Lead generation for builders and tradies. Your options.
Lead generation is any way of getting homeowners to ask you for a quote: your own ads, a job marketplace, leads bought from a lead company, or a partner who finds and checks homeowners for you. Each one trades money, time and control differently, and which fits depends on your trade and the size of your jobs.
For builders, trades and home services in Australia and New Zealand.
The main routes, side by side.
Most businesses use two or three of these at once. The catch in each is the part to allow for.
| Route | How you pay | The catch | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Referrals and repeat work | Nothing, beyond good work and asking | You can't turn it up when the diary is empty | Every business. Ask every happy customer |
| Your own website and Google profile | Your time, plus the site | Slow to build, and only as good as your reviews and replies | Businesses that want enquiries they own |
| Your own ads | Per click or per view, from your own ad account | Someone has to run them well, and many clicks never enquire | Steady work, with someone free to answer fast |
| Job marketplaces | A fee to join, or a price per job or enquiry | You are often one of several businesses the homeowner hears from | Smaller jobs, and filling gaps quickly |
| Bought leads | A set price per enquiry | Quality and sharing vary by seller. Read the terms | Testing a new area or trade |
| A partner who finds and checks homeownersWhat PreBuild does | Per homeowner, rung and checked first | Fewer of them, and each costs more than a raw enquiry | Jobs of $5,000 or more, where a wasted quote costs a day |
How pay per lead works What exclusive should mean Pay per appointment, explained
Which route fits which business.
A rough guide. Your own numbers decide in the end: what a signed job is worth, and how many quotes you win.
- Jobs under $5,000
- Your Google profile, reviews and a marketplace listing. Paying to have every enquiry checked rarely adds up on a small job.
- Jobs of $5,000 and up
- Your own ads, or a partner who rings homeowners first. When a quote takes a day, the checking is worth paying for.
- Custom homes and big renovations
- Fewer, bigger enquiries. Qualify early, and charge for the preliminary work before the detailed quote.
- Enquiries that go nowhere
- Fix the reply and the quote follow-up before you buy more.
- Something you own
- Your own website and ads, run in your own account.
Tradie leads and builder leads aren't the same thing.
A fence enquiry and a knockdown rebuild need different questions before anyone quotes. Each trade page shows what we ask and where we're taking on businesses. In the United States, the same businesses are usually called contractors.
Fencing and decking
Taking on businessesDucted air and HVAC
Taking on businessesSolar and batteries
Taking on businessesRenovations and extensions
Taking on businessesKitchens and bathrooms
Taking on businessesCustom and new homes
Taking on businessesLandscaping and pools
Taking on businessesProperty and development
Taking on businessesDon't see your trade? If you quote homeowners directly and the jobs are worth $5,000 or more, ask us.
Where PreBuild fits.
We start with homeowners, because that's what most businesses come to us for. The rest is there for when work goes missing after the enquiry arrives.
Take one part or several. There is no lock-in on any of it.
- Homeowners, checked firstWe run the ads, ring every homeowner and send each one to one business. You pay per homeowner.
- Ads in your own accountFacebook, Instagram and Google ads, written and run for you, in an account you own.
- Every enquiry answeredA fast reply, the right questions asked first, and a text back for every missed call.
- Every quote followed upUntil there's a yes or a no. Paid preliminary agreements for builders who want them.
- Websites and systemsA site homeowners can find and trust, and tools built around how you sell.
Common questions
What is lead generation for tradies?
Any way of getting homeowners to ask you for a quote: referrals, your own website and Google profile, your own ads, job marketplaces, bought leads, or a partner who finds and checks homeowners for you. Most trade businesses use a mix.
What is the best way for a tradie to get leads?
There isn't one best way. Referrals and reviews cost the least but can't be turned up. Your own ads give you control but need running. Marketplaces and bought leads are quick to start but often shared. Choose by job size, how fast you can answer, and how much control you want.
Should I buy leads or run my own ads?
Your own ads give you control and the data, but take time to get right. Bought leads are quicker to start and have a known price, but you depend on the seller's terms. Many businesses do both. Compare them on cost per signed job, not cost per lead.
How do builders get leads?
Mostly through referrals, their own website and reviews, ads, and people who refer clients, such as designers and architects. For custom homes and major renovations, the bigger job is often qualifying the enquiries that come in, and getting paid for the preliminary work before a detailed quote.
How do I choose a lead generation company?
Ask how they find homeowners, how many businesses get each one, what counts as a lead, what happens to bad ones and whether there's a lock-in. Get every answer in writing, and be wary of anyone who promises you a number of signed jobs.
Read more on this
- GuideTradie leads in Australia: five sources
- GuideConstruction leads for residential builders
- GuideGoogle Ads or buying leads
- GuideWebsite or marketplace listing
- GuideChoosing a lead generation company
- GuideLead generation for NZ tradies
- PreBuildHow we find and check homeowners
- PreBuildApply and get your price in writing
Want homeowners for your business?
Tell us your trade and where you work. We'll ring you to talk it through and give you your price in writing. If it's not a fit, we'll say so.
No retainer, no lock-in, nothing monthly.
Thanks. We've got your application.
We'll call you to talk it through: your trade, where you work and how many homeowners you could take on. If it's a fit, you get your price in writing.