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Short answer: In the US, general construction and contractor Google Ads campaigns had the cheapest clicks of any home-services category, at a US$5.31 median, but paid US$165.67 per lead, because only 2.61% of clicks became leads (LocaliQ, 3,211 campaigns, April 2024–March 2025). Across six countries, the median builder or general contractor click in October 2026 was US$18.93 in the US, US$9.31 in Canada, US$7.21 in New Zealand, US$6.72 in Australia, US$4.38 in the UK and US$2.76 in Ireland (converted to US$ by the source). For remodelers, a Canadian compilation of published figures puts general contracting and remodeling at CA$224 per lead.
With a conversion rate that low, you pay for many clicks per enquiry. The budget question is less “what does a click cost?” and more “how many clicks before someone asks for a quote?”.
What does a builder or general contractor click cost in each country?
Summary table. Median click price across each country’s searches, October 2026, converted to US$ by the source at the US Federal Reserve’s September 2026 average rate. US and Canadian figures are for “general contractor” searches; the others are for “builder” searches. Source: Sixty Steps analysis of Google Ads data (via DataForSEO), October 2026: US, Australia, UK, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland.
| Country | Service searched | Median click (US$) | Cities in the data |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | General contractor | US$18.93 | 50 |
| Canada | General contractor | US$9.31 | 13 |
| New Zealand | Builder | US$7.21 | 6 |
| Australia | Builder | US$6.72 | 25 |
| United Kingdom | Builder | US$4.38 | 25 |
| Ireland | Builder | US$2.76 | 5 |
LocaliQ’s actual-paid US figure (US$5.31) is far lower than the Keyword Planner estimate (US$18.93) because real accounts buy many cheaper, specific searches as well as the main term.
What does a builder or general contractor click cost by city?
Median click price across each city’s searches, October 2026, in local currency (UK, Canadian, New Zealand and Irish figures converted from US$ by the source). Source: Sixty Steps analysis of Google Ads data (via DataForSEO), October 2026: US, Australia, UK, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland.
| Country | City | Median click | Searches a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | New York | US$13.88 | 42,518 |
| United States | Los Angeles | US$13.44 | 31,394 |
| United States | Chicago | US$20.11 | 21,334 |
| United States | Dallas | US$18.09 | 14,901 |
| United States | Houston | US$13.48 | 10,382 |
| United States | Washington | US$30.77 | 16,682 |
| United States | Atlanta | US$19.07 | 11,546 |
| United States | Phoenix | US$19.71 | 10,232 |
| Australia | Sydney | A$19.54 | 9,566 |
| Australia | Melbourne | A$16.40 | 9,512 |
| Australia | Brisbane | A$12.35 | 4,685 |
| Australia | Perth | A$9.04 | 3,981 |
| Australia | Adelaide | A$8.66 | 2,181 |
| United Kingdom | London | £6.54 | 5,379 |
| United Kingdom | Birmingham | £5.31 | 1,483 |
| United Kingdom | Manchester | £4.49 | 484 |
| United Kingdom | Bristol | £3.38 | 459 |
| Canada | Toronto | CA$14.28 | 6,795 |
| Canada | Ottawa | CA$15.56 | 1,795 |
| Canada | Calgary | CA$15.34 | 1,742 |
| Canada | Vancouver | CA$16.77 | 1,323 |
| New Zealand | Auckland | NZ$18.17 | 1,517 |
| New Zealand | Christchurch | NZ$11.22 | 406 |
| New Zealand | Wellington | NZ$7.73 | 317 |
| Ireland | Dublin | €4.40 | 1,168 |
| Ireland | Cork | €2.60 | 140 |
Source: Sixty Steps analysis of Google Ads data (via DataForSEO), October 2026: US, Australia, UK, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland. Selected cities shown.
Washington is the dearest of 50 US cities for general contractor clicks, and Cleveland the cheapest at US$6.82. Sydney is the dearest of 25 Australian cities and London the dearest UK city.
What does a deck builder click cost in the US?
Keyword Planner estimates by Google ad market (DMA). Data September 2025–August 2026, pulled 11 October 2026. US$. Source: Pinnacle Technologies – AI Marketing & SEO, “What a home-service click really costs in 2026”, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
| Market | “deck builder” | “deck builder near me” |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $17.41 | $14.66 |
| Los Angeles | $31.81 | $23.73 |
| Chicago | $12.83 | $12.93 |
| Atlanta | $17.79 | $20.55 |
| Washington DC | $26.23 | $23.46 |
| Philadelphia | $20.81 | $15.63 |
| Boston | $14.72 | $16.84 |
| Seattle | $30.40 | $35.14 |
| Denver | $24.55 | $27.85 |
| Median, 48 markets | $14.98 | $15.03 |
Source: Pinnacle Technologies – AI Marketing & SEO, “What a home-service click really costs in 2026”, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Selected markets with at least 500 searches a month for both terms.
“Deck builder” ranges from US$0.92 in Phoenix to US$52.73 in San Diego among markets with at least 500 searches a month.
How much does a builder or remodeling lead cost on Google Ads?
Cost per lead. Medians unless stated.
| Measure | Cost per lead | Sample and period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction & contractors (general), Google Search (US) | US$165.67 | 3,211 home-services campaigns, Apr 2024–Mar 2025 | LocaliQ |
| Doors & windows sales, Google Search (US) | US$200.34 | Same study | LocaliQ |
| All home services, Google Search (US) | US$90.92 | Same study | LocaliQ |
| General contracting and remodeling, Google Search (Canada) | CA$224 | A Canadian agency’s compilation of three published figures (range CA$70–232), Oct 2026 | Canadian agency data |
LocaliQ’s general contractor category had the lowest conversion rate (2.61%) of 16 home-services categories, so about 1 in 38 clicks becomes a lead. It also had the third-highest cost per lead, behind roofing and doors and windows.
We couldn’t find neutral, published keyword prices or cost-per-lead figures specific to kitchen or bathroom remodeling, or any builder cost-per-lead figure for Australia, the UK, New Zealand or Ireland. The Canadian figure is a compilation, and most of the studies behind it are US studies converted to Canadian dollars.
How do I estimate my building or remodeling budget?
- Separate project types. New builds, extensions, kitchens, bathrooms and decks have different job values and search prices. Give each its own campaign.
- Price the leads. At LocaliQ’s US median of US$165.67, 20 leads a month needs about US$3,313 of ad spend.
- Plan for a slow start. With conversion rates this low, a small budget may buy only a handful of leads a month, so judge results over a longer window than a plumber or electrician would. See how long Google Ads takes to work.
Our budget calculator tables cover general contractors too. Management is on top of ad spend. With PPC Fitter it’s first 2 months free, then 10% of combined Google + Meta ad spend or US$500/month, whichever is greater, with no lock-in and tools included (pricing).
Should builders and remodelers use Facebook ads as well?
Big planned projects are often a good fit for Facebook and Instagram, where you can show finished work to people before they start searching. We compare the two channels in Google Ads vs Facebook Ads for tradespeople and cover contractors in do Facebook ads work for contractors?
Frequently asked questions
How much does Google Ads cost for general contractors in the US?
LocaliQ’s medians are US$5.31 per click and US$165.67 per lead for general construction and contractor campaigns (April 2024–March 2025). Keyword Planner data from October 2026 puts the median “general contractor” click at US$18.93 across 50 US cities.
What is the average cost per lead for remodelers on Google Ads?
We couldn’t find a neutral, published US figure for remodeling alone. LocaliQ’s general contractor median is US$165.67 per lead, and a Canadian agency’s compilation puts general contracting and remodeling at CA$224.
Why are construction clicks cheap but leads expensive?
Because few clicks become leads. LocaliQ’s general contractor conversion rate is 2.61%, the lowest of 16 home-services categories, against 7.33% for home services overall. For big projects, many people compare several builders before asking for a quote, so more clicks end without an enquiry.
How much does Google Ads cost for builders in Australia?
Published Keyword Planner data from October 2026 puts the median builder click at A$19.54 in Sydney, A$16.40 in Melbourne, A$12.35 in Brisbane, A$9.04 in Perth and A$8.66 in Adelaide.
How much does Google Ads cost for builders in the UK and Ireland?
October 2026 medians were £6.54 in London, £5.31 in Birmingham and £4.49 in Manchester, and €4.40 in Dublin. The country medians convert to about US$4.38 for the UK and US$2.76 for Ireland.
How much does Google Ads cost for builders in Canada and New Zealand?
October 2026 medians for general contractor searches were CA$14.28 in Toronto, CA$15.56 in Ottawa and CA$16.77 in Vancouver. For builder searches in New Zealand, Auckland was NZ$18.17 and Christchurch NZ$11.22.
How much should a builder spend on Google Ads per month?
Multiply the leads you want by your cost per lead. At LocaliQ’s US median of US$165.67, 20 leads a month needs about US$3,313 of ad spend. Split new builds, renovations and decks into separate campaigns so each can be judged on its own numbers.
Sources (all checked 2 November 2026)
- LocaliQ, Home Services Search Advertising Benchmarks (3,211 US campaigns, Apr 2024–Mar 2025, medians, US$)
- Sixty Steps analysis of Google Ads data (via DataForSEO), October 2026: US, Australia, UK, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland (retrieved 12–13 Oct 2026; prices converted at the Federal Reserve H.10 September 2026 average)
- Pinnacle Technologies – AI Marketing & SEO, “What a home-service click really costs in 2026”, licensed under CC BY 4.0 (48 US markets, Keyword Planner via DataForSEO, Sep 2025–Aug 2026, pulled 11 Oct 2026)
- Other published agency data (named source withheld): a Canadian agency’s compilation of published contractor cost-per-lead figures, in CA$ (updated 4 Oct 2026).
Related: Google Ads management · Meta Ads management · Do Facebook ads work for contractors? · How long Google Ads takes to work · How much to spend on Google Ads · Pricing
