How much does Google Ads cost for a contractor in Edmonton?
Every owner asks it, and the honest answer is: it depends on what a job is worth to you. But you can still plan a budget with confidence. Here is how we think about it for Edmonton trades.
The three costs of Google Ads
- Ad spend. What you pay Google for clicks (search ads) or leads (Local Services Ads). You set a daily budget and never pay more than it over a month.
- Management. Who builds and runs the campaigns: you, an employee or an agency. Agency fees in Edmonton usually range from a few hundred to a couple of thousand dollars a month.
- Your time. Answering calls fast, following up on forms and quoting. Slow follow-up is the most expensive cost of all, because you paid for the lead either way.
What clicks cost for home services
Urgent, high-value trades sit at the expensive end of Google Ads. Someone searching "emergency plumber" or "furnace repair near me" is ready to hire now, and every plumber and HVAC company in the city is bidding for them. Clicks for broad research terms are cheaper but rarely turn into jobs.
That is why we never quote an average cost per click before looking at your market. We run a short test, then report the real figures from your own account.
A simple way to set your first budget
- Pick the one or two services you most want more of.
- Decide what you can afford to pay for a booked job (for example 10 to 15 percent of the job value).
- Start with enough spend to get at least 20 to 30 leads a month, so you learn quickly what works.
- Track every call and form back to the search, then move money to what books jobs.
Search ads vs Local Services Ads on budget
Local Services Ads charge per lead, not per click, and show above the regular ads with a Google trust badge. Search ads charge per click but give you far more control over which searches you pay for. Most trades get the best cost per job by running both, with Local Services Ads catching urgent calls and search ads targeting the bigger jobs. See our Local Services Ads page for how that works.
Signs you are overpaying
- You cannot say how many calls came from ads last month.
- Your search terms report is full of DIY, jobs and supplier searches.
- Ads run 24/7 but nobody answers after 6 p.m.
- Every click goes to your homepage instead of a page for that service.
If any of those sound familiar, a free audit will usually find money to move before you spend a dollar more.
Sources
- Google Ads Help Center, Google
- Local Services Ads Help Center, Google
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