"How much should I spend on ads?" is the first question most Raleigh, Cary and Durham contractors ask. The honest answer is: enough to buy the jobs you want, and no more. Here's how to work out a Google Ads and Meta ads budget for an HVAC, plumbing, roofing or electrical company, with 2026 benchmark costs.
Quick answer
Most Triangle home service companies should fund Local Services Ads and Google search ads first, because they reach people already searching for the job, then add Meta ads for seasonal offers and retargeting. Set the budget backward from the jobs you want: leads needed times cost per lead.
- Google search, home services
- $8.33 per click, $90.92 per lead 1
- Meta lead ads, home services
- $41.26 per lead 2
- Google's monthly cap
- 30.4 times your average daily budget 3
- Example
- $50 a day is about $1,520 a month
How do you set an ads budget for a home service company?
Work backward from booked jobs:
- Pick the job and the number. For example, 10 more AC replacements a month.
- Use your close rate. If one in four leads for that job books, you need 40 leads.
- Multiply by cost per lead. At the Home & Home Improvement benchmark of $90.92 per lead from Google search ads 1, 40 leads is about $3,640 a month.
- Check the math against the job. If a replacement is worth thousands in profit, that spend can pay for itself many times over. If the job is a $150 service call, it won't.
That's an example, not a quote. Use your own close rate and job values; your cost per lead in the Triangle can be well above or below the national benchmark.
How does Google bill a daily budget?
Google Ads budgets are set per day, but for most campaigns Google may spend up to twice your average daily budget on a busy day. Over a month, you won't be charged more than 30.4 times your average daily budget, the average number of days in a month 3. So $50 a day works out to about $1,520 a month.
What do Google Ads, Local Services Ads and Meta ads cost for contractors?
| What you pay for | 2025–2026 benchmark | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google search ads | Each click | $8.33 per click, 8.05% conversion rate, $90.92 per lead 1 | Specific, high-value jobs |
| Local Services Ads | Each valid lead | $56.90 plumbing, $65.80 roofing, $76.45 HVAC per lead 4 | Steady calls for core services |
| Meta lead ads | Usually impressions | $41.26 per lead 2 | Tune-ups, maintenance plans, retargeting |
Meta leads look cheaper, but they're people scrolling, not people searching for a plumber right now. Judge every channel by cost per booked job, not cost per lead. More on that in do Facebook ads work for home service companies.
Should a Raleigh contractor start with Google Ads or Meta ads?
Start where the demand already is. Someone typing "AC repair Cary" or "roofer Durham" needs the job done; Google and Local Services Ads put you in front of them. Meta ads create demand: they work for offers people plan, like a seasonal tune-up special, a maintenance plan or a roof inspection, and for showing ads to people who already visited your site.
A common split for a company starting out is most of the budget on Google (LSAs plus search ads for one or two high-value jobs) and a smaller test budget on Meta. Shift money toward whichever channel books jobs for less.
How should you adjust the budget by season in the Triangle?
- HVAC: spend more on AC repair and replacement in the summer heat, and on heating and heat pumps when cold snaps hit. Push tune-ups and maintenance plans in spring and fall, when crews have room.
- Roofing: demand jumps after hail and wind storms, and Atlantic hurricane season runs June through November. Have storm-damage ads and a landing page ready to switch on.
- Plumbing: frozen and burst pipes spike during hard freezes; water heater replacements are steady year-round.
- Electrical: panel upgrades, EV chargers and generators are planned jobs that fit both Google and Meta.
Where should the ads send people?
Not your homepage. Each campaign should land on a page for that job and town, with the phone number, online booking, reviews and a short form above the fold. What a contractor landing page needs.
How do you know the budget is working?
- Track every call and form back to the campaign that sent it.
- Match leads to booked jobs in your scheduling software every week.
- Watch cost per booked job and revenue per campaign, then move money to what works.
- Answer every lead in minutes. A fast reply is the cheapest way to lower your cost per job.
For Raleigh, Cary and Durham contractors
BizNerds runs Google Ads, Local Services Ads and Meta ads for home service companies across the Triangle, from Cary. We build the landing pages, track leads to booked jobs, and you own the ad accounts. Google Ads for contractors · Facebook and Instagram ads.
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Build my free ad planFrequently asked questions
What's a good starting Google Ads budget for a Raleigh contractor?
Start from the number of leads you need, not a round number. At the 2026 home services benchmark of about $91 per lead, $1,500 a month buys roughly 16 leads. Your real cost depends on your trade, towns and landing page, so give a new campaign a few weeks of data before judging it.
Is the agency's management fee part of the ad budget?
Usually not. Ad spend is paid to Google or Meta, and management is a separate fee. Ask any agency to show the two separately so you know exactly what reaches the ads.
Should I run Local Services Ads and Google search ads at the same time?
Many established HVAC, plumbing and roofing companies run both. LSAs bring steady calls for core services, and search ads target specific high-value jobs with their own landing pages.
Do Facebook ads work for emergency repairs?
Rarely. Someone with a burst pipe or a dead AC searches Google and calls the first company that answers. Meta ads work better for jobs people plan ahead, like tune-ups, maintenance plans and replacements.