Topic
Getting More Leads
Per-trade lead generation without buying leads: where the work actually comes from, how many leads a month you need, and the channels that produce them.
66 articles ยท browse the full archive
GrowthFirst Customers for a Service Business: $0 Plan
Only 9% of people will hire a business with 5 or fewer reviews. Here is the order to work in to land your first 10 service customers without buying leads.
16 min
GrowthHow to Get More Concrete Jobs: 7 Hidden Sources
NYC issued 8,945 sidewalk violations in 2025 and plant dispatchers can't place small pours. The 7 concrete job sources most contractors never work.
22 min
GrowthHow to Get More Deck Building Jobs: 30M Old Decks
NADRA puts 30 million US decks past their useful life. Where deck jobs really come from: manufacturer lead routing, the lumberyard counter, and the ledger.
23 min
GrowthHow to Get More Flooring Jobs: The Half-Rate Trap
Box stores split install labor with you. How flooring installers get more jobs through showrooms, install-only buyers, slabs, turns, commercial and refinishing.
20 min
GrowthHow to Get More Handyman Jobs: The $1,000 Ceiling
In California, Arizona and Nevada the unlicensed handyman limit is $1,000. Why that ceiling, not your ads, decides how to get more handyman jobs in 2026.
21 min
GrowthHow to Get More Hardscaping Jobs: The $10K Ceiling
Hardscaping leads cost $153 on Google, and ranking alone rarely wins $10K patios. The referral, certification and design fee levers that close big jobs.
21 min
GrowthHow to Get More Junk Removal Jobs: Fill the Truck
A $100 Google lead for a recliner pays the same as one for a $549 full load. Get more junk removal jobs by chasing loads, not calls. Operator numbers inside.
19 min
GrowthHow to Get More Painting Jobs: The 35% Close Rule
A $4,185 median job means 239 paint jobs per $1M. Where painters find them: paint stores, pre-1978 homes, cabinets, HOAs, realtors, and winter interiors.
23 min
GrowthHow to Get More Pressure Washing Customers: 7 Moves
US pressure washing firms grew 5.8% a year while revenue grew 0.6%. The 7 moves that win customers in a crowded trade, with real numbers from operators.
21 min
Lead GenerationHow to Get More Appliance Repair Calls: 4 Levers
The average appliance repair is $179 to $275, so you cannot buy a full schedule. Four levers that add completed calls per truck, cheapest first.
20 min
Lead GenerationHow to Get More Cleaning Company Clients That Stay
Regular cleaning clients churn 25 to 40% a year. The real acquisition math, the channels that produce recurring clients, and what a client costs.
19 min
Lead GenerationHow to Get More Fencing Jobs: Work the Line
Fence demand is made by property lines and dated safety codes, not ad spend. Four plays that turn one quote into two signatures, with the 2027 deadline.
17 min
Lead GenerationHow to Get More Paving Jobs: The 83% Problem
Home improvement scams have an 83% loss rate, so paving buyers open suspicious. The proof pack, budget calendar and channels that book real work.
20 min
Lead GenerationHow to Get More Pool Service Customers: 6 Plays
Pool accounts resell at roughly 8x to 12x monthly billing. Use that as your acquisition ceiling, then work the six channels that come in under it.
18 min
Lead GenerationHow to Get More Tree Service Jobs: The Quote Gap
Homeowners call 7 tree companies and get 1 quote back. The 2026 numbers on why tree jobs die at the estimate, not the lead, and how to fix it.
18 min
GrowthHow to Get More Window Cleaning Contracts
Route density is half the story. The dollar floor per stop, four channels ranked by what they cost, and what a block of storefronts really pays.
17 min
GrowthGet Builder Accounts as a Subcontractor: 7 Steps
It takes 22 subcontractors to build one house and builders sub out 77 percent of the cost. Here are the 7 steps that turn that into a standing account.
16 min
Lead GenerationHow to Get Insurance Restoration Work: 5 Routes
How to get insurance restoration work through 5 routes, ranked by who signs the contract. TPAs take 5% to 10% of the claim; agent referrals keep your price.
19 min
Lead GenerationHow to Get More Jobs on the Same Street: 5 Plays
Peer-reviewed data says one job on a street lifts the monthly odds of the next one by about 15 points. The 5 plays that turn one address into four.
16 min
GrowthHow to Get Commercial Contracts: The 5 Doors
Subs wait 51 days to get paid while GCs think it is 35. The five doors into commercial work ranked by cash cycle, plus the float test to run first.
17 min
Lead GenerationHow to Get Referrals From Realtors: 6 Rules
The typical agent closed 10 deals in 2024, and many contractor bids they request exist only to cut the sale price. What actually earns realtor referrals.
16 min
GrowthGet Work From General Contractors Before Bids
How subcontractors find work before general contractors post bids: planning files, permits, plan holder lists. Known subs win 15% of bids, strangers 5%.
20 min
Lead GenerationLeads From Outside Your Service Area: 5 Causes
Proximity is the #2 map pack factor but only #52 in AI search. That gap, plus three default ad settings, is why your leads arrive from three states away.
16 min
Lead GenerationBuilding Permit Data for Leads: 1.5% Are Fresh
I pulled all 206,733 active Toronto building permits. Only 1.5% were issued in the last 30 days and 94.7% name no builder. Here is how to use them anyway.
16 min
Lead GenerationHow Many Garage Door Leads Do I Need Per Month?
The blended formula says 197 leads for a $100,000 month. The real number is 426. Four garage door multipliers explain the gap, and how to shrink it.
14 min
Lead GenerationHow to Get on a Property Manager Vendor List
Most vendor lists are already full. The five-document gate, the walk-in window property managers actually name, and what the channel really costs you.
16 min
Custom CRMRepeat Business From Past Customers: 2-Year Clock
59% of home service pros say repeat work and referrals are their top lead source. Here is the recurrence clock that decides what your repeat rate can be.
16 min
Lead GenerationGarage Door Leads Without Buying Them: 4 Assets
A standard torsion spring is rated for 10,000 cycles, so every door you have serviced has a computable failure date. Four garage door lead assets you own.
16 min
Lead GenerationHow Many Pest Control Leads Per Month? 66, Not 44
A 1,050-account shop chasing 30% growth needs 66 leads a month, not the 44 the standard formula gives. The missing third is churn replacement.
19 min
Lead GenerationHow to Get More Garage Door Leads: $49 vs $145
Garage door leads cost $49 on Local Services Ads and $145 on Google Ads, per $784K of tracked spend. Where the volume actually is, and what caps it.
17 min
Lead GenerationHow to Get More Pest Control Leads Per Square Mile
Route density is the No. 1 profit driver in pest control, per 55% of PMPs surveyed. Why a lead 20 minutes away is worth less than the one next door.
17 min
GrowthPest Control Leads Without Buying: 4 Public Lists
31% of NYC food businesses were cited for rats or mice last year. Names, addresses and phone numbers, all public. Four free lists that beat bought leads.
15 min
GrowthHow Many Solar Leads Do I Need Per Month?
At a 6% close rate, 10 installs needs 167 leads. But lead price says that costs $10,000 and the CAC benchmark says $58,800. The gap is the real answer.
7 min
GrowthSolar Lead Generation Without Buying Leads: 5 Lists
Wood Mackenzie forecasts residential solar down 21% in 2026. Bought leads bid on that shrinking pool. Five lists to build from public records instead.
15 min
Lead GenerationElectrical Contractor Leads: Best Sources Ranked
Where electrical contractor leads come from: only 39.1% of electrical revenue is residential. Sources ranked for all 4 buyers, plus real Google Ads costs.
21 min
Lead GenerationBest Lead Sources for Landscaping Companies
Rank landscaping lead sources by profit, route density, and speed. Use this field-tested scorecard to choose referrals, Google, ads, or partners.
15 min
Lead GenerationPlumbing Lead Generation: 9 Sources Ranked by Cost
Plumbing lead generation, ranked: 9 sources by cost per paying customer, from referrals (59% of leads) to Local Services Ads at $233, plus where to buy.
18 min
Lead GenerationBest Lead Sources for Roofing: 4 Triggers
Roofing demand is triggered, not created: storm, leak, underwriting letter, home sale. Rank sources by trigger and the usual top-10 list inverts.
16 min
Lead GenerationBest Lead Sources for Solar Companies: 3 Tiers
Solar CAC jumped 40% to $0.84/W in 2026 after the 25D credit died. Rank your lead sources by which ones survive the cliff, not by cost per lead.
15 min
Lead GenerationElectrical Lead Generation Without Buying: 5 Lists
Homeowners are posting $7,500 and $15,000 panel quotes and shopping them around. Five address-level electrical lead lists you can build without a broker.
16 min
Lead GenerationHow Many Electrical Leads Do I Need Per Month?
Most electrical shops land between 150 and 300 leads a month, but crew-days cap the number long before lead cost does. Here is the calculation run properly.
14 min
Lead GenerationHow Many Landscaping Leads Do I Need Per Month?
The standard formula says 468 leads a year. A maintenance-led landscaper usually needs about 127, because most of next year's revenue is already signed.
15 min
Lead GenerationHow Many Restoration Leads Per Month? Cash Decides
A $150,000 month needs 19 restoration jobs and 38 leads. Four ceilings cap that number, and in restoration the binding one is usually working capital.
14 min
Lead GenerationHow to Get More Electrical Leads: The $39 Trap
Electrical leads are the cheapest in home services at $39 on LSA. That is exactly why buying more of them stopped working in 2026. Here is what to do.
14 min
Lead GenerationHow to Get More Solar Leads: 6 Post-ITC Channels
Solar customer acquisition cost jumped 40% to $0.84/W in 2026 while the market shrank 19%. Six channels ranked by real cost per sale from working installers.
16 min
Lead GenerationHow to Get Work in the Slow Season: The Feb Floor
Three quarters of the seasonal drop lands after December 31. Ontario trades shed 12% of jobs by February. Here is what actually fills the calendar.
18 min
Lead GenerationLandscaping Leads Without Buying: 93,000 Re-Bids
373,000 US community associations re-bid grounds contracts every 3 to 5 years. That is roughly 93,000 landscaping contracts a year nobody sells as a lead.
17 min
Lead GenerationPlumbing Lead Generation Without Buying: 4 Clocks
A water heater lead costs $256 on Google Ads, the priciest plumbing subcategory. The build date is stamped on the tank. Four countdowns you already own.
17 min
Lead GenerationRestoration Leads Without Buying: An $11,600 Lead
The average water claim is $15,400. The mitigation invoice is $3,800. The other $11,600 is a lead you already own and probably hand to someone else.
16 min
Lead GenerationHome Security Lead Sources: 9 Ranked for Dealers
The 9 best home security lead sources for alarm companies, ranked. Only 7% of alarm owners switch providers in 3 years, so the trigger beats cost per lead.
21 min
Lead GenerationHow Many Plumbing Leads Do I Need Per Month?
Shops under five techs book 24% of calls. Shops over 25 techs book 59%. Your lead number depends on your size, not your revenue goal. The four-gate math.
14 min
Lead GenerationHow Many Roofing Leads Do I Need Per Month? 125
A $150,000 month needs 11 roofing jobs, 50 estimates and 125 qualified leads. Four gates move that number, and one of them is your crew calendar.
14 min
Lead GenerationHow Many Security Alarm Leads Do I Need Per Month?
At 10% attrition, half your monthly installs only replace accounts you lost. Work the lead number backwards from RMR growth, not revenue. Here is the math.
14 min
Lead GenerationHow to Get More Landscaping Leads: $38 vs $153
Landscaping lead cost swings 4x by service and 5x by month. The 2026 data on which lever actually moves lead volume, and the one nobody prices in.
17 min
Lead GenerationHow to Get More Plumbing Leads: The 8x Gap
Plumbing has the best booking rate of any trade and the worst ad returns. The 2026 data on why, and the 8x gap that decides how many leads you can afford.
15 min
Lead GenerationHow to Get More Restoration Leads: 6 Channels
Your territory produces a fixed number of water losses a year: about 1 in 60 insured homes. Six restoration lead channels, ranked by proximity to the loss.
16 min
Lead GenerationHow to Get More Roofing Leads: $500 vs $4,800
US shingle volume fell 4.7% in H1 2026 while 78% of roofers expect growth. More leads is now a share transfer. The channel math, per closed deal.
18 min
Lead GenerationHow to Get More Security Alarm Leads: 32x Rule
A monitored account at $54/mo sells for 25 to 50x RMR. Most alarm companies budget leads like a one-off install. Here is the math and the channels.
15 min
Lead GenerationHVAC Lead Generation Without Buying Leads: 5 Assets
A shared HVAC lead costs $149 blended and $231 for AC repair. Five lead assets you already own, counted, priced and ranked by how fast each one pays.
15 min
Lead GenerationRoofing Lead Generation Without Buying: 5 Lists
A roofing lead broker charges $10 extra for a 5-year-old roof and $20 for a 10-year-old one. That price list is the whole game. Here is how to build it free.
16 min
Lead GenerationSecurity Alarm Lead Generation Without Buying Leads
A $60 shared lead at a 10% close rate burns 12x RMR before you touch equipment. Here is the owned-channel replacement schedule for alarm dealers.
17 min
Lead GenerationHVAC Leads: 7 Best Sources, Ranked by Cost per Job
Where to get HVAC leads: 7 sources ranked by cost per booked job, from referrals at ~$0 to shared marketplace leads at $400 to $650. Buy vs generate.
18 min
Lead GenerationHow Many HVAC Leads Do I Need Per Month?
Work it backwards from revenue and the answer splits in two: a small number of replacement estimates carries most of the money, and everything else is volume.
12 min
Lead GenerationHow Many Leads Is My Business Losing? Do the Math
Six places leads leak, each with a formula. Work through them and you get one number: what your business loses every month before any marketing is bought.
12 min
Lead GenerationHow to Get More Google Reviews for Contractors
74% of consumers want reviews from the last three months. That makes a steady trickle worth more than a big push, and changes when you ask more than how.
13 min
Lead GenerationHow to Get More HVAC Leads: The 11% Opening
Only 11% of HVAC companies answer a new lead within the hour, the slowest of any trade. That gap is worth more than your ad budget. Here is how to use it.
12 min
Frequently asked questions
- What do Pavado's Getting More Leads guides cover?
- Per-trade lead generation without buying leads: where the work actually comes from, how many leads a month you need, and the channels that produce them.
- What is the best starting point in the Getting More Leads collection?
- Choose the guide that matches your business, platform and question. This collection includes First Customers for a Service Business: $0 Plan; How to Get More Concrete Jobs: 7 Hidden Sources; How to Get More Deck Building Jobs: 30M Old Decks. Check each article's examples and sources before applying it to your situation.