Firmkit
Start a project

Services

Custom softwareSoftware built to order, around how your company works.AI consultingWe find where AI saves your team time, then set it up.1-on-1 AI trainingLive AI training for an owner or a team, by video or in person.AI course (coming soon)A self-paced course on using AI at work.WebsitesHand-coded sites for any business. Fast and yours.Hosting and careWe host your site, update it and fix it when it breaks.GrowthGoogle profile, local search, CRM, follow-up and ads.ContentPhoto and video days, on site in North Carolina.

Products

The KitWebsite, Google profile and lead follow-up for trade companies.PunchdownSoftware that runs a security and low-voltage installation company.HitchpostRental software for event and equipment rental companies that works without internet.HollisSoftware for photographers to deliver galleries, sign contracts and get paid.
WorkToolsPricingSearch
Start a project

Work out the ad budget your jobs need

Start from the jobs you want.

Results are free and run in your browser. An email adds the full plan.

Ad budget and cost per lead

firmkit.co/tools/ad-budget-estimator/ · Oct 19, 2026

Example numbers, not yours.

    Fields start with round example numbers. Replace them with yours.

    Changes example wording only. Your numbers and the arithmetic do not change.

    Published averages, LocaliQ 2025 home services

    Your own ad account beats any average. These are LocaliQ’s published 2025 averages for home services search ads, read from its page on Oct 19, 2026. Click a number to fill one field, then change it.

    TradeCost per clickClick to lead
    PlumbingCost per lead $129.02
    Air conditioning installation and repairCost per lead $127.74
    Heating and furnacesCost per lead $129.02
    Electricians and electrical contractorsCost per lead $93.69
    Roofing and guttersCost per lead $228.15
    LandscapingCost per lead $117.92
    Cleaning, maid and butler servicesCost per lead $46.99
    All home servicesCost per lead $90.92

    LocaliQ calls a lead action a conversion. Click to lead is its conversion rate for that trade, which may not match how you count leads. The cost per lead under each trade is for comparison and does not fill a field. Source: LocaliQ, home services search advertising benchmarks.

    The goal

    Revenue divided by jobs, from your books.

    Revenue minus labor, materials and truck costs, as a share of revenue.

    Your funnel

    Your close rate on ad leads. Use your own number.

    Calls, forms and texts per 100 clicks, from your account.

    From your Google Ads account, or a quote.

    Your calculation, step by step
    1. 8jobs you want a month, your figure
    2. / 25% x 8%close rate times lead rate, your figures
    3. = 400clicks needed
    4. x $6.00cost per click, your figure
    5. = $2,400a month in ad spend
    6. $75.00per lead: click price divided by lead rate
    7. $300per job: lead price divided by close rate

    Get the full plan by email

    Opens on this page the moment you press the button. Print it, save it, or mail a copy to yourself from there.

    Your budget, cost per lead and profit per job stay free above.

    • A matrix of what happens if cost per click or conversion moves 25 percent
    • A 90‑day ramp with spend, jobs and gross profit by month
    • A printable copy for you or your partner

    We keep your email and these numbers. Tips come only if you tick the box. We never text you. What we store.

    Enter your own numbers first.

    The table and plan need JavaScript, because they are built in your browser. Nothing is sent anywhere without it.

    Made with firmkit.co/tools/ad-budget-estimator/. A planning aid, not accounting or legal advice.

    Details

    How the numbers are worked out

    The formula, in words

    Clicks = jobs wanted / (close rate x click-to-lead rate)

    Budget = clicks x cost per click

    Cost per lead = cost per click / click-to-lead rate. Cost per job = cost per lead / close rate

    Profit per job = average job x margin - cost per job. Break-even close rate = cost per lead / (average job x margin)

    Not modeled: Local Services Ads, which charge per lead instead of per click. Repeat work and referrals are also left out, so real returns can be higher than the profit shown.

    What the tool cannot know

    • Your real conversion rate. It depends on your ad, page and phone handling.
    • Cost per click changes by hour, season and competitor.
    • Lead quality. Some leads never answer or want a free quote only.
    • Taxes, overhead and your own time.

    Every assumption, and who set it

    AssumptionValueSet by
    Jobs, value, marginYour numbersYou
    Close rate and click-to-lead rateYour numbersYou
    Cost per clickYour numberYou
    Scenario swingPlus or minus 25%Firmkit
    Ramp shares50, 75 and 100%Placeholders, you change them

    Sources

    Source check

    • LocaliQ 2025 home services table. Read at the original page on Oct 19, 2026

    Questions people ask

    How much should I spend on Google Ads?

    Spend what the jobs you want require, then check it earns a profit. Divide that number by your close rate and click-to-lead rate to get clicks, then multiply by your cost per click. If the budget is more than the gross profit those jobs bring, start smaller or fix the funnel first.

    What is a good cost per lead?

    A good cost per lead is one your close rate and job value can pay for. Published averages vary widely by trade and report, so they make a poor target. Work out your break-even: cost per lead divided by your gross profit per job. Stay well under it, and track it monthly from your own account.

    What is the difference between cost per click and cost per lead?

    Cost per click is what you pay each time someone clicks an ad. Cost per lead is what you pay for each call, form or text, so it is cost per click divided by the share of clicks that become leads. Cost per job adds your close rate. Judge ads by cost per job.

    Why does close rate matter more than cost per click?

    Cost per job is cost per click divided by both the click-to-lead rate and the close rate. A weak close rate multiplies every dollar you spend. Answering fast, quoting fast and following up often raise it without any extra ad spend. Fix the funnel before you raise the budget.

    When do ads lose money?

    Ads lose money when cost per job is higher than gross profit per job. The tool shows this as a negative profit per job and the close rate you would need to break even. Common causes are missed calls, slow quotes, a weak landing page, or clicks from outside your service area.

    Lead source ROI

    Cost per lead, cost per job and return for each place your leads come from.

    Open the tool

    Job price and margin

    Price a job from cost to a margin target, or check a quote you already gave.

    Open the tool

    Missed call cost

    What missed calls cost you, from your own numbers. Miss none and it says zero.

    Open the tool

    Fix the free things first

    The 60‑second audit looks at your site, your Google profile and your follow-up. Your score shows without an email.

    Take the auditSee the Kit