Pay-per-lead for contractors, explained
If you have ever paid for a lead and felt burned, this is for you. Here is how pay-per-lead is supposed to work, and how to make sure you only ever pay for real customers.
Pay-per-lead means you pay only when a real customer reaches out. No retainer, no ad spend, no monthly minimum. With Bold Coast Leads each lead is also exclusive to your business and the junk never gets billed, so the price you pay is for genuine, in-area work.
What a lead is, and is not
A lead is a person in your service area who contacts you about the work you do. A real call that lasts long enough to be a conversation, a voicemail, or a complete form with a working number. That is it. A robocall is not a lead. The same person calling again within 30 days is one lead, not two. A wrong number is not a lead. Getting that definition right is the whole game, because a loose definition is how the big lead sites quietly overcharge people.
Why the price per lead is not the number that matters
Contractors fixate on the price per lead, but the number that decides whether you make money is the cost per booked job. Say two services both send you ten leads. One charges $20 a lead but sells each one to five contractors, so you win one job. That is $200 for one job. The other charges $40 a lead but the leads are exclusive, so you win four. That is $400 for four jobs, or $100 a job. The higher sticker price is the better deal.
How to make sure you never pay for junk
Three things protect you. First, a clear written definition of what counts, with a list of what never gets billed. Second, call recording, so there is proof for every charge. Third, a dispute window, so if a bad lead slips through you can flag it and get credited. We build all three into every plan. Every call is recorded, repeats inside 30 days are deduplicated automatically, and you get five business days to dispute anything.
When pay-per-lead is the right call
Pay-per-lead is the lowest-risk way to start, because you are not committing to a monthly number before you have seen a single lead. It is a great fit if your season is uneven, if you are testing a new service area, or if you just want to see the leads are real before you commit. Once the calls are steady, many businesses switch to renting the site for a flat monthly rate and keeping every lead. You can move between the two whenever it suits you.
The short version
Pay-per-lead should mean exactly what it says: you pay for real customers, and nothing else. Exclusive leads cost more per lead and less per job. And you should never have to take anyone's word that a lead was real, because the recording is right there in your report.
Common questions
What does pay-per-lead actually mean?
You pay a set price each time you get a real customer inquiry, instead of paying a monthly retainer or for ad clicks. With us, a lead is an exclusive call or form from someone in your area asking about your service. No inquiry, no charge.
How much is a contractor lead?
It depends on the trade and the job size. A junk hauling lead might run from about $25 while a roofing or restoration lead is worth much more because the jobs are bigger. Our calculator gives you a grounded estimate for your trade and town in about ten seconds.
Is pay-per-lead worth it?
It is when the leads are exclusive and the bad ones do not get billed. The math that matters is cost per booked job, not cost per lead. Because you are the only contractor who gets the call, you close more of them, so your real cost per job is usually lower than shared lead sites even though the sticker price per lead is higher.
How is this different from Angi or HomeAdvisor?
Those sites sell the same lead to several contractors at once, so you race four other crews and lose many on price. Ours go to one business per market. You are never competing for the call, and you are never billed for spam or repeats.
Related guides
See what an exclusive lead costs in your town
Tell us your trade and your market. We will tell you what is available and what it costs, with no pressure and no contract.
- You only pay for real leads
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