Google Ads vs Facebook Ads for Contractors: Which Should You Run First?

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Every contractor doing any kind of paid advertising eventually hits this question. Google Ads looks expensive. Facebook looks cheaper. So why not just run Facebook?

Because cheaper cost per lead and more revenue from your ads are two completely different things. The platform that books more jobs for your trade is almost never the one with the lowest CPL, and if you're making this decision based on cost per lead alone, you're going to waste money figuring that out the hard way.

Here's the actual breakdown -- with real 2026 benchmark data, trade-by-trade -- so you can make the right call before you spend a dollar.

The one difference that explains everything

Google Ads and Facebook Ads are not competing versions of the same thing. They work completely differently, and understanding that difference is the whole ballgame.

When someone types "emergency plumber near me" into Google at 11pm, they are not browsing. They are not comparing. They have a problem -- right now -- and they are about to hand money to whoever calls them back first. That search query is the closest thing to a signed check that advertising produces. You're not convincing anyone of anything. You're just showing up when the need is already there.

Facebook is the opposite. Your ad interrupts someone who was watching a reel of their cousin's kid playing soccer. They weren't thinking about gutters or drywall or their HVAC unit. You caught them in a scroll, they clicked out of curiosity, and maybe they fill out a form. But they're not in pain. They're not ready to decide. They're just a little bit interested.

Real talk: that difference in intent is worth more than any price-per-lead number. A $53 lead from Google who's ready to book is often worth more than three $20 Facebook leads who filled out a form while half-asleep.

Google Ads by the numbers

There are two types of Google ads worth knowing for contractors: Google Local Service Ads (LSAs) and regular Google Search Ads.

LSAs are the ones at the very top of the search results -- the ones with the green "Google Guaranteed" badge. You only pay when someone actually calls or messages you. And they're almost always cheaper than Search Ads because Google controls the bidding. LSAs averaged $53 per lead nationally in 2026, based on observed data across 888 contractor accounts and $6.72 million in ad spend.

Here's what that looks like by trade once you factor in close rate and average ticket size:

Those ROAS numbers mean: for every dollar spent on HVAC LSAs, contractors are getting back $9.55 in closed revenue. That's not theoretical. That's the average across hundreds of accounts.

Regular Google Search Ads cost more -- around $104 per lead blended, or up to $149 for non-branded keywords. But they reach people before they're in full emergency mode, which is useful for scheduled work like inspections, replacements, and tune-ups.

We ran Google Ads for Patty's Pressure Washing and spent $400. That generated 4 leads at about $100 each -- right in line with Search Ads for a non-emergency trade. One closed, which covered the ad spend and then some. Not a home run, but a solid proof of concept.

Facebook Ads where the numbers get complicated

Facebook leads look attractive on paper. For most home service trades, you're looking at $30 to $60 per lead with a well-run campaign. For some visual trades like pressure washing or landscaping, you can get leads under $20.

Here's what that looks like by trade:

The catch is close rate. Someone clicking a Facebook ad didn't search for you. They saw a before/after photo or a promotional offer and were mildly interested. For urgent work -- burst pipe, AC down in July, roof leak after a storm -- Facebook is almost useless because nobody's scrolling Facebook when their basement is flooding. For that kind of work, Google wins by a mile.

But Facebook has real strengths. It works well for non-urgent, visual, or seasonal work where the customer has time to think. Pressure washing before summer. A deck build. Interior painting. Landscaping renovations. If you can show a compelling photo of the finished job, Facebook can produce surprisingly affordable leads for those categories.

Facebook also beats Google for retargeting -- showing ads to people who already visited your website. If someone hit your Google ad, visited your site, and didn't call, Facebook can follow them around the internet with your before/after photos until they're ready. It's a powerful combo when both channels are running.

Head to head: what actually matters

Here's the honest math. Say you have $500 a month for ads. On Google LSAs at $53 per lead you get roughly 9 leads. At a 44% book rate, that's about 4 booked jobs. On Facebook at $45 per lead you get about 11 leads -- but at a 20% close rate, that's only 2 booked jobs. Google produced twice the booked jobs on the same budget, even though the CPL was higher.

That math shifts at very high ticket values. A roofing company running Facebook Ads for storm-damaged neighborhoods and getting $60 leads that close at 15% is still making money on a $14,000 average job. The channel math depends heavily on your trade and average ticket.

Which channel fits your type of work

Here's the quick guide. No need to overthink it.

Run Google first if: Your work is urgent or unplanned (HVAC, plumbing, electrical, water damage, roofing repair). Customers don't browse for you -- they search for you in a panic. Google is where that demand lives.

Facebook can compete if: Your work is visual and non-urgent (pressure washing, landscaping, painting, fencing, deck builds). You have before/after photos to show. The job timeline is weeks out, not today. And you have the patience to let a Facebook campaign find its audience over 4 to 6 weeks before judging it.

New business with no reviews: Start with Google LSAs. The "Google Guaranteed" verification badge does real credibility work when you're brand new and nobody's heard of you yet. It closes the trust gap that zero reviews would otherwise leave wide open.

When to add Facebook to the mix

The best-performing contractors are running both. But the sequence matters a lot.

Don't start both at the same time. You'll split your budget, confuse your attribution, and have no clean read on what's working. Start Google. Get a consistent flow of leads. Learn what your close rate actually is and what your real cost per booked job looks like. That takes about 60 to 90 days.

Once Google is producing a predictable return, layer Facebook in for one of three purposes. First, retargeting -- follow up with people who hit your Google ads but didn't convert. Second, filling the pipeline with non-urgent seasonal work 60 to 90 days before peak season. Third, brand awareness -- getting your before/after photos in front of neighborhoods where you're already doing work, so when someone needs what you do, your name is already familiar.

Here's the thing: Facebook without Google first is backwards. You spend money building awareness with people who aren't ready. Then when they're finally ready to search, they search -- and you're not there because you're only on Facebook. Run Google first so you capture the demand. Use Facebook to create more of it.

Bottom line

For most contractors -- especially in trades with any urgency -- the answer is Google first, Facebook later. The numbers back this up consistently across trades and markets.

Start with Google Local Service Ads if your trade qualifies. They're the most efficient entry point: you only pay for actual leads, the Google Guaranteed badge builds instant trust, and the intent behind those searches is about as high as paid advertising gets. Once that's working and you've got a read on your numbers, bring Facebook in to retarget and build the pipeline.

The only exception worth noting is for visual trades with non-urgent, higher-value project work. If you're a landscaper or painter with great portfolio photos, Facebook can work well even as a starting point -- just go in knowing the lead quality will be softer and your close rate will be lower than Google.