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What Can I Afford to Pay for a Lead? Lead Cost Calculator for HVAC & Plumbing

Set a target cost per lead for service calls, replacements and larger plumbing projects from your job value, direct costs, booking rate, close rate and the profit you want to keep

Separate targets for service calls, replacements and larger plumbing projects
Target and break-even cost per lead for each kind of job
Compare against what you pay today
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Work Out Your Target Cost Per Lead

Each column is one kind of job. Replace the example numbers with yours and add what you pay per lead today to compare

Service calls

Repairs and diagnostic visits

$
%
Parts, labor and job costs
%
Lead to booked call or estimate
%
Booked to sold job
%
Profit you want to keep per job
$
Optional, to compare
Target cost per lead - Break-even cost per lead- Most you can spend to win one job- Add your current cost to compare
Replacements

HVAC system and water heater replacements

$
%
Parts, labor and job costs
%
Lead to booked call or estimate
%
Booked to sold job
%
Profit you want to keep per job
$
Optional, to compare
Target cost per lead - Break-even cost per lead- Most you can spend to win one job- Add your current cost to compare
Larger plumbing projects

Repipes, sewer lines and remodels

$
%
Parts, labor and job costs
%
Lead to booked call or estimate
%
Booked to sold job
%
Profit you want to keep per job
$
Optional, to compare
Target cost per lead - Break-even cost per lead- Most you can spend to win one job- Add your current cost to compare

Target cost per lead keeps your desired profit. Break-even is the most you can pay before the job type stops making money at all.

How to use it

How to Use Your Target Cost Per Lead

Price leads by the job they bring

A replacement lead can be worth many times a service call lead. One blended cost per lead target starves the jobs that pay the most

The target keeps your profit, break-even does not

The target leaves the profit you set on every job. Break-even is the most you can pay before that kind of job stops making money

Set bids and budgets by job type

Give the targets to whoever runs your Google Ads and Local Services Ads, and judge each campaign against the kind of job it books

FAQ

Questions We Get Asked About HVAC and Plumbing Lead Costs

Straight answers to the questions owners ask us before they hire us

Work it out from your own numbers. Take the average job value, remove direct costs and the profit you want to keep, then multiply by the share of leads that book and the share of booked jobs that buy. That is the most you can pay per lead and keep your margin, and it is different for service calls and replacements.

The target keeps the profit you set. Break-even leaves no profit after direct costs, so it is the ceiling. Paying between the two still makes money, just less than you planned.

Because the job is bigger. Even with a lower close rate, an HVAC system or water heater replacement leaves far more margin per lead than a repair visit, so you can afford to pay more to win it.

Parts, equipment, labor and anything else you spend to complete that job. Leave out overhead such as rent and office staff, and set the desired profit high enough to cover overhead plus what you want to keep.

Want Your Lead Costs Checked

Book a free strategy call and we will compare what you pay per lead today with what each kind of job can afford