By Logan, founder of HVAC Marketing HQ · Updated Oct 15, 2026Three questions for every channel
There are only so many ways for a homeowner to find an HVAC company. Each one is worth asking three questions about:
- How fast does it work? Some channels can ring the phone this week. Others take months to build.
- How do you pay? Per click, per lead, a flat fee, or just your time.
- Who owns the lead? Does the customer end up on your list, or does the platform keep the relationship?
We don't quote cost-per-lead numbers in this post. Prices change by town, season and job type, and the platforms set them. Instead we link to how each platform says it charges. Use our cost per lead calculator with your own numbers.
Every channel side by side
| Channel | Speed | Cost model | Who owns the lead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Business Profile | Builds over weeks and months | Free (your time) | You |
| SEO and your website | Slow, builds over months | Your time or a flat monthly fee | You |
| Google Ads | Fast, once ads go live | Per click | You |
| Local Services Ads | Fast, once you're approved | Per valid lead | You, once they contact you |
| Facebook ads | Fast for reminders, weak for urgent repairs | Impressions, clicks or actions you choose | You |
| Referrals | Slow, steady | Free, or a thank-you | You |
| Review requests | Builds with every job | Free, or a tool | You |
| Past customers | Fast | Free, or a tool | You |
| Lead sites (Angi, Thumbtack) | Fast | Per lead (read the terms) | Shared: other pros may get the same request |
| Missed-call recovery | Same day | A tool or your time | You |
Channels you own
Google Business Profile. This is the map listing. Google says local results are based mainly on relevance, distance and prominence, and that there's no way to request or pay for a better local ranking. Prominence includes how many reviews you have and how many sites link to you. See Google Business Profile and our map pack guide.
SEO and your website. Your site is where Google Ads, Local Services Ads and your profile all send people. Google's SEO guide says helpful, people-first content is likely to matter more than any other tip in it. Build one clear page per service and town. See local SEO and websites, and check the payback with the SEO ROI calculator.
Referrals. Happy customers tell neighbors. Make it easy: a card with your number, a thank-you when a referral books. Never tie a reward to a review.
Review requests. Reviews help you rank and help callers pick you. Google gives you a review link and QR code under Get more reviews. Its policy bans asking only happy customers and bans incentives for reviews. Ask everyone with review requests.
Past customers. The people who already paid you are the easiest to book again. ENERGY STAR suggests a cooling check in spring and a heating check in fall. Remind customers who agreed to hear from you, and offer a maintenance plan. Our seasonal campaigns handle the timing.
Channels you pay for
Google Ads. You pay per click, and you pick the keywords, the ad and the landing page. Google says a click on a call asset on mobile costs the same as a click on the headline, and call reporting can count calls as conversions using Google forwarding numbers. See Google Ads and the Google Ads budget calculator.
Local Services Ads. Google charges per valid lead, not per click. It says leads it judges invalid at first contact aren't charged, and that message leads cost half of a phone lead in the US and Canada. You set an average weekly budget. See Local Services Ads and the LSA cost calculator.
Facebook ads. Meta's docs say the billing event can be impressions, clicks or other actions. Facebook is weak for an urgent no-heat call, because people search Google for that. It's better for tune-up reminders to people who visited your site, using a Pixel custom audience. See Facebook ads.
Lead sites like Angi and Thumbtack. These sites sell you the contact details of a homeowner who asked for help. Thumbtack says there's no charge to join and no membership fee, and that you control your budget for leads. Before you buy from any lead site, read how a lead is priced and credited, and ask whether other pros get the same request. In 2023 the FTC ordered HomeAdvisor, a company affiliated with Angi, to pay up to $7.2 million over claims about the leads it sold to service providers.
Lead sites can fill a slow week, but the customer found the site, not you. Our post on bought vs owned leads covers what to ask any lead seller.
Missed-call recovery: the lead you already paid for
Every channel above ends with a phone ringing. If no one answers, you paid for a lead and got nothing. This matters more for Local Services Ads now. Google's lead charging page says that from October 1, 2026, a missed call during business hours can be charged if the caller stays on the line for more than 20 seconds.
Three fixes, in order of cost:
- Call back every missed call the same day.
- Text back missed calls automatically with missed-call text-back. The caller reached out first, so this isn't cold texting.
- Have every call answered with AI phone answering, and catch site visitors at night with AI web chat.
See what it's costing you with the missed call cost calculator.
Which order to do it in
Before you add any channel, decide how you'll measure it. Ask every caller how they found you, and give each paid channel its own tracked number where the platform allows it. Then compare channels by booked jobs and revenue, not by clicks or raw leads. A cheap lead that never books costs more than a pricey one that does.
- Stop the leaks: answer or call back every call, and follow up on every quote with estimate follow-up.
- Fix your Google profile and ask every customer for a review.
- Remind past customers before each season.
- Add Local Services Ads or Google Ads for fast calls, and track booked jobs from each.
- Build your website and SEO so the calls keep coming when ads pause.
- Use lead sites only to fill gaps, and only after reading the terms.
Want it all in one place? See HVAC lead generation, the HQ Command Center or our plans. Or start with a free report card to see who's getting the calls near you.
Free report card: your Google profile, reviews, website and listings graded against the shops near you.
Questions
What's the fastest way to get more HVAC leads?
Stop losing the ones you have: answer or text back every missed call and follow up on quotes. For new calls, Google Ads and Local Services Ads can start once they go live.
Are Angi and Thumbtack leads worth it?
It depends on your close rate and the terms. Read how a lead is priced and credited, ask if other pros get the same request, and compare cost per booked job with your other channels.
How do Local Services Ads charge?
Per valid lead, not per click. Google says invalid leads aren't charged and message leads cost half of a phone lead in the US and Canada.
Can I pay to rank higher on Google Maps?
No. Google says there's no way to request or pay for a better local ranking. Your profile, reviews and website are what move it.
Sources
- Google Business Profile Help: Tips to improve your local ranking
- Google Search Central: SEO Starter Guide
- Google Business Profile Help: Create a link or QR code to request reviews
- Google Maps user contributed content policy: Prohibited and restricted content
- ENERGY STAR: Heating and cooling maintenance checklist
- Google Ads Help: About call assets
- Google Local Services Help: How leads work
- Meta for Developers: Billing events
- Meta for Developers: Website custom audiences
- Thumbtack: How Thumbtack works for pros
- FTC: HomeAdvisor matter