In the HVAC Google Ads accounts we manage, our clients typically get 30 to 50 leads a month at $70 to $90 per lead, with an average 7x to 10x return on ad spend. Cost per lead varies by market. Those numbers come from a specific setup: Search campaigns split by service, phrase and exact match keywords, strong negative keywords, and a dedicated landing page with a tight offer for every click. Most HVAC companies that say “Google Ads doesn’t work” have a setup problem, not a channel problem.
The real numbers
| Metric | Typical range in our HVAC accounts |
|---|---|
| Leads per month | 30–50 |
| Cost per lead | $70–90 (varies by market) |
| Return on ad spend | 7–10x on average |
For context, WordStream’s 2026 benchmarks put the average cost per lead across all industries at $66.69. HVAC sits a little above that because the jobs are worth more and competition is heavy. What matters is what the lead turns into.
Example (not a quote)At $80 per lead, 40 leads cost $3,200. If one in three books and the average ticket is $2,000, that’s about 13 jobs and $26,000 in revenue, roughly 8x your ad spend. One system replacement can change the math completely.
Search, Local Services Ads or Performance Max?
| Campaign type | How you pay | Where it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Search | Per click | Start here. Most control over services, keywords, landing pages and offers. |
| Local Services Ads | Per lead | A strong add-on once Search is running. Top-of-page placement with the Google Verified badge. |
| Performance Max | Per conversion goal | Test later, once tracking is solid and Search is profitable. |
Local Services Ads are changing too. Google is moving them into Google Ads as a Performance Max campaign type with pay-per-lead goals, and HVAC was in the first group starting in August 2026. See what changed for HVAC Local Services Ads.
The setup behind 30–50 leads a month
Split campaigns by service
AC repair, furnace repair, AC installation, furnace replacement, heat pumps and maintenance are different searches with different values. Each gets its own campaign or ad group, ads, landing page and budget. That lets you push budget to replacements and installs when you have crew capacity, and to repair during heat waves and cold snaps.
Phrase and exact match, not broad
Broad match lets Google show your ad for loosely related searches: HVAC school, “how to recharge AC,” jobs, parts. Phrase and exact match keep you on searches from homeowners ready to hire. See the best keywords for HVAC Google Ads.
Negative keywords from day one
- Jobs: jobs, hiring, salary, technician, apprentice, school, certification
- DIY: how to, DIY, troubleshooting, reset, YouTube
- Parts and retail: parts, filter, thermostat for sale, Home Depot, Lowe’s
- Services you don’t offer: commercial refrigeration, window units, car AC
A dedicated landing page with a tight offer
Every click lands on a page built for that service and area: an AC repair page for AC repair searches, a heat pump page for heat pump searches. Each has a clear headline, click-to-call, a short form, reviews, photos of your team and one specific offer (a dollar-off repair, a free replacement estimate or a financing option).
Call tracking
Most HVAC leads are phone calls. Track every call and form, then mark which booked and what they were worth. See how to set up Google Ads conversion tracking.
The two biggest money-wasters
- Sending ads to your website. A homepage tries to say everything. Someone who searched “AC repair” and lands on a page about furnaces, ducts and company history is far less likely to call.
- Broad match keywords. They quietly spend your budget on searches that were never going to book.
Fix those two and most struggling HVAC accounts improve quickly. More in how to stop wasting money on Google Ads.
What moves your HVAC cost per lead
- Your market. Bigger, more competitive metros cost more per click. That’s why our range runs from about $70 to $90.
- The season. Clicks get more expensive when everyone raises budgets during heat waves and cold snaps.
- Service mix. Installation and replacement searches cost more than maintenance, and they’re worth more.
- Your landing page. A page that converts more visitors into calls lowers the cost of every lead, even if clicks cost the same.
- Answering the phone. Missed calls don’t raise your cost per lead on paper, but they raise your cost per booked job. Invoca’s 2026 data found 44% of callers to businesses never reach a person.
Judge it by cost per booked job
A cheap lead that never books costs more than an expensive one that does. Track:
- Cost per booked job: ad spend divided by jobs booked
- Return on ad spend: revenue from those jobs divided by ad spend
What the first 90 days look like
A new HVAC account doesn’t hit its best numbers on day one. Here’s the usual order:
- Weeks 1–2: tracking, campaigns by service, negatives and landing pages built and launched.
- Weeks 2–6: daily and weekly search-term reviews, new negatives, bid and budget changes as real data comes in.
- Months 2–3: shift budget toward the services and areas producing booked jobs, test offers and ad copy, and add Local Services Ads if they aren’t running.
See what to expect from a new Google Ads account.
Budget around the seasons
HVAC demand spikes in the first heat wave and the first cold snap. Raise budgets before those hit, shift toward maintenance and replacement campaigns in mild months, and keep campaigns running year-round so you don’t start from zero each season. See HVAC seasonal campaigns.
I also wrote about this topic on LinkedIn: HVAC Google Ads.
Frequently asked questions
How much do HVAC Google Ads leads cost?
In our accounts, typically $70 to $90 per lead, depending on the market. See HVAC cost per lead for what drives it.
How many leads should an HVAC company get from Google Ads?
Our HVAC clients typically get 30 to 50 leads a month. Budget, market size and season all change that.
Should HVAC companies use Performance Max?
Start with Search. Test Performance Max later, once tracking is in place and Search is profitable.
Are Local Services Ads better than Google Ads for HVAC?
They work best together. See HVAC Google Ads vs Local Services Ads.
How long does it take for HVAC Google Ads to work?
Leads usually start in the first week. The account typically improves over the first two to three months as search terms are cleaned up and budget moves to what books.
Want these numbers in your account?
We’ll review your current HVAC campaigns and show you what we’d change. See HVAC Google Ads management, send us a message or call 253-579-3230.
Cole Mello is the founder of Altura Marketing Group. He studied marketing at Washington State University and manages Google Ads, Local Services Ads and Meta campaigns for local service businesses. About Altura