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Get a Free Strategy Call →Benchmarks sourced from WordStream, Google Ads industry data, and internal Rocket Launch Media campaign data. Results are estimates — actual CPL varies based on landing page quality, targeting, offer, and market competition.
CPL benchmarks vary dramatically by platform, industry, and market size. What looks expensive for a pest control company is cheap for a personal injury attorney. Here's the full picture — updated for 2026 — so you can stop guessing and start measuring your campaigns against real data.
Google Ads consistently produces the highest-intent leads of any paid platform. Users are actively searching for a solution. That intent comes at a price — especially in competitive service verticals where CPCs have climbed 15–22% since 2023.
| Industry | Avg CPL (Low) | Avg CPL (High) | Avg CPC | Avg CVR | 2026 Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roofing | $120 | $260 | $24–$38 | 4.8–6.2% | ↑ Rising |
| HVAC | $75 | $170 | $16–$28 | 5.5–7.0% | → Stable |
| Plumbing | $55 | $140 | $13–$24 | 5.8–7.5% | → Stable |
| Electrical | $60 | $150 | $15–$26 | 5.5–7.0% | → Stable |
| Siding / Exteriors | $90 | $220 | $19–$34 | 4.5–6.0% | ↑ Rising |
| Flooring | $55 | $145 | $12–$20 | 5.0–6.8% | ↓ Easing |
| Landscaping | $35 | $110 | $8–$16 | 6.0–8.0% | ↓ Easing |
| Pest Control | $25 | $85 | $6–$12 | 7.0–9.0% | → Stable |
| Legal / Law Firm | $140 | $380 | $35–$95 | 3.5–5.0% | ↑ Rising |
| Healthcare / Med Spa | $45 | $160 | $9–$28 | 5.0–7.5% | ↑ Rising |
| Real Estate | $70 | $250 | $14–$38 | 4.0–6.5% | → Stable |
| Dental | $55 | $180 | $10–$32 | 5.0–7.0% | → Stable |
| Fitness / Gym | $25 | $100 | $5–$18 | 6.5–9.5% | ↓ Easing |
| E-Commerce | $15 | $80 | $0.80–$3.50 | 2.5–4.5% | → Stable |
| SaaS / Software | $60 | $250 | $12–$55 | 3.0–5.5% | ↑ Rising |
| Restaurant / Food | $12 | $55 | $1.50–$5 | 4.0–7.0% | ↓ Easing |
Sources: WordStream Industry Benchmarks, Google Ads internal data, Rocket Launch Media campaign data (2025–2026). CPL = ad spend ÷ conversions. CPC and CVR figures reflect search campaigns only, excluding Display and PMax.
The standout trend in 2026 is that contractor verticals — particularly roofing and siding — have seen the steepest CPC increases of any home service category. Increased adoption of Performance Max campaigns by larger franchise operators has pushed auction prices up across the board in competitive metro markets. Smaller, independently run search campaigns with tightly themed ad groups are outperforming broad PMax setups in both CPL and lead quality.
Meta (Facebook and Instagram) CPLs run 35–55% lower than Google Ads for most service industries. The tradeoff is lead intent — Meta users aren't actively searching, so qualification and follow-up speed matter much more. For contractors, Meta works best as a top-of-funnel channel running retargeting and seasonal offers alongside a Google Ads primary strategy.
| Industry | Avg CPL (Low) | Avg CPL (High) | Avg CPM | Best Format | Lead Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roofing | $60 | $160 | $12–$20 | Lead Form + Video | Medium |
| HVAC | $40 | $120 | $10–$17 | Seasonal Offer | Medium |
| Plumbing | $30 | $100 | $9–$15 | Lead Form | Medium |
| Flooring | $30 | $100 | $9–$15 | Before/After Creative | Higher |
| Remodeling | $55 | $150 | $11–$19 | Video Tour | Higher |
| Legal | $80 | $260 | $14–$28 | Lead Form | Lower |
| Healthcare / Med Spa | $25 | $100 | $9–$16 | Before/After | Higher |
| Real Estate | $25 | $120 | $10–$18 | Listing Video | Medium |
| Fitness / Gym | $10 | $55 | $7–$13 | Trial Offer | Higher |
| E-Commerce | $8 | $50 | $8–$15 | Catalog / DPA | Higher |
| SaaS / Software | $35 | $175 | $12–$22 | Lead Form | Medium |
| Restaurant | $5 | $30 | $6–$11 | Offer / Event | Higher |
CPM data reflects Q1–Q2 2026 averages. Meta CPMs rose an estimated 11% year-over-year driven by increased advertiser competition and iOS privacy changes continuing to affect targeting precision.
CPM (cost per 1,000 impressions) tells you how much it costs to get your ad in front of people — before anyone clicks or converts. Lower CPM means cheaper reach. But reach without intent is only valuable if your creative does the qualifying work.
CPM figures represent averages across all industries. Contractor and home service verticals typically run 20–40% above platform averages due to geographic targeting and competitive auctions.
Local Service Ads (LSAs) are the most underutilized paid channel for home service contractors. You pay per verified lead — not per click — which fundamentally changes the math. LSA CPLs run 40–55% lower than equivalent Google Search campaigns for most trades, with the added trust signal of the "Google Guaranteed" badge. The catch is Google controls the lead flow and volume is capped by market size.
| Trade | Avg LSA CPL (Low) | Avg LSA CPL (High) | vs. Google Search CPL | Volume Potential |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roofing | $45 | $140 | ~48% cheaper | Medium |
| HVAC | $25 | $90 | ~42% cheaper | High |
| Plumbing | $20 | $80 | ~40% cheaper | High |
| Electrical | $20 | $85 | ~38% cheaper | High |
| General Remodeling | $40 | $130 | ~45% cheaper | Medium |
| Flooring | $25 | $90 | ~40% cheaper | Medium |
| Landscaping | $15 | $65 | ~42% cheaper | High |
| Pest Control | $10 | $45 | ~44% cheaper | High |
LSA leads are phone calls or message requests verified by Google. Dispute rates average 15–25% for most trades — factor this into your effective CPL calculation.
Your CPL isn't just a reflection of your ad spend — it's the product of several compounding variables. Understanding which lever to pull first is the difference between burning budget and scaling efficiently.
This is the single biggest CPL lever most businesses ignore. A page converting at 3% vs. 8% on the same $5,000 budget means 150 leads vs. 400 leads. Most contractor landing pages convert at 2–4%. Well-optimized pages hit 7–12%.
Broad match campaigns attract irrelevant clicks that inflate CPL without producing leads. Exact and phrase match targeting with tightly themed ad groups consistently outperforms broad or PMax for local service businesses.
A roofing company in Columbus, Ohio pays 30–45% more per click than the same company in a rural market. Large metros drive CPCs up through auction competition — your budget needs to reflect local market density.
Google rewards relevance with lower CPCs through Quality Score. Ads with a high expected CTR, relevant ad copy, and a post-click landing page that matches the search intent can reduce your effective CPC by 20–40%.
Contractor CPLs spike during peak seasons when competition increases. Roofing CPLs rise 35–50% after major storm events. HVAC CPLs peak in June and December. Plan budgets around seasonal demand curves, not flat monthly allocations.
This doesn't affect your CPL directly — but it destroys your effective CPL if ignored. Leads contacted within 5 minutes convert at 21× the rate of leads contacted after 30 minutes. Your CPL doubles if you're slow to follow up.
We audit contractor ad accounts every week and find the same 3–5 issues driving up CPL. Most are fixed in the first 30 days. Get a free strategy call and we'll show you exactly where your budget is leaking.
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