Google Ads for Exterior Services Businesses (2026 Playbook)
You should have the website right first. Here's why.
A great Google Ads campaign sending qualified homeowners to a slow, generic, low-converting website is the most efficient way to waste $1,500–$5,000 per month. Now that we're on the same page, here's the actual playbook.
TL;DR: Google Ads is the highest-ROI paid channel for residential exterior services in 2026 — but only after the website converts and GBP has 20+ reviews. The right mix: LSAs as workhorse ($25–$80/lead depending on trade), Search for commercial queries, Performance Max for retargeting. Budgets scale 3–7% of revenue.
Key takeaways
- LSAs are the highest-volume, lowest-cost paid lead source for residential exterior services
- LSAs require 20+ reviews at 4.6+ stars to perform efficiently
- Search ads make sense for commercial queries + brand defense
- Performance Max works for retargeting — not cold-start
- Cost per qualified LSA lead: $25–$80 depending on trade and metro
Trade-specific LSA economics
| Trade | CPL range | Avg ticket | Cost per booked job |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turf cleaning | $25–$60 | $250–$500 | $70–$200 |
| Turf installation | $30–$80 | $8k–$15k | $150–$400 |
| Pressure washing | $20–$50 | $200–$800 | $60–$180 |
| Lawn care | $15–$45 | $35–$75/visit | $40–$150 |
| Window cleaning | $20–$50 | $150–$400 | $60–$180 |
| Tree service | $35–$90 | $500–$3,500 | $100–$300 |
| Hardscaping | $40–$120 | $15k–$60k | $150–$500 |
| Fence installation | $35–$80 | $8k–$25k | $150–$400 |
When Search outperforms LSAs
- Commercial queries ("HOA [your trade]")
- Brand defense (your business name)
- High-budget specialty queries (putting greens, outdoor kitchens, large fence installs)
- Long-tail informational queries
Performance Max for service businesses
- Retargeting site visitors with project gallery videos
- Customer match expansion (lookalikes)
- NOT cold-start — needs conversion data first
Budget by revenue stage
- $200k–$400k: $1,000–$2,500/month, mostly LSAs
- $400k–$1M: $2,500–$5,000/month, mix LSAs + Search + PMax retargeting
- $1M+: $5,000–$15,000/month, full mix
3–7% of revenue is the sweet spot. Below 3% starves the engine; above 8% usually signals inefficient mix.
Why we sell ads as Stage 2
- Stage 1: Website + care plan $2,500 + $47/mo
- Stage 2: Paid ads 60–90 days later. Exclusive territory.
We don't sell ads to operators without a converting Stage 1 site. Running ads to a brochure wastes 50–70% of spend.
Common Google Ads mistakes
- Ads to a brochure site
- Skipping LSA verification
- No negative keywords
- No call tracking
- PMax as cold-start
- Pausing campaigns at 7 days
- No commercial landing pages
- Geo-targeting too broadly
- Daily bid adjustments
- Generic ad copy
Frequently asked questions
Minimum budget for LSAs? $800/month floor.
LSAs and Search same time? Yes, different intents. LSAs for residential, Search for commercial.
Realistic ROAS? 10–25x in healthy markets with converting website + 50+ reviews.
Want Google Ads run by an agency that ships your Stage 1 website first? /website-design builds the foundation. Or book a strategy call.
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