Skip to content

One client per trade per area, so we never compete against ourselves.

Banish Media
Growing your business

How much should a contractor spend on marketing?

Banish AnguralUpdated 1 min read
Two contractors in hard hats shaking hands on a job site

Start from jobs, not percentages

  1. How many extra jobs a month do you want?
  2. What is an average job worth?
  3. What share of leads do you close?
  4. What can you afford to pay per booked job and still profit?

Example: you want 10 more jobs, close 1 in 3 leads, and can pay $300 per job. You need 30 leads, at up to $100 each, so about $3,000 a month in marketing.

How to split it

  • Google Ads / Local Services Ads: leads now, adjustable any month.
  • Local SEO: cheaper leads over time; slower to start.
  • Website: a one-time cost that multiplies everything else.
  • Reviews and follow-up: cheap, high return.

Adjust by season

Spend more ahead of and during your busy season, less in slow months, but keep SEO steady all year.

Want a budget built on your numbers?

In a free audit we work out a realistic cost per job for your trade and area and suggest a split.

Sources

  1. Google Ads Help Center, Google
ServiceGoogle Ads managementServiceLocal SEO & Google Business ProfileServiceSEOAreaDigital marketing in Edmonton

Banish Angural

Founder

Questions readers ask

What percentage of revenue should a contractor spend on marketing?

Often somewhere around 5–10%, more when growing. Working back from your target jobs, close rate and affordable cost per job is more reliable.

Keep reading

Want more booked jobs from Google?

Get a free audit of your ads, map listing and website. Plain language, specific fixes, no sales pitch. If we're a fit, we'll show you exactly what we'd do first.

Get a free audit
Get a free audit