Plumbers should put most of their Google Ads budget into water heater replacement and tankless water heater installation, because those jobs produce the best return on ad spend in the plumbing accounts we run. Leads cost about the same as a drain clog or leaky faucet call, but the ticket is many times bigger. Across our plumbing clients, Google Ads typically brings in 30 to 50 leads a month at $70 to $90 per lead, with a 7x to 10x return on ad spend at minimum.
Why water heaters win
- Big tickets. A replacement or tankless install is worth far more than most service calls.
- Urgent intent. A homeowner with no hot water or a leaking tank wants it fixed today, not next month.
- Clear searches. “Water heater replacement,” “water heater installation near me” and “tankless water heater install” are easy to target and hard to confuse with DIY searches.
- Upgrade potential. A failed tank is the moment many homeowners consider tankless.
Example (not a quote)If a lead costs $80 for either job, a $250 drain cleaning needs most leads to book just to cover ads. A $3,500 water heater replacement returns many times your spend even if only one in four leads books.
That doesn’t mean ignoring the rest. Drain cleaning, leak repair and emergency service still belong in the account. They just shouldn’t take the budget that could be booking water heaters.
What changed in Google Ads for plumbers in 2026
- Call-only ads are going away. Google stopped new call-only ads in February 2026, and existing ones are being phased out by February 2027, according to Search Engine Land. The replacement is responsive search ads with call assets. If your account relied on call-only ads, rebuild those campaigns now.
- Local Services Ads now show a “Google Verified” badge, and Google is moving them into Google Ads as a Performance Max campaign type with pay-per-lead goals, starting in August 2026 with plumbing in the first group. See how Local Services Ads work.
Search, Local Services Ads or Performance Max?
| Campaign type | Best use for plumbers |
|---|---|
| Search | Start here. Full control over water heater campaigns, keywords, landing pages and offers. |
| Local Services Ads | Pay-per-lead placement at the top of Google. Great add-on, but less control over job type. |
| Performance Max | Test once tracking is solid and Search is profitable. |
How to set up water heater campaigns
One campaign per service
Water heater replacement and tankless installation get their own campaigns or ad groups, separate from drains, leaks and emergency. Each has its own budget, so you can push spend on water heaters without starving emergency calls.
Keywords
Use phrase and exact match on searches like “water heater replacement,” “water heater installation,” “new water heater,” “tankless water heater installation” and “tankless water heater installer near me,” plus city versions.
Negatives
- DIY: how to, DIY, install yourself, flush, reset, pilot light
- Retail and parts: for sale, Home Depot, Lowe’s, element, thermostat, anode rod
- Jobs: plumber jobs, apprentice, salary
- Rentals and brands you don’t install, if any
A landing page with a tight offer
Send water heater clicks to a water heater page, never the homepage. Include same-day replacement if you offer it, brands you install, a clear offer (a dollar-off replacement, a free tankless estimate or financing), reviews that mention water heaters, click-to-call and a short form. See how to build a landing page for Google Ads.
Tank vs tankless: separate campaigns
A homeowner with a leaking tank wants it replaced today. A homeowner searching for tankless is often planning an upgrade. They need different ads and pages:
| Tank replacement | Tankless installation | |
|---|---|---|
| Mindset | Urgent, no hot water | Planned upgrade, comparing options |
| Message | Same-day replacement, upfront pricing | Endless hot water, efficiency, free estimate |
| Offer | Dollar-off replacement | Free estimate or financing |
Answer every call
Water heater leads are often urgent, and the first plumber to answer usually gets the job. Invoca’s 2026 data found 44% of callers to businesses never reach a person. Route ad calls to someone who can book, use an answering service after hours, and review missed calls weekly.
Plan for seasonal spikes
Cold snaps bring frozen and burst pipes, and water heaters work hardest in winter, so failures pick up. Have emergency and water heater campaigns ready to scale before the first freeze instead of reacting after the phones are already ringing for your competitors. See emergency plumbing Google Ads.
The two biggest money-wasters
- Sending ads to your website instead of a page built for the service someone searched.
- Broad match keywords, which spend on DIY, parts and job searches.
Measure cost per booked job
Track every call and form, mark which ones booked and what they were worth. Water heater campaigns often have a higher cost per lead than drain cleaning and still return far more. Cost per booked job and return on ad spend tell you that; cost per click doesn’t.
I also wrote about this topic on LinkedIn: Google Ads for plumbers.
Frequently asked questions
What’s the most profitable plumbing service to advertise?
In our accounts, water heater replacement and tankless water heater installation.
How much do plumbing Google Ads leads cost?
Typically $70 to $90 per lead in our accounts, depending on the market. See how much Google Ads cost for plumbing companies.
Are call-only ads still available?
New call-only ads stopped in February 2026 and existing ones are being phased out by February 2027. Use responsive search ads with call assets instead.
Should plumbers run Local Services Ads?
Yes, alongside Search. Search gives you control over water heater campaigns; LSAs add pay-per-lead placement at the top of the page.
Should tank and tankless be in the same campaign?
No. Separate them. The searcher’s urgency, message and offer are different.
Want more water heater jobs?
We’ll review your plumbing campaigns and show you where the budget should go. See plumbing 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