· 2 min read · Bookwell
How much should a plumber spend on Google Ads?
A simple way to work out a Google Ads budget for a plumbing company, starting from the jobs you want, not a number someone made up.
There is no single right number. A one-truck shop in a small town and a ten-truck company in a big city need very different budgets. But there is a simple way to work out what makes sense for you, and it starts with the jobs you want, not the money.
Start with the jobs, not the budget
Ask yourself three questions:
- How many extra jobs a month do you want from ads?
- Out of every 10 people who call you, how many usually book?
- Roughly what does one click cost in your area for searches like "emergency plumber near me"?
The first two you already know. The third you can find for free in Google's Keyword Planner, inside any Google Ads account. Emergency and water heater searches usually cost more per click than general searches, because every plumber in town wants them.
The simple math
Work backwards:
- Jobs you want ÷ how many callers book = calls you need
- Calls you need ÷ how many clicks turn into a call = clicks you need
- Clicks you need × cost per click = monthly budget
A good plumbing landing page often turns somewhere around 1 in 10 clicks into a call or form. A weak page turns far fewer. That one number changes your budget more than anything else, which is why the page people land on matters as much as the ad.
Our ad budget calculator does this math for you. Pick Plumbing, move the slider, and change any assumption that doesn't match your business.
Where plumbers waste the most money
- DIY searches. "How to unclog a drain" gets lots of clicks and almost no paying customers. Block these words.
- Job seekers. "Plumber jobs" and "plumbing apprenticeship" eat budgets fast.
- Too wide an area. If you won't drive 40 minutes for a drain clog, don't show ads 40 minutes away.
- Ads running when nobody answers. An emergency call that goes to voicemail is money thrown away. Run ads when your phones are staffed.
We wrote more about cutting this waste in how to read your search terms report.
Start smaller than you think, then scale
A sensible first month is a budget big enough to get real data: enough clicks that you can see which searches bring calls. Then you move money toward what works and cut what doesn't. Most of the improvement comes in months two and three, not week one.
A quick checklist before you spend a dollar
- Your phone number is easy to tap on your website, on a phone
- Calls from ads are tracked, so you know which ones came from Google
- You know your average job value and how many callers book
- The ad account is in your name, so you keep it if you change agencies
If you want a second opinion on your numbers, ask for a free audit. We'll look at your area and tell you what a realistic budget looks like, even if the answer is "you don't need us yet". You can also see how we run Google Ads for plumbers.