There's no magic number

Ask ten agencies what a 'good' cost per lead is and you'll get ten answers — because it depends entirely on what a customer's worth to you.

A $20 lead is great if a customer's worth $800. The same $20 lead is a disaster if a customer's worth $40.

The only formula that matters

Cost per lead should be a small fraction of what a customer's worth to you.

  1. Figure out what one new customer's worth (job value × repeat jobs × referrals).
  2. Figure out your close ratio — how many calls you turn into jobs.
  3. Work backwards to what you can afford to pay per lead.

Example

  • Average job: $600
  • You close 1 in 3 calls
  • So one customer costs you 3 leads
  • If you're willing to spend $100 to get a $600 customer, you can pay ~$33 per lead

What's normal for the trades

Rough ranges (your market varies):

  • Emergency trades (plumbing, HVAC): $15–$40 per lead — high intent, fast calls.
  • Project trades (hardscaping, roofing): $40–$120 per lead — bigger jobs, more research.
  • Commodity trades (pressure washing): $10–$25 per lead — lower ticket, higher volume.

When the number's bad

If your cost per lead is climbing, it's usually one of three things:

  • You're paying for the wrong searches (too broad).
  • Your listing or site is a mess, so the clicks don't call.
  • Nobody's watching the spend.

The truck-side takeaway

Don't chase someone else's number. Know what a customer's worth to you, know your close ratio, and pay for leads accordingly. That's the whole game.