A tree lead goes cold in the time it takes to finish the job you are on.
By Ty Stevens, founder of To The Max Media · Updated
Google reaches homeowners who are already searching for a tree crew. Then someone has to call back while the homeowner is still looking at the tree.
- Google first, because tree work is searched for, not browsed
- A callback within five minutes, then a text, then an email
- Your own leads, not a list sold to other crews too
Put the first money into Google, because people search for tree work when they need it: "tree service near me", "emergency tree removal". Facebook comes later. Then handle every lead the same way: call within minutes, text if they miss it, and keep following up.
Cheaper leads are not cheaper jobs
Facebook leads often cost less up front, $25 to $60 in one guide (Home Service Direct, 2026), but the price of a lead says nothing about how many book. Judge each channel by what a booked job costs, not a lead. Bought lead lists carry their own problem: marketplaces can sell the same homeowner to several crews, so you pay to join a price fight.
The callback routine
Call within five minutes, while the homeowner is still thinking about the tree. If they miss it, text, then email. One tree marketing guide says most booked jobs come from the second to fifth contact, not the first (Home Service Direct, 2026). So the routine needs one person who owns it and a list of who has not answered yet.
Real work you can check
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What clients say
“Ty has been absolutely amazing! He's helped me out with everything from GoHighLevel and Facebook to building a custom app for my business. Since working with him, my business has been bringing in a ton of high-quality leads. I've worked with several different people in the past, but Ty is on a completely different level. He knows his stuff, gets things done, and actually delivers results. This dude is awesome! I highly recommend him to anyone looking to grow their business.”
A few things you might be wondering
Who answers the phone when the crew is up a tree?
Someone who is not on the saw: an office person, a family member, or an answering service that can book estimates. A missed call during a job is a lead handed to the next company on the list.
Do referrals count as a tree lead source?
Yes. Ask at the end of each job, when the yard is clean and the customer is pleased, and track referred jobs the same way you track ads, so you can see what they bring in.
How do we know which tree leads became jobs?
Tie every call and form to its source, then mark each one booked or lost. A weekly count by channel, with jobs and revenue beside it, shows where the next dollar should go.
See what fits your business.
Management starts at $750 a month per service area, plus ad spend paid directly. Month to month, cancel anytime by email. Your ad accounts stay yours.
One tree services company per service area, first come, first served, while you are a client.
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Explore the tree services market details
Google first. The numbers behind the verdict.
- Why it comes first
- Google first. Nobody browses for tree work, and when a limb comes down at midnight they type emergency tree removal into their phone and call whoever comes up first. Meta is for after the storm, staying in front of the people who already looked.
- Google Ads, cost per click
- $15.11 average in 2026 (down from $18.59 in 2025 and $20.69 in 2024); click-to-lead fell from 25.3% to 15.9% over the same period so cost per lead rose about 16% to an $85 to $110 median, with top performers at $51 to $92. By service: debris cleanup $56, land clearing $65, tree removal $80, stump grinding $83, 'tree service near me' $94, trimming $10599calls.com, 2026
- Meta, cost per lead
- $25 to $60 a lead in one marketing agency's guide (Home Service Direct, 2026), a published range, not a forecasthomeservicedirect.net, 2026
- Local Services Ads
- Tree services is its own category, so you can apply there. Leads have averaged about $46 in 99calls' estimator (2026). Ads go live only after Google screens the business.
- Second channel
- Facebook, for the week after a storm and for the people who priced a removal on your site and never called. It adds volume after Google, it does not replace it.