In this guide
You know you need more leads. You've heard Facebook Ads can target homeowners in your postcode for a few dollars a day. You've also heard Google Ads puts you in front of people searching for "plumber near me" right when they need one. Both sound good. Both cost money. Which one actually works?
The short answer: it depends on your trade, your suburb, and what kind of jobs you're after. Roofing jobs are not the same as emergency plumbing jobs, and the ad platform that works for one is a money pit for the other.
This article breaks down Facebook Ads and Google Ads for Australian tradies, real cost per lead numbers, conversion quality, targeting strength, and a framework for deciding which platform (or combination) makes sense for your business. We'll use industry benchmarks from the AU market so you're comparing apples with apples.
How Facebook Ads Work for Tradies
Facebook Ads let you target homeowners by location, age, interests, and behaviours. You can show a photo of a completed bathroom renovation to people within a 10km radius of your suburb who have recently moved house or engaged with home improvement content.
For tradies, Facebook's strength is visual. Before-and-after photos of a deck build or a kitchen reno perform well in the feed. The platform is built for discovery, people see your ad while scrolling, even if they weren't actively searching for a tradie.
Facebook cost per lead for tradies
Industry benchmarks for Facebook Ads in the AU home services space put cost per lead at roughly $15–$50 depending on your targeting, creative quality, and location. Capital city metro areas tend to be more competitive. Regional areas often see lower CPAs because fewer advertisers are bidding.
The insight: Facebook Ads work best for visual trades where a strong photo can drive an emotional decision, renovations, landscaping, extensions, outdoor work.
What you're actually buying on Facebook
When someone clicks your Facebook ad, they usually land on a lead form, a Messenger conversation, or a website contact page. They're not necessarily ready to book. You're capturing interest and following up. The conversion from "interested scroller" to "booked job" varies widely.
Tradies who succeed with Facebook Ads tend to run them consistently, build retargeting audiences, and follow up leads within hours. The ones who burn cash run a single ad for a week and expect the phone to ring off the hook.
- Lead quality: Medium, people express interest but may not be ready to book
- Best for: Visual trades (bathrooms, kitchens, landscaping, decks, extensions)
- Typical CPA: $15–$50
- Setup complexity: Medium, requires decent creative and audience building
- Time to first lead: Immediate (as soon as the ad is approved)
The insight: Facebook Ads generate leads on day one, but the conversion rate to booked jobs depends on how quickly and professionally you follow up.
How Google Ads Work for Tradies
Google Ads puts your business at the top of search results when someone searches for "electrician Surry Hills" or "hot water system replacement Sydney." The intent is much higher than Facebook, this person is actively looking for a tradie right now.
For tradies, Google Search Ads capture demand that already exists. The homeowner has a problem, they're searching for a solution, and your ad appears at the moment of decision. That's powerful, and it's why Google Ads typically costs more per click than Facebook.
Google Ads cost per lead for tradies
Typical cost per lead for Google Ads in AU home services ranges from $30–$100+. Emergency keywords like "24 hour plumber" or "emergency electrician" can push well above that because competition is fierce and the searcher's urgency is high.
Google Ads operates on a pay-per-click model. You set a maximum bid for keywords, and Google charges you each time someone clicks. Not every click becomes a lead, and not every lead becomes a job. The maths works out best for high-value jobs where a single booked project covers your ad spend for the month.
The insight: Google Ads cost more per lead than Facebook, but the leads convert at a higher rate because searchers already have intent.
What you're actually buying on Google
When someone clicks your Google ad, they land on your website or a call extension. If your site is slow, unclear, or doesn't make the phone number obvious, you've paid for a click that goes nowhere. This is where most tradies waste money on Google Ads, they drive traffic to a website that isn't built to convert.
- Lead quality: High, searchers have clear intent to book
- Best for: Emergency services, high-intent searches, fixed-price jobs
- Typical CPA: $30–$100+
- Setup complexity: High, keyword research, ad copy, landing pages, bid management
- Time to first lead: Immediate (as soon as the campaign is live)
The insight: Google Ads works best when your website is built to convert. Driving traffic to a bad site is like pouring water into a leaky bucket.
Google Ads cost per lead for Australian tradies, compared to $15–$50 on Facebook. But Google leads generally convert at a significantly higher rate than Facebook leads because the searcher is actively looking for a service (industry estimates suggest Google intent-based leads convert at roughly 2–3x the rate of Facebook awareness leads). The higher cost per lead can be worth it if your conversion rate and average job value justify the spend.
Cost Comparison: Facebook CPA vs Google Ads CPA
Raw cost per lead tells part of the story. But the metric that matters is cost per booked job, which accounts for conversion rates on both ends.
Let's run the numbers for a hypothetical tradie spending $1,000/mo on each platform.
| Metric | Facebook Ads | Google Ads |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly spend | $1,000 | $1,000 |
| Average cost per lead | $30 | $60 |
| Leads generated | ~33 | ~16 |
| Lead-to-job conversion rate | ~15% | ~30% |
| Booked jobs | ~5 | ~5 |
| Cost per booked job | ~$200 | ~$200 |
| Time to first lead | Immediate | Immediate |
| Best for job value | $500+ jobs | $200+ jobs |
The headline takeaway: both platforms can deliver roughly the same cost per booked job, but they get there through different mechanics. Facebook gives you more leads at lower quality. Google gives you fewer leads at higher quality.
Which one wins depends on your follow-up process. If you're fast, professional, and persistent with leads, Facebook's higher volume works in your favour. If you want the phone to ring with ready-to-book customers, Google is your platform.
The insight: Total cost per booked job is similar between platforms. The difference is in lead quality, follow-up effort, and the type of work you're chasing.
Facebook vs Google Ads, Head to Head
| Factor | Facebook Ads | Google Ads |
|---|---|---|
| Cost per lead | $15–$50 | $30–$100+ |
| User intent | Low, discovery | High, active search |
| Best for | Visual work, planned projects | Urgent work, specific services |
| Creative needed | Photos, video required | Text headlines, extensions |
| Lead follow-up needed | Yes, extensive | Less, higher intent |
| Competitive markets | Moderate competition | High competition for key terms |
| Monthly budget to test | $300–$600 | $500–$1,000 |
| Requires good website? | Helpful but not critical | Essential, landing page matters |
The insight: Neither platform is universally better. Facebook wins for visual, planned projects. Google wins for urgent, high-intent searches.
Which Platform Wins for Your Trade?
Plumbers and electricians
Google Ads. Your customers search for you at the moment of emergency. "Hot water not working" and "power out in kitchen" are high-intent searches. Facebook won't capture that urgency. Google will, if you bid on the right keywords and have a mobile-optimised site with a click-to-call button.
The insight: Emergency trades should prioritise Google Ads. Facebook is secondary for planned maintenance work.
Bathroom renovators, landscapers, builders
Facebook Ads. These are visual, considered purchases. Homeowners browse photos of bathrooms and gardens for weeks or months before booking. Facebook lets you stay top of mind with retargeting and strong visual creative.
The insight: Visual trades get better ROI from Facebook Ads because the purchase decision is emotional and visual, not urgent.
Painters, roofers, concreter
Both. These trades sit in the middle, moderately visual, moderate urgency. A mix of Facebook (to showcase recent work) and Google Ads (to capture "painter near me" searches) works well. Allocate roughly 60% of budget to Google and 40% to Facebook, then adjust based on results.
The insight: Trades with moderate visual appeal and moderate urgency benefit from a balanced approach across both platforms.
Emergency services (24/7 plumber, after-hours electrician)
Google Ads exclusively. Facebook cannot compete with the intent of someone searching for "emergency plumber open now" at 11pm on a Saturday. Your entire budget should go to capturing that search intent. A website with a prominent click-to-call button running Google Ads is the highest-converting combination in tradie marketing.
The insight: Emergency services should run Google Ads only. Facebook Ads for emergency trades is almost always wasted spend.
"Facebook helps people find you. Google helps people hire you. Both work, but they work differently."
The Smarter Strategy: Website + Targeted Ads
Here's what most tradies miss: both Facebook Ads and Google Ads work better when you have a professional website to send traffic to. Your website is the landing page that converts ad clicks into booked jobs. Without it, you're paying for clicks that bounce.
A TradesPro website at $30/mo gives you the conversion infrastructure you need, fast loading, mobile optimised, click-to-call buttons, service pages that build trust, and a built-in lead capture system. Every ad dollar you spend works harder when it lands on a site that's built to convert.
If you're running ads without a proper website, you're overpaying. A $60 Google click that lands on a slow, generic site is worth maybe $10 of actual conversion value. A $60 Google click that lands on a fast, professional, trade-specific page is worth every dollar.
The insight: Your ad platform is only as good as the website it sends people to. Invest in the landing page before you invest more in the ads.
Make every ad dollar count
TradesPro builds you a 5-page website optimised for conversions, for $30/mo. No contracts, no setup fees.
The hybrid approach
The tradies who win at lead generation don't pick one platform. They build a system:
- A professional website that ranks organically over time and converts visitors into leads, TradesPro, $30/mo
- Google Ads for high-intent searches, $500–$1,500/mo depending on competition in your area
- Facebook Ads for brand awareness and visual work, $300–$800/mo with strong creative
- Google Business Profile for free local search visibility, no monthly cost
Each channel feeds the others. A homeowner might see your Facebook ad, search your business name on Google, find your GBP listing, visit your website, and submit a contact form. You need all the pieces in place to capture that journey.
The insight: Don't choose one platform. Build a multi-channel system where each piece reinforces the others.
The honest truth: no ad platform is a silver bullet. Both Facebook and Google Ads can work for tradies, and both can waste money if you don't know what you're doing. The tradies who get consistent results from paid ads have three things in common: a professional website, a follow-up system, and a budget they've tested and optimised over time.
If you're just starting with paid ads, start small. $300–$500/mo on one platform. Track every lead. Know your cost per booked job. Scale what works and cut what doesn't.
Your website should convert. Ours do.
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FAQ
Can I run both Facebook Ads and Google Ads at the same time?
Yes, and many tradies do. The key is to allocate budget based on what works for your specific trade. Start with one platform, prove the economics, then add the second. Don't split a tiny budget across both platforms, you won't get enough data on either to know what's working.
Do I need a website to run ads?
Technically no, Google Ads can use call extensions and Facebook can use lead forms. But a professional website dramatically improves your conversion rate. When someone searches for your business after seeing an ad, your website is what they judge you on. A bad site makes every ad more expensive.
How much should a tradie spend on Facebook Ads per month?
A reasonable starting budget is $300–$600/mo for a single trade in one metro area. This gives you enough spend to test different audiences and creative approaches. Scale up once you know your cost per lead and conversion rate.
What's the cheapest way for a tradie to generate leads?
A professional website plus an optimised Google Business Profile. Both together cost under $50/mo (a domain is roughly $15/year and TradesPro is $30/mo). Organic traffic from Google and GBP costs nothing per click and compounds over time. It's slower than paid ads, but the long-term ROI is dramatically higher.