ArcosWhat Google Local Services Ads cost, and which trades qualify
You pay per lead, not per click. There is no list price: it depends on your area, the job, the kind of lead and what other businesses bid. Across 888 contractors in February 2026 the average was $53 a lead: $39 for electrical, $51 for HVAC and $57 for plumbing. SearchLight Digital, 2026
Cost per lead by trade
These are SearchLight Digital's figures, from the contractor ad accounts it tracks: $6.72M of spend and 126,650 leads in February 2026. They cover electrical, HVAC and plumbing work. Junk removal, cleaning, towing and landscaping are not broken out.
| Trade | Cost per lead | Leads booked | Accounts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical | $39 | 43.4% | 112 |
| HVAC | $51 | 44.0% | 409 |
| General, all trades | $54 | 43.9% | 464 |
| Plumbing | $57 | 44.5% | 230 |
| Drain and sewer | $59 | 39.5% | 23 |
| Water heater | $71 | 35.0% | 2 |
| All 888 contractors | $53 | 43.9% | 888 |
How Google prices a lead
- BudgetYou set an average weekly budget. A week can go over it, a month never does. How leads work
- BidsMaximize leads lets Google set the bid. Target cost per lead aims at a price you pick. Max per lead caps each lead. Bidding
- Calls or messagesMessage leads are usually priced lower than calls. How leads work
- Not chargedLeads Google judges invalid or low quality. Charged leads can be credited later. Credits
- Charged anywayA lead that comes in outside your business hours, and a customer who never answers when you call back. How leads work
- Changing nowStarting August 2026, Google is moving the ads into Google Ads in phases, as Performance Max campaigns that are still paid per lead. Budgets turn daily and manual bids go away. Migration
Which trades qualify
Only the categories on Google's list, and only where Google runs the ads. Google's US list for common trades, checked on September 27, 2026:
| Your trade | Google's category |
|---|---|
| On the US list | |
| Junk removal | Junk removal services |
| Landscaping | Landscaping services |
| Lawn care | Lawn care services |
| House cleaning | House cleaning services |
| Carpet and window cleaning | Carpet cleaning services, Window cleaning services |
| Towing | Towing |
| Fencing | Fencing services |
| Roofing, tree service | Roofers, Tree services |
| Painting, handyman | Painter, Handyman |
| HVAC, plumbing, electrical | HVAC (heating or air conditioning), Plumbers, Electricians |
| Pest control, moving | Pest control services, Moving services |
| Snow removal, pool cleaning | Snow removal, Pool cleaner |
| Not on the US list | |
| Pressure washing | No category |
| Concrete | No category. Foundations services is listed. |
| Deck building | No category of its own |
| Gutters, masonry | No category |
| Janitorial | No category. House cleaning services is listed. |
Before your ad runs, Google screens the business. The checks depend on your category and location and can include background, business registration, insurance and license checks, and a minimum number of reviews. Pass them and your ad carries the Google Verified badge. Your Google Business Profile has to be connected and verified too. Screening
If your trade is not listed, the paid route onto Google Search is Search ads. More on each trade: junk removal, landscaping, lawn care, cleaning, towing, fence and deck, pressure washing and concrete.
Is it worth it? Do the arithmetic
Divide what a lead costs by the share of leads you book. That is what each booked job costs you in ads. Compare it with what the job leaves you after materials and labor.
Example numbers: leads at $60, and you book 2 in 5. Each booked job costs $150 in ads. Worth it on a job that leaves you $400. Not on one that leaves you $120.
The share you book is the part you control, and it starts with answering. Google ranks ads partly on how responsive you are and says missed calls may count against you. A missed call with no voicemail becomes a paid lead once you call, text or email back. Ad rankings How leads work
To put a number on the calls you miss today, use the missed call calculator.
Local Services Ads or Google Ads
| Local Services Ads | Google Ads (Search) | |
|---|---|---|
| You pay for | Each valid lead: a call, message or booking | Each click on your ad |
| Who can run it | Listed trades, after screening | Any trade |
| You choose | Categories and service areas, no keywords | Keywords, the ads and the page they open |
| The customer | Calls, messages or books from the ad | Lands on your website |
| Average cost per lead, per SearchLight Digital | $53, February 2026 | $104 blended, $149 non-branded, January 2026 |
Sources: Google on how leads work and cost per click, and SearchLight Digital's benchmark.
Google Ads is the better fit when your trade is not on the list, or when you want to choose the exact jobs you pay for by keyword. Local Services Ads suit a listed trade with good reviews and someone who picks up. The two can run side by side. Arcos sets up and runs Local Services Ads in your own account.
Questions
Are Local Services Ads worth it?
When your trade is on Google's list and you book enough of the leads. Divide the cost per lead by the share you book, and compare that with what a job leaves you. Answer every call and message: Google's ranking weighs how responsive you are. About ad rankings.
How much should I budget?
You set an average weekly budget, and a month never costs more than that budget times the average number of weeks in a month. With Maximize leads, Google recommends a budget of at least 10 leads a week, so start from 10 times the cost per lead you expect. How bidding works.
Do I pay for spam calls?
Not when Google flags them. Leads it judges invalid or low quality are not charged, and charged leads can be credited later, in most cases within 30 days. A lead for a job type or area you do not serve is no longer credited. Lead credits.
What is the Google Verified badge?
The badge on ads from businesses that passed Google's screening. In August 2025 Google announced that Google Verified replaces its older Local Services badges and programs, such as Google Screened and License Verified by Google. Screening and verification.
Are Local Services Ads going away?
No, they are moving into Google Ads. From August 2026 Google is turning them into Performance Max campaigns with pay-per-lead goals, starting with some home service advertisers in the US. You still pay per lead, and the ads show in the same places on Search and Maps. Google's migration page.