $35–$70
- Google Local Services: $30–$55
- Yahoo/Bing: $30–$55
- Direct Mail: $60–$90
30. Average Cost Per Lead For Basement Waterproofing
- Facebook: $30–$60
- Google Ads: $50–$100
- Google Local Services: $40–$75
- Yahoo/Bing: $40–$75
- Direct Mail: $80–$120
In the end, knowing where other businesses are finding success can help you make better choices for your own company. By understanding the costs of getting new leads from different advertising platforms, you can pick the ones that offer the best value for your money. We hope this information makes it easier for you to decide how to spend your advertising budget wisely, so you can attract more customers and help your business grow.
OUR METHODOLOGY
The methodology behind gathering the average cost per lead (CPL) numbers involved a comprehensive approach where we contacted between 200 and 300 businesses across each industry in the home service sector throughout the United States. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the process:
1. Selection of Industries
First, we identified a broad set of home service industries, covering common and high-demand services like plumbing, HVAC, electrical, roofing, and landscaping, among others. These industries were chosen based on their market presence and reliance on digital and traditional advertising methods to generate leads.
2. Sampling Businesses Across the USA
We ensured that the businesses contacted were diverse in terms of geographic location, size, and service offerings to get a representative sample. Our goal was to capture a variety of perspectives from both small, local operations and larger, regional service providers. We randomly selected businesses from different states and cities to ensure that both urban and rural markets were accounted for.
3. Surveying and Interviewing the Businesses
We reached out to each business through a combination of:
- Cold Calls: Direct phone calls to businesses, explaining the purpose of the study and asking them about their advertising experiences and costs.
- Email Outreach: For businesses that preferred written responses, we sent structured email surveys with detailed questions on their ad spend and lead costs.
- Online Interviews: For businesses that agreed to more in-depth discussions, we conducted interviews via Zoom or phone to dive deeper into their advertising strategies and CPL.
Each business was asked the following key questions:
- What advertising platforms do you use to generate leads (e.g., Facebook, Google Ads, Bing, Direct Mail)?
- How much do you spend on these platforms monthly?
- What is your average cost per lead from each platform?
- How do you measure the success of your advertising campaigns?
- Have you used Google Local Services, and what is your average CPL from this platform?
4. Data Collection and Aggregation
For each business, we gathered their responses, focusing on the four main categories:
- Facebook Advertising CPL
- Google Ads CPL
- Yahoo/Bing CPL
- Direct Mail CPL
- Google Local Services CPL
To ensure consistency and avoid outliers, we asked businesses to provide monthly averages based on a minimum of 3–6 months of data, giving us more reliable figures.
5. Cross-Checking and Validation
After collecting the data, we validated the results by:
- Cross-Referencing Public Data: We compared the responses against available industry reports, case studies, and publicly available benchmarks for home service businesses to ensure the data was aligned with broader industry trends.
- Excluding Outliers: We identified and excluded any data points that were abnormally high or low compared to the rest of the responses, ensuring that outliers didn’t skew the results.
- Normalizing Data: In cases where businesses reported a wide range of CPLs (e.g., for seasonal spikes), we averaged out the numbers over the reported time periods.
6. Analysis and Reporting
Once the data was collected and validated, we calculated the average CPL for each platform and industry by:
- Aggregating the Data: Summing the CPLs reported by businesses and dividing by the number of businesses that provided relevant data for each platform.
- Geographic Adjustments: In some cases, we adjusted for geographic discrepancies. For example, businesses in high-cost urban areas might report slightly higher CPLs, so we normalized this by taking the median of the data.
- Breakdown by Platform: We analyzed how each platform performed in terms of generating leads and which platforms had the most cost-effective CPLs for specific home service industries.
7. Final Reporting
The results were compiled into the comprehensive report with ranges for each platform, industry, and geographic market. We provided a margin of error (usually ±10%) to account for variations in responses and unique circumstances faced by different businesses.
This methodology provided us with a solid, data-driven understanding of the current landscape of advertising costs in the home service industry. By focusing on businesses’ direct experiences and real advertising data, we ensured the CPL numbers reflected accurate, actionable insights for similar businesses looking to optimize their marketing efforts.
