Google LSA charges $40-100+ per qualified lead with no guarantee of quality. Since Google removed dispute credits in 2025, every junk lead costs you full price. TradesPro gives you a professional website that generates your own leads for $30/mo flat. No per-lead fees. No quality decline curve. Just a pipeline you own.
No contracts. 30-day satisfaction guarantee.
Based on publicly listed Google LSA rate benchmarks from SearchLight (Feb 2026) and PipelineOn. Actual spend varies by trade, city, and competition level.
LSA is better than hipages — but it's still a rental model. Here's how the cost builds up and why an owned channel changes the game.
LSA has no subscription fee, but every qualified call or message costs $40-100+ depending on your trade and metro area. Plumbing averages ~$57/lead, electrical ~$39, HVAC ~$51 (SearchLight, Feb 2026 US benchmarks — AU rates are likely higher). Google decides the price based on competition and market, not you.
In October 2025, Google replaced "Google Guaranteed" with "Google Verified" and discontinued the $2,000 money-back guarantee as of December 7, 2025. The badge that made LSA feel safer for customers now offers no financial protection — but tradies still pay the same per-lead rates.
Google decides the search terms that match your business. No keyword research. No ad copy A/B testing. No landing page optimisation. You can't differentiate yourself from competitors — everyone in the same trade gets the same treatment. Your only lever is your budget cap.
Google removed lead dispute credits in 2025. Previously you could get refunded for leads outside your service area or for wrong job types. Now every junk lead hits your bill. With 67% of contractors reporting LSA lead quality decline over the past 18 months (DFS Reality Check), that's a growing cost you can't recover.
The moment you pause LSA, leads stop. You own nothing — no profile equity carries over, no accumulated ranking, no customer list the platform gives you. Your $6,000-24,000/yr in ad spend builds zero residual value. Compare that to a website: every month it ranks, every piece of content compounds.
Google LSA does surface your Google reviews as part of your listing — so reviews matter. But the platform does nothing to automatically request them after a job. And it has no referral system whatsoever. You're spending $200–300 per booked job, with no mechanism to turn those customers into repeat business or referrals.
TradesPro automatically asks every customer for a Google review when a job is won — a one-click link with gentle follow-ups that stop once they review. The reviews go onto your Google Business Profile, they're indexed by Google, and they stay with you regardless of what tools you use next. At the same time, the built-in referral system sends every satisfied client a branded referral link and a special offer to pass on. New referral enquiries are auto-captured and attributed in your dashboard. Reviews and referrals are the two cheapest ways to get new work — and neither one is available on Google LSA.
Worked example — a plumbing tradie running ~40 leads/month at typical metro rates.
67% of contractors say LSA quality declined since 2024. Assets owned at year end: zero.
Website, domain, and Google ranking stay with you if you cancel. One extra job in month one pays for the whole year.
Google LSA rates based on SearchLight US benchmarks (Feb 2026) and PipelineOn CPL by trade data. AU CPLs likely higher. Figures are illustrative — actual spend varies by trade, metro, and competition.
An honest look at what each platform actually gives you.
| Google LSA | TradesPro | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | $40–$100+ per leadPay per qualified call/message | $30/mo flatNo per-lead costs |
| Cost per booked job | ~$233LSA blended average (SearchLight) | $30/mo regardlessDiminishes with volume |
| Eligible trades | Plumbing, electrical, HVAC, locksmiths, pest control, cleaningLimited — not all trades eligible | All trades — no restrictions |
| Geographic coverage | Metro areas onlySydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide | Anywhere in Australia — metro to regional |
| Lead quality trend | Declining67% of contractors say quality dropped since 2024 | Direct inquiriesHigher intent, no intermediation |
| Dispute/refund for junk leads | Removed 2025 — every invalid lead costs you | N/AYou control which inquiries you receive |
| SEO compounding | ZeroLeads stop when ad budget stops | YesYour site ranks, traffic compounds |
| Brand asset built | NothingYou own nothing after ads pause | Yes — your site, domain, rankingAll stays with you |
| Creative control | NoneGoogle decides search matching | Full control — design, content, CTAs |
| A/B testing | Not possible on LSA | Test headlines, CTAs, page design |
| GBP integration | BasicBadge shows on GBP listing | Deep integrationSite content synced with GBP strategy |
| Lead management | BasicCalls/messages forwarded | Full CRMSMS alerts + email automation |
| Verification process | 1–4 weeksLicense, insurance, background check | 48 hoursCustom website, your domain |
| Cancel and keep results? | Leads stop instantly | Website and rankings stay |
| Automated review collection (you own the reviews) | Reviews tied to LSA profilePause LSA and reviews don't help your organic ranking | Auto-asks for Google reviews — yours to keep forever |
| Built-in referral system | No referral tools | Turns happy clients into new jobs automatically |
A website you own, on a domain you own, that ranks on Google — from $30/mo.
That's why we recommend running both. LSA captures urgent jobs right now. TradesPro builds your long-term pipeline. After 3-6 months, your site generates enough inbound leads to reduce your LSA budget — saving thousands while maintaining volume. Most tradies keep LSA at a lower cap ($200-500/mo) once their site matures. The transition is gradual, not all-or-nothing.
A professional website with real before/after photos, genuine testimonials, and a Google Business Profile with 20+ reviews builds more trust than a badge. Plus, you can get Google Verified independently and display it on your site — the badge isn't exclusive to LSA. Your site with verified status, great reviews, and trade-specific content is more persuasive than a listing among 5 competitors.
If all your competitors are paying Google per lead, that's exactly why you need an owned channel. While they compete on LSA and their costs rise, your TradesPro site captures customers who search specifically — "plumber near me", "electrician Sydney" — and those customers book at higher rates because they found YOU, not a list. Your competitors are burning budget; you're building equity.
LSA is cheaper than hipages per lead ($57 avg vs $87-150+ per booked job). But it's still a rental model. In 2026, LSA costs are climbing (CPL up ~30% since 2023) and quality is declining (67% of contractors report worse lead quality per DFS Reality Check). You're not fixing something broken — you're adding a hedge against rising costs and declining quality before it bites you.
If your current website generates leads consistently, great — you may not need us. But most tradie websites are brochure sites with no lead-gen system. TradesPro sites include: emergency CTAs, SMS-alert lead forms, email follow-up automation, before/after galleries, trade-specific SEO, and quarterly updates. If your current site doesn't actively generate leads, it's a digital business card, not a marketing asset.
LSA's "qualified lead" definition is generous. Since Google removed dispute credits in 2025, you pay for calls outside your service area, wrong job types, and price-shoppers. The 67% quality decline trend means more junk leads hitting your bill. With TradesPro, you don't pay per interaction — every inquiry is pure margin, not a $57-100 gamble. You're paying for the channel, not each individual hit.
Word of mouth is the best lead source. But it doesn't scale. A TradesPro site captures word-of-mouth referrals professionally — customers can see your work before calling. It also ensures you show up when people search for you by name. Without a site, you're invisible to 40% of potential customers who search online before calling.
That's the beauty of TradesPro: we handle the ongoing work. Quarterly updates, SEO maintenance, content refreshes — all included. You don't touch it. And unlike LSA, where you stop getting calls the moment you pause the ad, your TradesPro site keeps working 24/7 even if you take a week off. Passive vs active acquisition.
Google LSA gets you calls — at a price. TradesPro builds a pipeline you own. A website that finds customers while you work. $30/mo flat. Everything stays with you if you cancel.
Get your TradesPro website — $30/mo →30-day satisfaction guarantee. You keep your files if you cancel.