Benchmarks
Lead costs in 2026: what home-service companies are paying now
Google lead costs rose sharply in a year, shared leads are losing favor, and exclusive calls are back in demand.
Contractors are paying more for every lead, and they are getting less control over what they buy.
Google lead costs jumped
Local Services Ads cost per lead for roofing went from $73.62 to $106.87 in one year, and water damage from $171.64 to $215.31, according to a September 2026 analysis. Lead Smart
Search benchmarks by trade
LocaliQ's 2025 benchmarks put Heating & Furnaces at a $9.30 median cost per click and about $129 per lead, with home-services conversion rates down about 15% year over year. LocaliQ
Shared leads are losing ground
Angi's third-party network service requests fell 69% in the fourth quarter of 2025 as the company shifted to homeowner choice and its own leads. Angi Q4 2025
What it means
- Contractors: measure cost per booked job, not cost per lead. A higher-priced exclusive call that books often beats a shared lead that never books.
- Media buyers: exclusive inbound calls in specific ZIPs are where buyer demand is growing. Clean, consented, recorded calls hold their price.
Published October 13, 2026 by HomeProRadar. Figures are from the linked sources; examples are illustrative.
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