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Lead generation for contractors · remodelers and builders
Lead generation for contractors: leads you own, worked until they're jobs
More leads only help if every one of them is answered fast and followed up until you hear yes or no. We help remodelers and contractors get leads they own, from Google and their own past clients, and we make sure none of them goes cold.
Where your leads come fromGuide
Past clients and old estimates Owned
Reviews and referrals Owned
Google profile and website Owned
Google Ads Rented
Lead platforms Rented, shared
4.8 out of 5 from 3,668 reviews14,300+ orders completed on Fiverr9 years in local SEO
01 · Owned or rented
Every lead you get is either owned or rented
Rented leads are fast and stop when you stop paying. Owned leads take longer to build and keep coming. Most remodelers need a little of both, and too many rely only on renting.
Rented
Ads and lead platforms
You pay for every click or every lead. A shared lead can go to several pros at once, so the fastest reply wins. Good for calls this month, and gone the day the budget runs out.
Owned
Your profile, website, reviews and past clients
Slower to build, and each lead costs less every month after that. Nobody else gets the same homeowner, and the work you put in keeps paying when you take a month off.
02 · Where contractor leads come from
Ten lead sources, from the cheapest job to the most expensive
Start at the top. The first three cost little or nothing and work on people who already know you or are already searching. More ways to get work without paying for every lead are in our post on free contractor leads, and how to move up the map is in how to rank higher on Google Maps.
- 1
Past clients and old estimates
Owned · start here- What it brings
- People who already know your work. A seasonal check‑in to past clients and to estimates that went quiet often books work before any new channel does.
- What it costs
- Your time, or a few dollars of texts and email.
- Watch out
- Email everyone, but text only people who agreed to texts.
- 2
Referrals and reviews
Owned- What it brings
- A happy client sends a friend, and a fresh review convinces the friend. Google says more reviews and positive ratings can help your local ranking too.
- What it costs
- Free. It only takes asking every customer, every time.
- Watch out
- Ask every customer, not just the happy ones. Filtering who gets asked breaks Google's review rules.
- 3
Trade partners and general contractors
Owned · relationships- What it brings
- Plumbers, electricians, painters and general contractors you send work to and get work from. The more trades know you, the more often your name gets passed on.
- What it costs
- Your time: a lunch, a call each month, sending them work first.
- Watch out
- Some states set rules on paying for referrals. Check yours before you agree a fee.
- 4
Google Business Profile
Owned · free- What it brings
- Calls from the map when homeowners search for your work nearby. It works best when its categories, services and towns match the pages on your website.
- What it costs
- Free to run. Your time, or a monthly fee if someone runs it for you.
- Watch out
- No keywords in your business name. It breaks Google's rules and can get the profile suspended.
- 5
Your website and SEO
Owned · builds over months- What it brings
- Calls from Google search for the services and towns you want, and they keep coming without a fee per lead.
- What it costs
- Months of steady work before it pays back. Then each lead costs less every month.
- Watch out
- Anyone who guarantees rankings.
- 6
Yard signs, truck wraps and mailers
Owned · paid once- What it brings
- Your name in front of the neighbors of every job, and of the streets you drive every day.
- What it costs
- A one‑time print or wrap bill, then nothing per lead.
- Watch out
- Put a phone number on each that you use nowhere else, so you can count the calls. Check your town's sign rules before you put one by the road.
- 7
Facebook and local groups
Owned if you post- What it brings
- Jobs from people who already know you: local groups, neighbors and friends of past clients. Ads reach people who weren't looking for a contractor, so each lead needs more qualifying.
- What it costs
- Free to post and join. Ads are paid per view or click.
- Watch out
- Most local groups have rules about selling. Help first, and share finished work where it's welcome.
- 8
Local Services Ads
Rented · per lead- What it brings
- Calls from the top of Google, with a verified badge, paid per lead instead of per click.
- What it costs
- A fee for each lead, for as long as you pay.
- Watch out
- Google ranks them partly on how you answer, and says missed calls can hurt your responsiveness. It also charges for some missed calls.
- 9
Google Ads
Rented · fast- What it brings
- Calls this month for the searches you choose.
- What it costs
- Every click, for as long as you pay. It stops when the budget stops.
- Watch out
- Budget isn't the only lever: Google weighs your ad and your landing page with your bid.
- 10
Lead platforms
Rented · shared- What it brings
- Fills gaps in a slow month.
- What it costs
- A fee per lead, and the same homeowner can be sent to other pros too.
- Watch out
- The fastest reply usually wins a shared lead. And the reviews you collect there stay there, so build your Google reviews too.
Reviews and ranking: Google Business Profile Help, "Tips to improve your local ranking on Google". Review requests: Google's policy on rating manipulation. Local Services Ads charges and ranking: Google Local Services Help. Google Ads quality: Google Ads Help, "Ad Rank". Referral rules: California Business and Professions Code 7157. Signs: city sign codes, for example Nelsonville, Ohio. All checked October 2026.
03 · Why speed decides who gets the job
The first contractor to reply usually wins
Homeowners send the same request to more than one pro. The one who answers first gets the visit, and the others get silence.
Reply in 30 minutes
25% more likely to be hired
Pros who reply within 30 minutes, compared with pros who reply within 3 hours.
Thumbtack, 2025 Pro Summit takeaways, Nov 2025.
Most owners are slow
Only 20% reply within an hour
Of 1,050 US home‑service owners surveyed. 60% reply the same day.
Jobber, 2026 Home Service Trends Report.
Price shoppers
68% get other quotes
Homeowners whose price comes in higher than expected go looking for other quotes. Estimates need follow‑up too.
Housecall Pro, State of Home Service Spending 2026.
04 · The other half of lead generation
What happens after the lead arrives
This is Booked. Every lead gets an instant reply in your words and your booking link, every missed call gets a text, and every estimate gets followed up until you hear yes or no.
- Starts whenA new form, text or messageWebsite, Facebook, Google profile texts
- Text and emailUnder a minute: a reply in your wordsText and email, with your calendarWritten with you on the kickoff call, one reply for each kind of request: kitchen, bath, basement, a price question. The text goes to people who ticked the text box on your form. Everyone else gets the email.
- CallNo reply in 2 minutes? Call connectYour phone rings first, then theirsSwitch it off for job‑site hours. The homeowner already has your text, so they know who is calling.
- ChecksBooked a time?YesConfirmation and remindersNoA nudge the next day
- TextNext day: "Did you find a time that works?"
- WaitDay 3 and day 7: one more each
- AlertEvery message lands in your app
- ResultHands off to you the moment they reply
New inquiries
A new form, text or Facebook message gets an answer in your words in under a minute, and keeps following up until they pick a time.
Saves youThe homeowner who would have called the next name on the list.
A website form, Sunday 8:52 PMExample
Form · Basement finish · Westfield
Hi James, it's Mike from Larkmoor Remodeling. Thanks for reaching out about your basement. Pick any open time for a free walkthrough here: [calendar]. Or reply with a question.
Monday 9:30 AM · Not booked yet
Morning James, did you find a time that works? Happy to fit around your schedule.
Wednesday after 5 works.
Booked · Wednesday 5:30 PM
- Starts whenYou tap "Estimate sent"In the Booked app, right after you send itBooked doesn't read your estimating software, so one tap starts the follow‑up. Nothing goes out by mistake, and you can pause it any time.
- Text and emailSame day: a thank‑youText and email, in your wordsThanks them for having you out, confirms the estimate arrived, and tells them to reply with any questions.
- WaitWait 2 days
- ChecksDid they reply?YesThe follow‑up stops and you get an alertNoKeep going
- TextDay 2: a quick check‑in"Did the estimate come through okay?"
- EmailDay 5: something usefulA similar job you finished, or what happens nextValue, not pressure: photos of a job like theirs, how your schedule works, or answers to the questions homeowners ask at this point.
- TextDay 10: the honest question"Should I hold a spot on the schedule, or have plans changed?"
- A task for youDay 12: a call reminder for youWho to call, and whySome jobs need your voice. If they opened the emails but haven't replied, you get a reminder with their name and the estimate.
- TextDay 21: closing the loop"Close your file, or check back in the spring?"
- ChecksTheir answerYesYes: moved to Won, and the job is on your boardNoNot now: a helpful note once a month until they are ready
- ResultEvery step stops the moment they reply
Estimate follow‑up
You drive out, measure, price the job and send it. Then the follow‑up runs for you, politely, until you hear yes or no.
Saves youThe jobs you already did the hard part for.
A $48,500 kitchen, Tuesday 4:10 PMExample
Day 0 · You tap "Estimate sent"
Hi Sarah, it's Mike from Larkmoor Remodeling. Thanks for having us out today. Your kitchen estimate is in your inbox. Any questions, just reply here.
Day 2 · No reply yet
Hi Sarah, did the estimate come through okay? Happy to walk you through the cabinet options.
Day 5 · Email: a Westfield kitchen with a similar layout
Day 10
Should I hold a spot on the June schedule for you, or have plans changed?
Sorry, it's been crazy. Can we move the island and get a new number?
Follow‑up stops · Mike gets an alert
05 · How we help
Leads you own, and every one worked
Found brings leads from Google that nobody else gets. Booked works every one of them. The Smart Website turns visits into calls.
Need more of the right calls?
Found Calls from homeowners planning the jobs you want, in your towns
from $885 a month
No setup fee. A 3‑month first term, then month to month
Starting fresh, or your site loses you jobs?
Smart Website A website that sells the job before you show up
$1,450 one time
First 10 remodelers, then $3,500. Booked's first month included. Or in the All‑in plan
Want it all done for you?The All‑in plan: your website, ads, Google profile, SEO, social posts and Booked, run for you for $2,450 a month. Live in 21 days, and at least 5 estimate appointments in your first 60 days, or a month free.See the All‑in plan
Questions
Questions about lead generation for contractors
What is lead generation for contractors?
Getting homeowners who need your kind of work to call you, fill in your form or book a visit. It covers where leads come from (your Google profile, your website, ads, referrals, trade partners, signs, social media, past clients, lead platforms) and, the part most people forget, what happens after they arrive. The step‑by‑step version for remodelers: how to get remodeling leads from Google.
Should I buy leads from Angi, HomeAdvisor or Thumbtack?
They can fill gaps, but you are renting. A shared lead can go to several pros, so the one who replies first usually wins it, and the leads stop the day you stop paying. Our post on whether Thumbtack is worth it shows the math per signed job. Use them while you build leads you own: your profile, your website, your reviews and your past clients. What to do first instead: digital marketing for contractors.
How fast should a contractor reply to a new lead?
Within minutes if you can. In Thumbtack's data, pros who reply within 30 minutes are 25% more likely to be hired than those who reply within 3 hours. Yet only 20% of home‑service owners say they reply within an hour (Jobber, 2026). The numbers behind it: speed to lead statistics.
Do you sell leads?
No. We don't sell or share leads. We help you get your own, from your Google profile, your website and your past clients, and we make sure every one is followed up. Every lead is yours, in your own system.
What does a lead cost?
It depends on your trade and your towns, so work backwards from one job. A midrange bathroom remodel averages $26,138 (Cost vs Value 2025). At the average remodeler gross margin of 29.9% (NAHB 2026), that leaves about $7,800. One extra job a year pays for a lot of marketing. Losing one estimate a month to slow follow‑up costs more than most marketing does.
I get plenty of leads. Is this still for me?
Then your next job is probably in the leads you already have: the estimates that went quiet and the calls nobody returned. That is what Booked does, and it starts with what you already get. If you want one team to run all of it, see our contractor marketing agency page.
Free Missed Jobs Test
Find out who's taking your jobs, and what it's costing you. Free.
We test your business the way a homeowner does, then show you in dollars which jobs you're losing and who gets them. One 30‑minute call, with your fix‑first plan.
4.8 out of 5 from 3,668 reviews14,300+ orders completed on Fiverr9 years in local SEO
You walk away with
- What a homeowner gets back from you after hours: a call and your form, timed
- Where you show on Google in your best towns, and who shows above you
- Your website on a phone, through a homeowner's eyes
- What it costs you a year, and the 3 fixes that win the most back
Free. We run the tests before your call.