Benchmarks · HVAC
What HVAC leads cost in 2026
An HVAC lead from Google Local Services Ads costs about $51 on average (SearchLight Digital); Google's own LSA range for HVAC runs $45–$120 per lead. Shared marketplace leads cost $15–$100 but are sold to as many as 3–5 contractors at once.
What an HVAC lead costs by channel
| Channel | Typical cost | Exclusive? | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Local Services Ads | $45–$120/lead ($51 avg) | Yes | SearchLight Digital |
| Shared marketplaces (Angi/HomeAdvisor) | $15–$100 (HVAC ~$38–$52) | No — sold to 3–5 pros | Public pricing pages, compiled 2026-05 |
| Thumbtack | $35–$90 (HVAC), charged on contact | No | Public pricing pages, compiled 2026-05 |
| Exclusive pay-per-call (Service Direct, 33 Mile Radius) | $50–$250/lead | Yes | Public pricing pages, compiled 2026-05 |
Google’s own LSA pricing floats with local competition, so the $45–$120 range moves by market. SearchLight Digital’s $51 average is the closest thing to an industry-wide anchor we could source.
Why the cheap lead is usually the expensive one
A $15 shared lead looks like a bargain next to a $51 LSA lead — until you count how many other HVAC contractors got the same name and number. Shared marketplaces resell the same lead to 3–5 pros. You’re not buying a customer; you’re buying a seat in a race, and the fastest callback usually wins the job.
That race changes the math two ways. First, you pay for leads you never close, because someone else answered first. Second, disputing a bad shared lead (wrong number, out of area, already booked) eats time your front desk doesn’t have.
Position matters too. BrightLocal’s click study found that 81% of searchers click at or above the organic results when Local Services Ads are running — LSAs sit above your competitors’ organic listings, not next to a pile of shared-lead ads. An exclusive lead in that top slot and a shared lead sold five times over are not the same product, even at a similar sticker price.
What a good month looks like
The number to track isn’t cost per lead — it’s cost per booked job. A $51 exclusive LSA lead that books is cheaper than a $15 shared lead that goes to voicemail while four other contractors call first. Run both: cost per lead tells you what channels cost, cost per booked job tells you what they’re worth.
Exclusivity is what makes that second number move. When a lead is yours alone, your booking rate reflects your speed and your pitch — not a bidding war you can’t see. These are industry benchmarks and public pricing data, not results from any specific Boosted Leads™ client; your own cost per booked job will depend on your market, your close rate, and how fast you pick up the phone.
Run your own numbers
Want to see what these benchmarks mean for your shop? Run your market through our ROI calculator, or get a free audit of your current Google Business Profile and ad setup. If HVAC is your trade, see how our HVAC lead generation page builds your exclusive pipeline.
Sources
- SearchLight Digital — average HVAC LSA lead cost ($51)
- BrightLocal LSA click study — 81% of searchers click at or above organic results when LSAs run
- Public marketplace pricing pages and review platforms, compiled 2026-05 (Angi/HomeAdvisor, Thumbtack, Service Direct, 33 Mile Radius, Google LSA) — directional; verify current pricing with each provider