Angi vs Google LSA vs fixing your own follow-up
Every owner eventually asks the same question with a different number in it: “I’ve got $3,000 a month, where should it go?” Here are the four places it can go, what each costs per booked job in 2026, and the order that works for most home-service shops.
Where does $3,000 a month go furthest?
In this order for most shops: first, answering the calls you already get and following up every quote (about $200 a month, recovers jobs you already paid for); second, Google Local Services Ads ($25–$100 per real call, cost per booked job $100–$300); third, Angi or HomeAdvisor for volume ($15–$100 per shared lead, cost per booked job $250–$500 unless you respond in five minutes); fourth, Google Ads once you have a landing page and reviews ($45–$300 per lead). Spending on leads before fixing follow-up is the most common mistake in the trades.
| Where the money goes | 2026 cost per lead | Close rate | Cost per booked job | $3,000 buys about |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fix missed calls + quote follow-up (AI receptionist, text-back, 5-touch sequence) | $0 per lead; $150–$300/mo for the system | Recovers 20–40% of previously missed calls and quiet quotes | $10–$40 | Pays for itself on the first saved job; rest of the budget stays for ads |
| Google Local Services Ads | $25–$100 per call or message (pay per real contact; junk disputable) | 30–50% (the caller chose you) | $100–$300 | 10–30 booked jobs |
| Angi / HomeAdvisor (shared leads) | $15–$100 per lead, sent to 3–5 contractors | 10–20%; 25%+ with 5-minute response | $250–$500; about $167 with instant response | 6–12 booked jobs; 15–18 with instant response |
| Google Ads (search) | $45–$150 blended; roofing $200–$300 | 15–30% with a good landing page | $200–$600 | 5–15 booked jobs |
| Facebook / Instagram lead ads | $10–$40 per lead | 5–15% (low intent) | $150–$400 | 8–20 booked jobs, lower ticket |
Why fix follow-up before buying leads?
Because the hole is bigger than the bucket. A two-truck plumber getting 160 calls a month misses 27%, or 43 calls; at a $950 ticket and 46% phone-lead conversion that’s about $17,000 of expected revenue a month walking out the door. No $3,000 ad budget returns $17,000. A $150 AI receptionist and a $0 follow-up workflow recover a quarter of it, which is more booked jobs than any channel on the table, at a cost per job under $40.
Then the ad money works harder too: an LSA call that reaches a live answerer books; one that hits voicemail is a $60 charge for nothing. The HVAC owner on r/hvacadvice who spent “$3,400 on HomeAdvisor leads” and closed 7 of 60 wasn’t buying bad leads; he was buying a race and starting late.
What does the order look like for a real shop?
A 3-truck HVAC company in San Antonio, 300 calls a month in season, $1,600 average ticket, $3,000 a month to spend.
| Month | Spend | What happens | Booked jobs added |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $300 on AI receptionist + text-back + follow-up workflow | Missed-call rate drops from 30% to under 10%; quiet quotes get five touches | 15–25 recovered jobs ($24,000–$40,000) |
| 2 | $300 system + $1,500 LSA | Licence, insurance and reviews on file; LSA calls answered live, junk disputed | 10–20 LSA jobs |
| 3 | $300 system + $1,500 LSA + $1,200 Angi with instant response | Angi leads texted in 60 seconds and called in 5; disputes daily | 6–10 Angi jobs at ~$170 each |
| 4+ | Same, plus Google Ads when a landing page and 50+ reviews exist | Search ads only for replacement keywords with high tickets | 5–8 replacement leads |
By month three the same $3,000 produces 30–55 booked jobs instead of the 6–12 it produced when it all went to shared leads with voicemail on the other end.
When is each channel the wrong choice?
- Skip Angi when you can’t respond in five minutes and dispute daily; without both, cost per job runs $400+.
- Skip LSA until you have a licence and insurance on file and at least a handful of reviews; the Google Guaranteed badge is the point.
- Skip Google Ads until you have a page that converts and reviews to show; $150 clicks to a homepage are a donation.
- Skip Facebook lead ads for emergency trades; they work for seasonal offers and recurring services (lawn, cleaning, pest).
- Never skip fixing follow-up. It’s the only line that makes every other line cheaper.
Texas notes
LSA in Texas requires the trade licence on file (TDLR for HVAC and electrical, TSBPE for plumbing) and a background check, which takes two to four weeks, so start it before you need it. Angi lead prices in DFW and Houston sit at the top of the national range because of competition, which makes the five-minute response rule worth more here than anywhere. Every automated first text to a lead who contacted you is a reply under SB 140, but it still goes between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. Central; queue overnight leads for 9:00. The Texas texting rules page has the detail.
Questions owners ask
What’s a good cost per booked job?
Under your gross margin on the job. For a $950 plumbing ticket, under $200; for a $10,000 roof, under $800.
Is LSA better than Angi?
Usually: you pay per real call, the caller chose you, junk is disputable, and the badge builds trust. It needs licence, insurance and reviews first.
Should I cancel Angi?
Not before 30 days with instant response and daily disputes. Then judge on cost per booked job.
How much does fixing follow-up cost?
$0–$97 for missed-call text-back, $50–$300 for an AI receptionist, and a follow-up workflow that’s part of the same CRM. $150–$300 a month total.
Can I do all four at once?
You can, but ads before follow-up is the mistake. Do the $300 first, then add channels monthly.
Does Google Ads work for small trades?
For replacement and high-ticket keywords with a real landing page. Not for a $90 drain call.
What about Yelp?
Pay-per-click, shared, expensive in Texas metros. Same rules as Angi: only with instant response.
What’s the fastest channel to turn on?
Fixing follow-up (a week). LSA takes 2–4 weeks for verification. Angi is same-day, which is why people start there.
How do I track cost per booked job?
Tag every lead with its source in the CRM; divide monthly spend by jobs booked from that source. Review monthly.
Is this the same for cleaning or lawn care?
The order holds. Facebook and Nextdoor move up for recurring services; Angi moves down.
Next pages
Sources
- Home Showoff, “Best Lead Generation for Contractors: Real Lead Costs in 2026,” updated 19 Sep 2026: homeshowoff.com
- Foundry CRO, “Home Services Marketing Benchmarks 2026,” 29 Apr 2026: foundrycro.com
- Hatch, “36 speed to lead statistics for home service businesses in 2026,” updated 13 Oct 2026: usehatchapp.com
- Owner thread: r/hvacadvice
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