Blog / How to Start Generating Leads for Your Contracting Business (Without a Big Marketing Budget)

How to Start Generating Leads for Your Contracting Business (Without a Big Marketing Budget)

By Scott Rehnberg, Google Business Profile specialist.

Learning how to generate leads for contractors is what turns a few good months into a steady schedule.

If you're in your first few years, you probably know the pattern. Word of mouth keeps you busy for a while, then it goes quiet and you're not sure where the next job is coming from. Hiring a marketing company can be expensive, and you may not be ready for that.

You don't have to wait for referrals. There are things you can do yourself, this month, for little or no money. Below are four places to start, with enough detail to actually do them. Where I've written a longer guide, I've linked it.

Four Key Strategies to Generate Leads for Contractors

1. Get Found on Google by Setting Up Your Google Business Profile (Google Maps Listing)

If you only do one thing on this list, do this one. Your Google Business Profile (it used to be called Google My Business) is the listing that shows up on Google Maps and in the map pack, the three businesses Google shows on the map at the top of local search results. It's free, and the people who call from it are nearby and already looking for what you do.

Here's how to set it up yourself:

1. Go to business.google.com and sign in with a Google account you'll keep. Use a business email if you have one, not a personal account you might lose.
2. Search for your business name. If a listing already exists, request access instead of making a second one. Duplicate listings cause problems.
3. Use your real business name. The one on your truck, invoices and license. Don't add towns or services to it ("Smith Roofing Best Roofer Denver"). That breaks Google's rules and can get the profile suspended.
4. Pick your primary category carefully. It's the single biggest factor in which searches you show up for. Choose the most specific one that fits, like Roofing contractor or Electrician, not just Contractor. You can add a few secondary categories for other work you really do.
5. Set your address or service area. If customers don't come to your location, hide your address and list the towns or areas you actually serve. Don't list places you'd never drive to.
6. Add your phone number and website. Use the number you answer. If you don't have a website yet, you can still set up the profile.
7. Verify it. Google will ask you to prove the business is real. The method varies. Often it's a short video showing your signage, truck, tools or workspace, and sometimes it's a phone call, text, email or postcard. Follow what Google offers you.

Once it's live, fill it out:

• Services. List each one separately. "Water heater replacement," "drain cleaning" and "sewer line repair" tell Google much more than "plumbing."
• Hours. Accurate hours, including if you take emergency calls.
• Description. A few plain sentences on what you do, where you work and how long you've been doing it.
• Photos. Your truck, your crew, your equipment and finished jobs. Photos from your phone are fine. Keep adding new ones as you finish jobs.
• Reviews. Ask every happy customer. In your profile, find "Ask for reviews" to get a direct link, and text it to them the day you finish. Reply to every review, good or bad.

That covers the basics. For the full walkthrough, see my guide to Google Business Profile for contractors. And if you'd rather have someone look it over, help with your Google profile is the only thing I do.

2. List Your Business on Free Online Directories

Online directories are websites that list local businesses, like Yelp or the Better Business Bureau. Being listed helps in two ways. Some homeowners search those sites directly, and Google checks them to confirm your business name, address and phone number. When those match your Google profile everywhere, Google is more confident about who you are.

Here's how to do it without wasting a weekend:

1. Write down your exact business info and use it everywhere: name, address (or city if you're service-area only), phone number and website. Same spelling, same format.
2. Start with the big ones: - Bing Places for Business (it can import your Google profile) - Apple Business Connect, which feeds Apple Maps and Siri - Yelp - Facebook business page - Nextdoor business page - Better Business Bureau (the basic listing is free; accreditation is a paid add-on)
3. Add trade and home service sites that fit your work, such as Houzz for remodelers and landscapers, and your trade association's member directory.
4. Add local ones: your chamber of commerce, your town's business directory, local supplier "find a contractor" pages.
5. Search for old listings. Google your business name and phone number. If you find an old address, old phone number or a name you stopped using, update it or ask the site to remove it.

Some lead platforms let you create a basic profile without buying leads. Read the terms before you sign anything, because it's easy to end up in a paid plan you didn't mean to start.

I keep a longer list of websites to list your specialty trade contractor business if you want to keep going.

3. Apply for Google Local Service Ads (If You Qualify)

Google Local Services Ads (LSAs) are the ads that show up at the very top of Google for many home service searches. Unlike regular Google ads where you pay for every click, you pay for leads, such as calls or messages from customers about work you offer.

A few things to know before you apply:

• Not every trade or area qualifies. Check whether yours is available in Google's sign-up flow.
• There's screening. Depending on your trade and location, Google may check your business registration, license and insurance, and run background checks.
• You set a budget. You choose how much to spend and can pause if you're booked up.
• You'll get a Google Verified badge once you pass. It replaced the older Google Guaranteed badge.
• Reviews and responsiveness matter. Google lists things like your reviews, how responsive you are and your business hours among the factors in where your ad shows. Answer calls and messages fast.

LSAs can be a good fit for a small contractor because you're paying for contacts, not clicks. They can also get expensive in competitive trades. I don't run LSAs for anyone, so if you want help setting them up, that's a different kind of specialist. If you're doing it yourself, start with a small budget, track which leads turn into booked jobs, and adjust from there.

4. Avoid the Pitfalls of Lead Aggregators Like Angi and HomeAdvisor

When the phone's quiet, signing up for Angi or HomeAdvisor can feel like the fast fix. Some contractors do fine with them. Many find the leads expensive, low quality, or sent to several other companies at the same time, so you're in a bidding war from the first call.

The bigger problem is that nothing you spend there builds anything you keep. When you stop paying, the leads stop. Reviews on your Google profile, photos, and a name people recognize in town all keep working.

If you do try a lead platform, keep it as a backup, respond within minutes, and track how many leads turn into real jobs. That tells you what each job actually costs you. I went through the numbers in detail in is Angi worth it for contractors.

Take Action and Invest in Yourself

A steady flow of leads doesn't happen overnight, but small steps now add up. Get your Google Business Profile right, list your business on the directories that matter, decide whether Local Services Ads make sense for you, and don't build your schedule around shared leads.

You don't have to do it all at once. Here's a simple order that works for most small contractors:

This week

• Set up or claim your Google Business Profile and pick the right primary category
• Add your services, hours and at least a handful of real photos
• Text your review link to the last five customers who were happy with your work

This month

• List your business on Bing Places, Apple Business Connect, Yelp, Facebook and Nextdoor
• Search your business name and phone number, and fix any old listings you find
• Reply to every review you get
• Put your name and number on your truck and leave a yard sign at jobs where the homeowner says it's okay

Every month after that

• Add new job photos to your Google profile
• Keep asking every happy customer for a review
• Call or text past customers once or twice a year, and ask for referrals
• Ask every new customer how they found you, so you know what's working

Doing this yourself is completely realistic. It mostly takes consistency. When the business grows and your time is worth more on the job than at the keyboard, that's the point to think about hiring help.