Lead generation for NZ tradies and builders comes down to four main sources: referrals, job marketplaces, bought leads, and their own ads and search listings. Each has a catch. The sensible way to choose is to try a small amount of each and judge it by cost per signed job, not cost per enquiry.
This guide is for builders, tradies and home-services businesses in New Zealand. The spelling is the same as Australian English, and the rules that apply are New Zealand’s.
Lead generation in NZ today: where enquiries come from
Most small firms start with word of mouth. A past client or another trade recommends you, and the homeowner rings. It is the cheapest source and often the best, but you cannot turn it on when work runs short.
When referrals are not enough, firms add paid sources. They fall into three groups: marketplaces and job boards, bought leads, and their own ads and search. You can mix them. The question for each is the same: who else is getting this enquiry, how fast do you reply, and what does a signed job cost you?
Marketplace subscriptions
Marketplaces and job boards let homeowners post a job. Several firms can see or respond to it. You may pay a subscription, a fee to respond, or a fee when a homeowner picks you.
The upside is volume and speed, especially for a new business with no reviews yet. The catch is that you are often one of several quoting. That pushes the price down and rewards the firm that replies first, which may not be the best builder.
Before you subscribe, ask:
- How many firms can respond to one job?
- Do I pay whether or not I win?
- Can I leave at any time, and what happens to my reviews?
- What do I pay for jobs outside my area or my trade?
Keep a log for a month. Count the jobs you quoted, the jobs you won and what you spent, and divide. If the subscription is on a standard form contract, see the contract note below.
Bought leads
A lead company runs ads, collects enquiries and sells them to you. Some sell each enquiry to one firm. Some sell it to several. Billing may be per lead, per call or per booked visit.
The catch is the definition. A lead can be a form fill from someone who clicked by mistake, or a checked homeowner who wants a quote in your area. Ask for the checks in writing, and ask what happens when an enquiry is not real. How to choose a lead generation company has the full list.
Be careful with lists of homeowner contact details. Under New Zealand’s spam law, the Department of Internal Affairs says purchased or existing address lists need appropriate consent for each address. See the DIA’s three steps.
Ads and local search
With your own ads, you pay Google or Meta to show your business to people nearby, and an enquiry reaches only you. You keep the account, the data and the learning. You also carry the cost of a bad month, and someone has to build the ads and answer every enquiry quickly.
Search listings cost nothing but time. A complete, accurate Google listing, your service area, recent photos of finished work and honest reviews help a homeowner who is searching to choose you. A simple page that explains the job you do and asks for the suburb and a phone number turns visitors into enquiries. See how ads run in your own account.
The weak point for most firms is not the ad. It is the reply. An enquiry that waits a day often goes to the next firm. How fast to respond to building enquiries explains.
If you work in a particular trade, the trade page shows how enquiries tend to look: renovations and extensions, for example.
What to check first
The messaging rules. If you email or text people to sell to them, New Zealand’s spam law applies, and the Department of Internal Affairs’ guidance says commercial messages need consent, must identify the business responsible and need a working way to unsubscribe, and that you have to be able to show consent. Keep records of who agreed and how. Read the DIA’s three steps, and check what applies to you.
Privacy. The Privacy Commissioner says businesses that collect personal information in New Zealand must follow the Privacy Act and its principles. See the Privacy Commissioner’s principles. In practice: tell people why you are collecting their details, and use them for that purpose.
The contract. The Commerce Commission says its unfair contract term rules cover standard form contracts between businesses that form part of trading relationships worth up to $250,000 in any 12-month period. See the Commerce Commission’s page. Still read minimum terms, renewals, price changes and how you leave. This is a pointer, not legal advice.
The numbers. Work out what a signed job is worth to you. Then divide what you spend on each source by the jobs it signed. As an example only, if you spend $1,500 on a source and it signs three jobs, each job cost $500 to win. Use your own figures.
PreBuild covers New Zealand as well as every Australian state. It runs ads, rings every homeowner who enquires, checks they are real and want the work, and sends each one to a single business. See how it finds homeowners.
Common questions
What is the best way for a NZ tradie to get leads?
Referrals are the best source and the cheapest, but they cannot be switched on. Most firms add one paid source at a time and keep the one with the lowest cost per signed job.
Are marketplace subscriptions worth it for NZ tradies?
They can be, especially to get started. Count how many jobs you quote, win and pay for, and check whether the enquiries are shared with other firms.
Can I text or email homeowners to sell my services in NZ?
Only with consent, and the message must identify you and include a working unsubscribe, according to the Department of Internal Affairs. Check its guidance for your situation.
Do I need a website to get enquiries?
Not to start, but a simple page that explains your work and asks for the job, suburb and phone number helps people who find you through search or ads to get in touch.