Most contractors need somewhere between one thousand and three thousand dollars a month in ad spend to build a steady flow of booked work. Below a thousand, there is not enough delivery for the platform to learn who responds, and the results stay random.
The number that matters more than the spend is the cost per booked job. A company closing one job in ten from a twenty thousand dollar average ticket can pay a great deal more per lead than a company selling three hundred dollar service calls. Work from the value of the job, not from what someone else is spending.
Where contractors get into trouble is advertising the wrong offer. A deep discount brings people who were never going to pay your price. A clear offer built around a specific project, a real estimate, or a named problem brings people who are already looking for what you have.
The same math applies to every trade, which is why we start every engagement with the value of a customer. The page on what is a good cost per lead walks through how that works.
Related reading: Do Facebook ads work for contractors, How long until ads bring in customers and How much should I spend on ads each month.
What shapes a contractor ad budget
- How many extra jobs you need each month to hit your target
- What an average job is worth to you in profit
- How competitive your market is for the work you want
- Whether you are advertising an install, a repair, or an inspection
- How quickly your team follows up with a new inquiry