Lead volume is arithmetic: ad budget divided by cost per lead. What actually varies is cost per lead, and that's driven by your trade, your city, your competition and how good your landing page is.
Volume by budget and trade
| Monthly ad spend | Plumbing / electrical | Roofing / renovation |
|---|---|---|
| $1,500 | 25–45 enquiries | 15–30 enquiries |
| $3,000 | 50–90 enquiries | 30–60 enquiries |
| $5,000 | 85–150 enquiries | 50–100 enquiries |
| $10,000 | 170–300 enquiries | 100–200 enquiries |
Leads aren't jobs
The number that pays your wages is booked jobs, and that depends on your close rate far more than on lead volume. Two businesses buying identical leads can book wildly different amounts of work.
5 min
Response time that roughly doubles close rate
35–60%
Close rate on exclusive phone enquiries
10–20%
Close rate on shared directory leads
3×
Follow-up attempts most tradies never make
Before buying more leads, count your missed calls
The most common finding in our first-month audits is 15–30% of enquiries going unanswered. Fixing that is free and delivers more booked jobs than a budget increase would.
What changes your lead volume
- Service area size — more suburbs means more available searches
- Season — hot water in winter, air conditioning in summer, roofing after storms
- Review count — better reviews mean higher click-through and cheaper leads
- Landing page quality — a dedicated page can double conversion versus a homepage
- Competitor activity — a new advertiser in your area lifts costs for a few weeks
Frequently asked questions
Want this working for your business?
Book a free discovery call. We'll map the search demand in your area, show you what leads should cost, and tell you honestly whether we can help.
Book a discovery call