If your last batch of contractor leads also went to three other pros, buying more of them just buys more races. A lot of contractors are chasing people who were “just getting prices” and ignoring the leads that cost nothing but time: permit records and their own customer list.
The short answer: contractors get leads three ways. They rent them (lead sites and ads), earn them (Google profile, reviews, past customers and referrals) or find them (permits, plan rooms, bid lists and partners). Service trades should lean on Google. Remodelers should lean on reviews and past customers, then partners. Subs should lean on bid lists and permits, and commercial GCs on owner relationships and public bid portals. Judge every source by cost per booked job, not cost per lead.
Key takeaways
- Every lead is rented, earned or found, and the bucket tells you what happens when you stop paying. The three lead buckets
- Emergency trades should start on Google, subs with bid lists and permits, and commercial GCs with owner relationships. Sources by type of work
- HomeAdvisor Market Match leads can go to up to four pros, so a slow callback can hand the job to someone else. How rented leads work
- Planning agendas show jobs early. Permits tell you which GCs to call. Plan rooms list live bids. Finding construction leads
- Realtors, property managers and designers see work before you do, and the scripts here open the conversation. Partner leads and scripts
- A six-question scorecard tells you which leads deserve a full bid. The bid scorecard
- Judge each source by cost per booked job over 60 to 90 days. Cost per booked job math
Where contractor leads come from
Rented leads come from lead sites and ads. You pay per lead or per click, and the flow stops when the money stops. Earned leads come from your Google profile, your reviews, your website and the people you’ve already worked for. Found leads are jobs you hunt down yourself: permits, plan rooms, bid lists and partners who see work before you do.
| Bucket | Examples | Who owns the lead | When you stop |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rented | Angi, Thumbtack, Houzz, Local Services Ads, Google Search ads | The platform controls the flow | The leads stop |
| Earned | Google Business Profile, reviews, website, past customers, referrals | You | Leads slow down over months, not overnight |
| Found | Building permits, plan rooms, bid boards, partners (plus paid project data, if you bid a lot) | You, once you’ve made contact | Nothing to stop. Leads dry up when you stop looking |
Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies projects homeowner improvement spending will reach $518 billion by the end of 2026, up from $509 billion at the end of 2025. That’s modest growth, so a rising market won’t cover a high cost per job.
The first thing we ask a new client is where last month’s jobs came from. The answer is usually one lead site. That works until a platform raises prices, changes its rules or sends the same request to three of your competitors. The clients we’ve seen ride out a slow January get leads from all three, and they know which bucket every job came from.
Which lead sources fit your kind of work
A plumber who lives on 2 a.m. calls and a drywall sub who bids GC work need different lead sources. Here’s where we’d start each kind of contractor, what we’d add next, and what we’d skip for now. Plumbers get the full breakdown, with costs and scripts, in our guide to plumbing leads.
| Your work | Start here | Add next | Skip for now |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emergency and repair trades (plumbing, HVAC, electrical, water damage) | Google Business Profile and Local Services Ads | Google Search ads for your highest-value services, a review ask after every job | Project data services and bid boards |
| Residential remodelers and roofers | Google profile, reviews, photos of finished jobs, past customer list | Designer and realtor partners, Houzz if you do higher-end work | Buying cheap shared leads as your main source |
| Specialty subs (drywall, concrete, electrical, flooring) | Getting on GC bid lists and plan rooms | Permit tracking to find new GCs, a simple website with your project list | Homeowner lead sites, unless you also do retail work |
| General contractors doing commercial work | Relationships with owners, architects and developers, plus your state’s procurement portal and county purchasing page | A project data service once you bid every week | Homeowner marketplaces |
The faster and more urgent the job, the more it lives on Google, because the homeowner grabs a phone and calls whoever shows up first with good reviews. A burst pipe doesn’t get a bid list. The bigger and slower the job, the more it lives on relationships and paperwork. A $2 million tenant fit-out won’t show up on a homeowner lead site.
Plenty of shops do both. A roofer might run storm repair calls through Google and still bid reroofs for a property manager. That’s fine. Just treat them as two lead systems with two sets of numbers, because they behave nothing alike.
If you’re brand new, start where the cost is time, not money. Build the free Google profile and call the GCs and property managers near you. Then add paid sources once you know what a booked job is worth to you.
Rented leads from lead sites and ads
Rented leads are the fastest fix for an empty week, but some platforms verify your business before ads run. Sign up before the slow week. Read the charge and credit rules first, because they decide what a lead really costs.
Shared lead marketplaces
On marketplaces, one homeowner request can go to several contractors. HomeAdvisor, part of Angi, says its Market Match leads go to “up to four pros.” On its Exact Match and Instant Booking leads, the homeowner picks how many pros to connect with. The same page says lead price depends on project size, location and type. You can ask for a credit on a bad lead “in some cases,” but that’s not a promise.
So a shared lead is a race. From what we’ve seen, the first pro to call back usually gets the visit. If you can’t answer within minutes, you may be paying to hand a competitor a customer. We cover the details platform by platform in our Angi leads review, our take on whether Thumbtack is worth it, and our list of the best lead generation sites by job type.
Local Services Ads
Google’s Local Services Ads (LSA) are pay per lead. Google’s list of valid leads includes calls, texts, emails, voicemails and, in the US and Canada, booking requests. Google says you pay for valid leads, and leads it finds invalid or low quality aren’t charged.
Watch the fine print, though. Google charges for a missed call during your active ad schedule and business hours if the caller stays on the line for more than 20 seconds. A call that goes to voicemail during business hours is charged too if the caller stays on more than 20 seconds, whether or not they leave a message. Miss a few and you’ve paid for leads you now have to chase.
Google says charged leads get reassessed over time and may be credited automatically if they’re low quality, so check your lead log every week. One bit of good news: follow-up calls from the same customer aren’t charged again as long as there’s contact within 15 days. Here’s how Local Services Ads work in more detail.
Subscriptions and search ads
Some platforms charge a flat fee instead. Houzz Pro says it offers a flat rate instead of making you pay per lead. It also says its concierge team phone screens construction leads before connecting you. We think that model suits remodelers with bigger tickets better than repair trades.
Here’s how three of the big rented sources describe their own rules. We left out prices on purpose, because they change by trade, city and month. Get a quote for your own area before you sign anything.
| Source | Who else gets the lead | How you pay | Bad leads |
|---|---|---|---|
| HomeAdvisor (Angi) | Market Match: up to four pros. Exact Match: as many as the homeowner picks | Per lead, priced by project size, location and type | Credit “in some cases” |
| Local Services Ads | Not stated on Google’s page | Per valid lead, including some missed calls and voicemails | Invalid leads aren’t charged; low-quality ones may be credited automatically |
| Houzz Pro | Not stated on Houzz’s page, so ask before you sign | Flat rate, not per lead. Its construction-leads offer is phone screened first | Not covered on the page we checked |
Google Search ads sit in the middle. You pay per click, not per lead, and you send people to your own website. Run them well and the leads are yours alone. Run them badly and you pay for clicks from people looking for jobs, parts or DIY videos.
Use rented leads to fill gaps and test a new area, not as the whole business. If more than half your jobs come from one platform, one rule change can wreck your month.
Earned leads from your Google profile, reviews and past customers
Earned leads take longer to start, but nobody bills you for each one. Here’s the order we’d build them in.
- Your Google Business Profile. Pick the right primary category, list every service you actually do, set your service area, and add real job photos every week. It’s often the first thing a homeowner sees when they search for your trade.
- Reviews. Ask every happy customer, on the day the job wraps, with a direct link. We’ve had better luck with a text than a card. Our guide to getting more Google reviews has the exact wording.
- A website that turns visits into calls. One page per service, your phone number at the top, photos of your own work and a short form.
- Your past customer list. The water heater you put in back in 2018 is due soon. Keep names, phone numbers, addresses and what you did in one place.
- A yard sign and door hangers. Within a day of finishing, hang a note on the five houses on each side. The neighbors just watched your crew work.
- A plain referral ask. Write the ask down so everyone on the crew says it the same way.
The first two are where we’d spend the most time. When we audit a contractor’s Google profile, we usually find missing services, an outdated category or no new photos in a year. Each one is a quick fix. Then local SEO for contractors takes it further with service pages and local links.
Earned leads won’t fill next week. We tell clients to plan on three to six months of steady work. After that, they’re often the cheapest jobs on your board, because you’re not paying a platform for each one. We go deeper on that trade-off in our piece on renting leads versus owning them.
How to get construction leads yourself
Found leads are jobs you hunt down before anyone posts them on a lead site. It costs time instead of money, so it suits a slow season or an owner who likes the phone.
Building permits and planning boards
A permit is a public record of a job that’s starting or underway. Many cities and counties let you search permits online. Search “[your county] building permit search” or check your city’s open data portal, then filter by permit type and issue date. Look for new construction, additions and commercial alterations filed in the last 30 days.
How you use it depends on your trade. A sub uses permits to find GCs they’ve never worked with. The permit names the contractor, so call that GC’s estimator about the next job. Don’t expect work on that exact job, since by permit time the GC has often picked its subs. Ask about the next one, and watch planning agendas for earlier jobs.
A remodeler or landscaper can follow new home permits, since a new house needs a fence, a patio or a finished basement a year later. Planning and zoning board agendas go one step earlier. They show projects that don’t even have permits yet.
Plan rooms and bid boards
GCs send bid invitations to subs through online platforms. On Autodesk’s BuildingConnected, subs can “discover new job opportunities in an online Plan Room and automatically add them to your bid board.” Getting invited is the real work. That means being on each GC’s list in the right trade, with current insurance and a clean prequal form.
Keep a prequal packet ready to send the same day: your certificate of insurance, a W-9, your license number, a short list of similar jobs with references, and your safety record if the GC asks for it. Estimators are buried at bid time. The sub whose insurance certificate is already in their inbox is easy to invite again.
Here’s a short email we’d send to a GC’s estimator:
Hi [Name], I run [Company], a [trade] contractor based in [town]. We do [type of work] on jobs from [size] to [size] within [area]. I saw you’re building [project] in [town], and I’d like to be on your list for your next [type of job]. Our insurance certificate and prequal info are attached. What’s the best way to get on your invite list?
Project data services
Paid project data services track commercial jobs from the earliest stage. Dodge Construction Network says it tracks commercial construction projects “from pre-planning and design through permit and construction start.” The idea is to meet the owner or GC before the bid goes out. These services cost real money, so our rule is simple. Only pay for one once you can bid every week and follow up on what it finds.
Government work
If you bid directly to a federal agency, federal rules require you to be registered in SAM.gov when you submit your offer, with a few exceptions. APTAC, the association of government contracting assistance centers, says registering there has no charge. APTAC says no federal agency employee or contractor will ever ask you to pay a fee to register, so paid registration services are optional third parties.
Small subs can also browse the SBA’s SUBNet, which “helps large federal prime contractors find small subcontractors.” The SBA says new listings can’t be posted right now, so what’s there may be old. Use it to find prime contractors’ names, not live bids. Many public jobs require bid and performance bonds, so talk to a surety agent before you chase them. Your state and city post their own bids too. Search “[your state] procurement portal” and check your county purchasing page.
Partner leads from the people who send you work
Realtors, property managers, designers and other trades see work before you do. A property manager with a few buildings can keep a crew busy. Get on their short vendor list and the calls keep coming.
| Partner | What they see first | Best fit for |
|---|---|---|
| Realtors | Inspection repair lists before closing, new owners who want changes | Roofers, plumbers, electricians, handymen, painters |
| Property managers | Unit turnovers, repairs, tenant calls at odd hours | Plumbing, HVAC, painting, flooring, restoration |
| Interior designers and architects | Remodels in the design stage, months before a bid | Remodelers, custom builders, cabinet and tile shops |
| Insurance agents and mitigation companies | Water, fire and storm losses that need rebuilding | Restoration and rebuild contractors, roofers |
| Other trades | Problems outside their scope on a job they’re already on | Everyone. The HVAC tech sees the bad wiring. |
Every partner wants the same thing: a contractor who won’t embarrass them in front of their client. Show up when you say, keep the job clean and call them back the same day.
Here’s a short email for a property manager:
Hi [Name], I’m [Your name] with [Company]. We handle [trade] for rental properties around [area], including turnovers and after-hours calls. If you ever need a backup vendor, I’d be glad to send our insurance and rates. Could I swing by for ten minutes next week?
And one for a designer or architect:
Hi [Name], I’m [Your name], a remodeler in [town]. We hold install dates and send photo updates, so you’re not chasing us for your client. I’d love to price one of your upcoming projects so you can see how we work. Can I send a few photos of recent jobs?
For restoration and rebuild work, try insurance agents and mitigation companies:
Hi [Name], I’m [Your name] with [Company]. We do rebuild work after water, fire and storm losses around [area], and we keep the homeowner and the claim file updated with photos at every step. If you ever need a rebuild contractor you can hand a client to, I’d be glad to send our license and insurance.
Don’t forget past customers. A week after a job wraps, send a text like this: “Thanks again for having us out, [Name]. If a friend or neighbor ever needs [trade] work, we’d be glad to help them too.” It puts your number back in their phone without a sales pitch.
Partners take a few months to warm up. Keep a simple list of who you contacted, when, and what they said. Follow up every few weeks with something useful, like a photo of a finished job. Don’t stop after one call. In our experience, the callback comes on the second or third try.
Qualify every lead before you bid
A lead isn’t a job. Before you spend a Saturday measuring and pricing, run it through a quick scorecard. It takes five minutes on the phone, and it saves you from pricing jobs you’ll never get.
| Question to ask | 2 points | 1 point | 0 points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Do they have a budget in mind? | Yes, and it fits the job | A rough range | “Just getting prices” |
| Who makes the decision? | You’re talking to them | A spouse or partner joins later | Unclear, or a board you can’t reach |
| When do they want it done? | Within 90 days | This year | Someday |
| Is it work you’re good at? | Your bread and butter | You can do it | Outside your trade |
| Is it in your area? | Inside your core zone | At the edge | A long drive away |
| How many others are bidding? | Just you, or one other | Three or four | They won’t say, or it’s an open bid |
Add it up. Here’s how we’d treat each score:
- 9 to 12: go see it this week and give it your full attention.
- 5 to 8: send a ballpark range first. If they’re still in, book the visit.
- 0 to 4: pass politely, or offer a paid design or inspection visit instead of a free bid.
Your best hours should go to jobs you can win, not to driving across town to measure a job for someone who was never going to sign. For example, at two to three hours per site visit and drive, a remodeler who skips three no-budget bids a month gets roughly a day back. Spend that day following up on the good ones.
For public or GC bids, open bidding is normal, so swap the bidder question for your history with that GC: 2 points if you’ve won at least one in four bids with them, 1 if you’ve bid them but not won, 0 if they’re new. Then add two more questions, scored 2, 1 or 0. Are the plans complete, or will you be pricing a moving target? And does this GC pay on time? Ask other subs. They’ll tell you.
With those two extra questions the GC version scores out of 16. Treat 12 to 16 as a go, 7 to 11 as a ballpark first, and 0 to 6 as a pass.
When a lead does pass, send a clean, itemized price fast. Our free contractor estimate template gives you a layout that’s ready to fill in.
Answer fast and follow up longer than feels polite
Go through last month’s lost leads and mark why each one died. We’d bet more died in voicemail, or with the contractor who called back first, than on price. A homeowner with a leak doesn’t wait. They call the next name on the list.
This hits harder on Local Services Ads. Since a missed call or voicemail during business hours can count as a charged lead after 20 seconds, every call you don’t pick up may be a lead you paid for and never worked. If nobody can answer during jobs, set up call forwarding to the office or an answering service.
Then follow up. Bigger jobs rarely close on the first call. Here’s the schedule we’d use after you send a price:
- Same day: send the estimate and a one-line text saying it’s in their inbox.
- Day 2: call. Ask if they have questions about the scope.
- Day 5: text a photo of a similar job you finished.
- Day 10: call again. Ask what’s holding them back.
- Day 30: a short check-in. Plans change, and other contractors drop the ball.
- Day 90: one last note, then move them to your past-leads list for seasonal offers.
A polite text isn’t pestering. People are busy, and a short text on day 30 can land the same week they finally sit down to decide. Put the dates in your CRM or even your phone’s calendar so it actually happens.
Track cost per booked job, not cost per lead
A $60 lead that never books costs you $60 plus the drive. The number that matters is what you paid for every job that made it onto the schedule.
Ask “how’d you hear about us?” on the first call and write it down. Nobody remembers in March.
Here’s an example calculation. Say you’re a roofer testing two sources for a month:
| Example | Source A | Source B |
|---|---|---|
| Price per lead | $60 | $150 |
| Leads in the month | 20 | 8 |
| Total spend | $1,200 | $1,200 |
| Jobs booked | 2 | 3 |
| Cost per booked job | $600 | $400 |
Source A looks cheaper per lead. Source B is cheaper per job, and you made up to 12 fewer estimate visits to get there. Those are example numbers, so run your own, using a full month or more of real leads from each source. When a cheap source loses, it’s usually because its leads are shared, early-stage or outside your service area.
To run this math on your own business, tag every lead with where it came from. Three simple ways that work even for a one-truck shop with no office staff:
- Use a separate tracking phone number for each source, so calls sort themselves. On your Google profile, we set the tracking number as the primary number and your main line as an additional number, so your listings still match.
- Add a “how did you hear about us” question to your form and your phone script.
- Put the source in your CRM on day one, not when the job closes.
Do this for 60 to 90 days before you cut or double any source. A single month can lie, especially in a storm season or a slow winter.
FAQ
How do contractors get leads for free?
The free sources cost time instead of money. Fill out your Google Business Profile, ask every happy customer for a review, and stay in touch with past customers. Then search your local permit records and call the GCs and property managers in your area. None of it is instant. Keep at it for three to six months and you should start seeing calls you didn’t pay per lead for.
Should I buy contractor leads?
Buying leads can make sense to fill open slots or test a new area, as long as you can answer within minutes. Shared leads go to several pros, so slow replies waste money. Track cost per booked job for 60 to 90 days. If a source can’t beat your other channels by then, cut it and put that money into leads you own.
How do subcontractors get on GC bid lists?
Find the GCs building in your area through permit records and plan rooms. Then email their estimator with your trade, job size range, service area and insurance certificate. Fill out their prequal form fast and completely. Bid when they invite you, even small jobs, because a GC keeps inviting subs who answer and price on time.
How many leads does it take to win one job?
Use your own numbers. Count every lead from one source for a month, then count how many became booked jobs. Divide leads by booked jobs to get leads per job, and spend by booked jobs to get cost per job. In our example table, Source A took 10 leads per booked job and Source B under 3.
How fast should I respond to a new lead?
Answer live calls, and call form leads back within minutes. On shared leads, other pros get the same request. On Local Services Ads, a missed call or voicemail during business hours can be charged once the caller stays on the line past 20 seconds. If you can’t answer during jobs, forward calls to someone who can.
What to do this week
- Write down where your last 20 jobs came from. Sort them into rented, earned and found.
- Fix your Google Business Profile: categories, services, service area and five new job photos.
- Text your last 10 happy customers a review link.
- Pull last month’s permits for your area and email two GCs or builders you’ve never worked with.
- Print the bid scorecard and use it on every new lead.
- Give each paid source its own tracking number so next month’s math is real.
Not sure which bucket is leaking? We’ll look at your Google profile, your site and your local rankings and tell you where the easy wins are. It’s free, and you’ll get a short list of what to fix first.
