Updated from 2022 blog
Getting a steady stream of high-quality leads is the lifeblood of any landscaping business. Yet, many small business owners struggle to find consistent and affordable ways to attract customers. Relying solely on word-of-mouth or a Facebook page isn’t enough to compete in today’s market. Without a solid lead generation strategy, businesses risk slow growth and losing jobs to competitors who have mastered the art of digital marketing.
Some lead generation services promise the world but deliver low-quality leads that never convert. Others charge hefty fees without clear ROI. Additionally, some of these vendors work on a pay-per-lead or pay-per-call basis while others set up and manage the entire marketing funnel (e.g., SEO, website, etc.) for a flat monthly fee. With so many options, it’s tough to know which services actually help landscapers book more jobs.
However, we have done the legwork for you and put together a list of top lead generation services for landscaping contractors, evaluating their effectiveness, pricing, and customer satisfaction.
Figure 1: How each pay-per-lead website handles lead generation, verification, and distribution
Shared vs. Exclusive Leads
Shared leads offer affordability. Exclusive leads provide a better chance of securing jobs, ideal for new businesses or those seeking direct opportunities.
- Shared leads go to multiple HVAC contractors, making competition tougher but keeping costs lower.
- Exclusive leads are sold to just one contractor, eliminating competition but at a higher price. While shared leads offer affordability, exclusive leads provide a better chance of securing jobs—ideal for new businesses or those seeking direct opportunities.
What Are Verified Leads?
Verified leads are pre-screened to ensure they are genuine and interested in your services. Some vendors use detailed forms to assess intent, while others pre-qualify leads through pay-per-call or web inquiries. If leads come through direct calls, reputable vendors often record them to confirm quality and offer dispute resolutions for unqualified leads. Choosing verified leads helps you avoid wasted time and focus on real opportunities.
Below is Brief Overview of Each Lead Service Mentioned Above.
1. 99 Calls – Exclusive, Warm Leads
99 Calls specializes in providing exclusive, high-converting leads for HVAC contractors.
- Cost per lead: $9.99 – $129.99 per exclusive lead.
- Lead distribution system: Exclusive.
- Lead source: 99 Calls Lead Generation System drives a contractor’s website to the top of search engine results so they can be found by high-quality prospects.
Pros:
- Unlike platforms that sell the same lead to multiple businesses (e.g., Angi, Thumbtack), 99 Calls provides exclusive leads, increasing the chances of conversion.
- Warm Leads – 99 Calls focuses on search engine optimization (SEO), Google Ads pay-per-click (PPC) marketing, and Local Services Ads (LSA), which means the leads are high intent and ready to book a job.
- 99 Calls builds and optimizes a custom lead generation website to help contractors rank higher in local search results and generate organic leads over time.
- Instead of relying on form submissions only, many leads come through as live calls, increasing the chances of immediate customer engagement.
2. HomeAdvisor
- Cost per HVAC lead: $15-$100 per lead.
- Additional Cost: $300/year.
- Lead distribution system: Leads shared by several contractors.
- Lead source: Form on the website and third-party data sources.
Pros:
- HomeAdvisor is the largest contractor-matching service and popular among homeowners.
- It has a strong online presence. If you’re starting out, building a good profile on HomeAdvisor can help you get found on Google.
- Some contractors report having purchased good leads from the site.
Cons:
- Leads are sold to multiple contractors, making competition stiff.
- Since it’s free and easy for homeowners to submit a request for quote, some leads may not be ready to start a project.
- Many contractors aren’t happy with HomeAdvisor’s customer service.
- Canceling your subscription and requesting a refund can be a hassle.
3. CraftJack
- Cost per HVAC lead: $12-$105 per shared lead.
- Lead distribution system: Leads shared by up to four contractors.
- Lead source: Homeowners submit requests on the vendor’s website.
- Lead Verification System: The vendor’s automated system calls the prospects to verify their information when they submit requests for quotes.
Pros:
- CraftJack’s lead management tool makes it easy for contractors to track prospects and receive text or email alerts on new leads.
- It’s easy to request a credit for a bad lead through the lead management tool.
Cons:
Using shared leads means you’ll have to compete with other contractors for the same prospects.
4. Thumbtack
- Cost per HVAC lead: $10 – $100 to send a quote. Price can vary depending on the job.
- Introductory Price: Start with a 10-quote package at a 30% discount.
- Lead distribution system: Shared by several contractors.
- Lead source: Prospects fill out a form on the vendor’s website.
- Lead Verification System: The vendor reviews each lead to make sure the request is legitimate.
Pros:
- The site offers a detailed description of each job or project.
- There’s a large number of homeowners sending requests to Thumbtack.
- You only pay for each quote you send, there are no hidden or additional fees.
- It’s possible to get good quality leads at a low cost if you have excellent reviews and a compelling description of your services on your profile.
Cons:
- Your company’s contact details aren’t visible to potential clients so they can’t contact you directly via your Thumbtack profile.
- Thumbtack allows homeowners to directly contact HVAC pros based on reviews and profiles. Unlike traditional lead services, this platform encourages contractors to build a strong reputation through customer feedback. Since customers choose who to message, it’s not a true “pay-per-lead” model, but it can be an effective way to generate local business.
- Multiple businesses often receive the same lead, making it a race to respond first and outbid competitors.
- Many users inquire out of curiosity or compare prices but never respond, leaving you paying for unqualified or dead-end leads.
- Thumbtack encourages price shopping, so customers may go with the cheapest option instead of valuing expertise or long-term relationships.
- Thumbtack has a history of changing its pricing structure and lead distribution model, making it harder for businesses to plan their marketing budgets effectively.
5. Yelp Ads – Boosted Visibility for Reviews-Based Leads
Yelp’s advertising platform helps businesses reach homeowners searching for HVAC services. While Yelp reviews play a significant role in winning leads, paid ads can further increase your visibility. Contractors with strong Yelp ratings tend to see the best results.
- Locked into Contracts – Yelp reps may push longer-term ad contracts with cancellation fees. Always read the fine print.
- Cost per HVAC lead: $30-$100 per lead.
- Lead Source: Prospects submit requests to contractor’s page.
- Lead Distribution: Exclusive.
Pros:
- High-Intent Traffic – People on Yelp are usually ready to buy or make a decision (especially for local services, restaurants, home improvement, etc.).
- Increased Visibility – Your business appears at the top of search results and competitor pages—big visibility boost, especially in competitive markets.
- Location-Based Targeting – Ads are shown to people in your area, so you’re hitting a relevant audience automatically.
- Pay-Per-Click Model – You only pay when someone actually clicks, not just for impressions.
- Performance Tracking – Yelp provides analytics: ad clicks, customer leads, etc., so you can track ROI (though it may require some interpretation).
- Enhanced Profile – With ads, you can also get upgrades like removing competitor ads from your page or adding call-to-action buttons.
Cons:
- Can Be Expensive – Cost-per-click can be high, especially in saturated industries. Monthly minimums may apply even if you don’t get many leads.
- Mixed ROI – Some businesses report few conversions despite lots of clicks. Clicks ≠ customers in every case.
- Not Great for Every Industry – If your business isn’t review-heavy or local-service based, the audience may not be as relevant.
- Fake or Negative Reviews Still Hurt – Yelp’s review filter can hide legit reviews and show questionable ones, which might impact the success of your ad campaign.
- Less Control Over Ad Targeting – You can’t pick exact keywords like you can with Google Ads; Yelp automates much of the targeting.
6. Titan PPC
- Pricing structure: Varies based on service package.
- Lead distribution system: Direct exclusive.
- Lead source: The vendor develops your search engine strategy and drives prospects to a lead generation landing page, which will also be created for you.
- Lead Verification System: Prospects will get in touch with you via the landing page.
Pros:
- The vendor is a Google Partner with expertise in Google Adwords and Google Remarketing.
- You also get custom call tracking so you can assess the ROI in your monthly report.
- Custom ads and landing pages will be set up on your behalf for precise targeting, e.g., types of services or geographic area.
Cons:
- The full-service approach can be more expensive than many other pay-per-lead services.
7. Disruptive Advertising
- Pricing structure: Varies based on service package.
- Lead distribution system: Direct exclusive.
- Lead source: The vendor uses online marketing techniques, such as PPC ads, SEO, and social media marketing, to attract prospects to your website.
- Lead Verification System: You’ll capture and verify leads using your current system.
Pros:
- The vendor is a Google Partner and an accredited professional for Bing ads.
- You have access to its software to monitor your campaigns and receive a weekly report on their performance.
- An account manager will help you improve the campaign results.
Cons:
- Agency model tends to be more expensive than many other pay-per-lead services.
- You need to have a website with an effective lead capture mechanism. Otherwise, you can’t take full advantage of the increased traffic.
8. HomeYou
- Pricing structure: Depends on the type of service and your market.
- Lead distribution system: Both shared and exclusive leads, varies by package.
- Lead source: The vendor drives traffic to its website using online marketing techniques (e.g., SEO.) Prospects then submit their requests for quotes.
- Lead Verification System: The vendor verifies the prospects’ information before distributing the leads to contractors.
Pros:
- Many contractors are satisfied with the quality of the leads from this vendor.
- You get a profile page on the vendor’s website to showcase your services.
- The vendor offers a rather frictionless refund process for bad leads.
Cons:
- Price per lead may be higher than some other pay-per-lead websites.
9. PBTP Leads
- Cost per landscaping lead: Shared lead starting at $20 – $120.
- Lead distribution system: Leads are shared by up to 3 contractors.
- Lead source: Clients submit requests to the vendor’s system.
- Lead Verification System: Leads are phone-verified.
Pros:
- It’s an affordable pay-per-lead service with no contract or additional fees.
- You can easily control your budget by adding funds to your account.
- The mobile app allows you to purchase leads on-the-go.
- The vendor offers leads for both commercial and residential jobs.
Cons:
- Buying shared leads means you’d likely be competing against other landscapers.
10. Marketing360
- Cost per landscaping lead: Tailored pricing plans.
- Lead distribution system: Direct exclusive leads generated from your website, built using the vendor’s marketing software.
- Lead source: The vendor uses online ads to drive traffic to your website.
- Lead Verification System: Prospects fill out a web form on your website to request information.
Pros:
- The vendor offers on-demand marketing services, such as website design and development, content creation, online advertising, and video production.
- You have access to the vendor’s online lead management tool, which is part of its marketing software.
- The vendor’s software allows you to manage ads on various platforms (e.g., Google, YouTube, Bing, Facebook, Instagram, etc.) all in one place.
Cons:
- The full-service packages can be more costly than pay-per-lead models.
Figure 2: Price-per-lead comparison
Considerations When Choosing a Lead Generation Service:
- Lead Exclusivity: Determine if leads are shared among multiple businesses or exclusive to you. Exclusive leads often result in higher conversion rates.
- Lead Verification: Ensure the service verifies leads to filter out unqualified prospects, saving you time and resources.
- Pricing Structure: Understand the cost per lead and any additional fees. Some services offer pay-per-lead, while others may have monthly fees.
- Service Area: Confirm that the provider can generate leads within your specific geographic area.
- Contract Terms: Look for flexible agreements without long-term commitments, allowing you to adjust or cancel services as needed.
Before partnering with any service, it’s advisable to research and possibly test multiple providers to determine which aligns best with your business goals and delivers the highest return on investment.