Pay per lead / Coatings · Painting · Permanent lighting
Buy the leads.
Or run the ads?
Buying leads can suit a contractor who wants someone else to generate enquiries while their own team handles sales. Running your own ads gives you more direct control of the campaign, but you also fund and manage the work that produces those enquiries. Choose based on the responsibilities you want to keep, the costs you can carry and the jobs the channel actually produces.
Key takeaways
- Both routes need someone in your business to contact homeowners and sell the work.
- Compare the full cost of winning a job, including campaign work and sales time.
- Ask who controls the ad account, creatives and records before choosing a provider.
- LMC funds and manages its PPL campaigns; your team receives exclusive enquiries and handles follow-up.
01 / Buying leads or running ads
Which work do you want to own?
There are two separate jobs here: generating an enquiry and turning it into suitable work. Paying someone to do the first does not automatically include the second. Before comparing prices, write down who will handle each responsibility.
| Responsibility | LMC pay per lead | Your own ad campaign |
|---|---|---|
| Advertising spend | LMC funds the ads. | You fund the advertising. |
| Campaign management | LMC runs the campaign. | You or someone you appoint manages it. |
| Payment basis | You pay for valid delivered leads under the agreed terms. | You pay platform charges and any separate production, software or management costs. |
| Homeowner follow-up | Your team calls, qualifies and books. | Your team needs an assigned follow-up process. |
| Estimates and sales | Your team quotes, sells and fulfills the work. | Your team quotes, sells and fulfills the work. |
This table describes LMC, not every lead provider. Other arrangements may include shared leads, setup charges or different billing events. Ask for the actual terms instead of treating the phrase ‘pay per lead’ as a complete specification.
02 / Buying leads or running ads
Compare costs at the same finishing line.
For a campaign you run, start with advertising charges, then add the work required to create and maintain it: project photos, copy, a landing page or form, reporting and any person or software you pay to manage it. Owner time still matters even when it does not appear on an invoice.
Google’s budget documentation distinguishes a campaign’s average daily budget from its spending limits. A budget is an advertising input, not a commitment to deliver a fixed number of jobs. Check the current Google Ads budget rules when planning a campaign you fund.
For purchased leads, count the lead charges and your internal contact, estimating and sales costs. LMC covers its ad spend, so do not add a second LMC advertising bill to that calculation. Do include the time your team spends working valid enquiries that do not turn into jobs.
Use the same definition of a won job and the same observation period for both routes. Do not compare an ad platform’s cost per form submission with a lead provider’s cost per closed job. Our PPL measurement guide explains the calculations and how to keep open opportunities visible. There is no universal winner on cost without your own results.
03 / Buying leads or running ads
Make ownership part of the decision.
Running a campaign in an account your business owns can give you direct control over settings, reporting and future changes. If you hire someone to manage it, establish account access, asset rights and what happens when that relationship ends. Paying a management fee does not by itself answer those questions.
LMC uses a different arrangement: we fund and manage the advertising. LMC retains its ad accounts, campaign creatives and lead/contact records if a client pauses or leaves. Clients do not take over the campaigns. Discuss any particular access or record needs before starting.
That ownership difference may matter as much as the unit price. If building a campaign asset your company controls is a priority, say so. If your priority is receiving enquiries without operating an advertising account, PPL may fit that working preference. Neither choice removes the need to measure whether the work you win is worthwhile.
04 / Buying leads or running ads
Three businesses, three practical decisions.
These are fictional planning examples, not client results or predictions.
- A coating owner spends most days installing floors. They have an office person who can respond to enquiries, but nobody who wants to manage ads. PPL can move campaign work outside the business. If the owner is also the only person who can answer leads, buying more enquiries does not solve that staffing gap.
- A painting company already runs a working campaign. Before replacing it, compare the actual interior/exterior project mix, accepted quotes and costs with a proposed lead arrangement. Keeping a productive channel and adding another can be reasonable if the team records each source separately.
- A permanent-lighting installer wants precise control over seasonal messaging. An owned campaign offers direct editorial control, while a lead provider needs an agreed brief. In either case, distinguish permanent outdoor installations from temporary holiday-light work and separate estimate availability from installation capacity.
The right question is which arrangement your team can operate consistently. A lower advertised lead price cannot answer that on its own.
05 / Buying leads or running ads
Use this decision check before spending.
- Name the campaign owner. Who will prepare the ads, monitor delivery and decide what changes?
- Name the sales owner. Who will respond while crews are working, and who covers their absence?
- Define the work. Write down job types, exclusions, service area and real estimate capacity.
- Confirm what you pay for. Distinguish an enquiry, an attended estimate and a won job. Clarify replacements separately.
- Choose a common review method. Record the source and dates, follow each enquiry through the same stages, and allow open quotes time to resolve.
Use the free campaign planner to capture those decisions. If you choose to run a Facebook campaign, our contractor Facebook ads guide walks through the brief, creative, form and handover.
With LMC PPL, every lead goes to one LMC client and is never shared or resold. There is no upfront cost, retainer or lock-in contract. Your team handles homeowner follow-up. If you need human setters to handle qualification and booking too, compare our separate appointment service.
Common questions.
Is buying contractor leads cheaper than running ads?
Not automatically. Compare costs through to won jobs, including campaign management and sales time. Your market, project mix and ability to handle enquiries affect the result; a low cost per form submission is not proof of a low cost per job.
Can I buy leads while running my own ads?
Yes, the two approaches can coexist. Record the source of each enquiry, keep duplicate records identifiable and make sure your team can handle the combined flow. Discuss campaign and territory arrangements with your provider.
Do I keep LMC’s advertising account if I leave?
No. LMC funds and manages its campaigns and retains its ad accounts, campaign creatives and lead/contact records when a client pauses or leaves. Discuss your ownership and access requirements before starting.
Want enquiries your team can work?
We fund and manage the ads. Your team follows up with exclusive homeowner enquiries.