Google Ads management runs $1,500–15,000 a month at agencies, or 10–20% of ad spend. But the management fee is the smaller question. The bigger ones: what does a lead cost in your trade — and does anyone answer it when it arrives?
What a lead costs in your trade (Q1 2026, non-branded search)
| Trade | Google Search CPL | Local Services Ads CPL |
|---|---|---|
| Roofing | $124 | ~$53 avg across home services |
| HVAC | $149 | $51 |
| Plumbing | $167 | $57 |
| Electrical | high CPCs ($12+ per click) | $39 |
Per Searchlight Digital and LocaliQ, Q1 2026.
That spread is the most useful table on this page. LSA leads cost a third of Search leads — but LSA rations volume and rewards review count and response speed, while Search scales with budget. Most trades should run LSA first, Search for volume, and judge both in booked jobs.
The gate before any of it — our hard rule, published
Never run ads to a business that can't answer its leads. A $124 lead that nobody calls inside five minutes is a $124 donation to Google. We decline ads engagements until lead response is fixed — it burns your money and our case study.
Management pricing models, and what each rewards
Flat fee — predictable; make sure it scales service, not just invoices. % of spend — rewards spending; ask how they're paid to reduce your CPL. Hybrid — fine, judged the same way: what number do they report weekly, and is it booked jobs or impressions?
Minimum viable budget, worked honestly
Work from CPL, not from what feels affordable. At roofing's $124 CPL, $1,000/month buys ~8 leads; close one in four at a $10,000 average replacement and the arithmetic works loudly. At plumbing's $167 CPL and a $400 average ticket, the same $1,000 needs repeat-customer math to justify itself — which is why the honest floor varies by trade, and why we'll tell you if yours doesn't clear it.
What GRIFFAIN charges
What GRIFFAIN charges
Ads run as The Demand Engine — reported in booked jobs, never clicks. Ad spend is always yours, in your account, which you own.
from +$500/moAdded to a plan. Launch +$500/mo (managed Google + Meta, one creative refresh) · Scale +$997/mo (adds monthly video and graphics) · Dominate +$1,497/mo (adds daily posting).
$5,000 install + $3,500/moThe Growth Engine: the Demand Engine plus the systems that make ads pay — 60-second lead response, the front desk, the site, local SEO. Annual prepay: 12 for the price of 10.
Questions owners actually ask
How much should I spend on Google Ads?
Enough to buy statistically meaningful lead flow at your trade's CPL — usually $1,000–3,000/mo to start — and not a dollar until your lead response is fixed.
Google Ads or Local Services Ads?
Usually LSA first (cheaper leads, pay-per-lead, disputes possible), Search for scale. LSA rewards reviews and answer rates — which our systems directly improve.
Do you mark up ad spend?
No. Spend runs in your account, billed by Google to your card. Our fee is the published number above, and the account is yours forever.
Why do you refuse to run ads before lead response?
Because selling you ads before fixing response means charging you to lose faster. It's the same reason a good roofer won't shingle over rotten decking.
More cost guides: speed to lead · social media · AI marketing.
Find the leak in your business — free
The 2-minute diagnostic: five questions, an instant read on the one bottleneck capping your business, and which system clears it. No sales pitch inside — it is the same routing we use on real engagements.
Run the Free Diagnostic Free · 2 minutes · instant result