Google Ads ROI calculator
Put in your own numbers. The calculator works from cost per lead rather than cost per click, because a lead is what you pay for in the end, and it takes the management fee off before it shows profit.
Calculator
How the numbers are worked out
| Leads | Ad spend divided by cost per lead |
|---|---|
| Paid jobs | Leads times the share you close |
| Gross profit | Jobs times job value times margin |
| Profit after ads and fees | Gross profit, less ad spend, less the management fee |
| Break-even cost per lead | Job value times margin times close rate. Pay more than this per lead and the ads lose money before any fee |
Questions
What is a good return on Google Ads for a contractor?
There is no single number. It depends on your job value, your margin and how many leads you close. The useful figure is the most you can pay per lead and still make money, which this calculator shows as the break-even cost per lead.
Where do the cost per lead presets come from?
They are median cost per lead figures for Google search ads from LocaliQ’s home services benchmarks, campaigns April 2024 to March 2025. Your own cost per lead, from your account, is always better than a benchmark.
Why does the management fee change the answer so much?
A percentage fee grows with your spend, so the more you spend the more it takes from profit. A flat fee stays the same. Switch the fee option to see the difference at your spend.
Not sure what your real cost per lead is?
That usually means tracking is broken. Send your website and we will tell you what the account is and is not counting. No call needed.