ClickSmith
Tradie lead cost calculator: what is a lead really worth to you?
A tradie lead cost calculator turns your ad spend, cost per lead and win rates into the numbers that matter: cost per booked job, return on spend and the most you can afford to pay for a lead. Enter your own figures below. Nothing is saved or sent.
Work out what your leads are really worth
Change the numbers to match your business. Results update as you type, and nothing leaves this page.
Google Ads, Facebook, lead platforms and agency fees.
What you pay for each enquiry.
Of 10 enquiries, how many get a quote?
Of 10 quotes, how many do you win?
Typical invoice, ex GST.
What is left after materials and labour.
Your results
- Leads per month
- 50
- Quotes per month
- 20
- Jobs won per month
- 7
- Revenue per month
- $17,500
- Gross profit per month
- $5,250
- Cost per job won
- $429
- Return on spend (ROI)
- 75%
- Break-even cost per lead
- $105
Bring these numbers to a free 30-minute audit and we will check them against real cost-per-lead benchmarks for your trade. No pitch, no lock-in.
Book my free auditROI is gross profit minus spend, divided by spend. Break-even cost per lead is the most you can pay for a lead before your gross profit no longer covers the spend.
How to read the results
The calculator takes six inputs: monthly spend, cost per lead, the share of leads you quote, the share of quotes you win, average job value and gross margin. From those it works out eight results. Three of them decide whether your marketing pays.
- Cost per job won is spend divided by jobs won. It is the true price of a customer, including every lead that went nowhere. Compare this across lead sources, not cost per lead.
- Break-even cost per lead is lead-to-quote rate x quote-to-job rate x average job value x gross margin. It is the most one lead can cost before your gross profit no longer covers the spend. If your actual cost per lead is below it, the lead pays for itself.
- Return on spend (ROI) is gross profit minus spend, divided by spend. A positive figure means the spend earned more than it cost; a negative one means it did not.
If the result looks bad, change one input at a time. Raising your close rate usually moves the answer more than shaving a few dollars off cost per lead.
Worked example with the default numbers
This is an illustrative example using the calculator's default inputs, not a ClickSmith client result. A tradie spends $3,000 a month at $60 per lead, quotes 40% of leads, wins 35% of quotes on a $2,500 average job, at a 30% gross margin.
| Step | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Leads | $3,000 / $60 | 50 leads |
| Quotes | 50 x 40% | 20 quotes |
| Jobs won | 20 x 35% | 7 jobs |
| Revenue | 7 x $2,500 | $17,500 |
| Gross profit | $17,500 x 30% | $5,250 |
| Cost per job won | $3,000 / 7 | $429 |
| Return on spend | ($5,250 - $3,000) / $3,000 | 75% |
| Break-even cost per lead | 40% x 35% x $2,500 x 30% | $105 |
Illustrative figures only. Your own conversion rates, job values and margins will differ, so replace every number with yours.
Go deeper on lead costs
The calculator gives you your numbers. These pages explain what is normal and what to do with them.
- 2026 Australian tradie lead-cost benchmark Sourced ranges for shared and exclusive leads, with methodology.
- How much do tradie leads cost? Price ranges by trade and why cost per won job is the number to track.
- Lead generation for tradies How we generate and qualify leads, measured on cost per booked job.
- Free lead audit A 30-minute look at where your leads are leaking.
Lead cost questions, answered
What is a good cost per lead for a tradie?
There is no single good number, because it depends on your trade, job value and close rate. Our benchmark puts shared HiPages connections at about $30 to $80 and exclusive Google Ads leads at about $60 to $200. A better test is your break-even cost per lead: if you pay less than that, the lead is profitable.
How do I calculate cost per booked job?
Divide your total lead spend by the number of jobs you actually won from it. Spend $3,000 and win 7 jobs and your cost per booked job is about $429. Include everything you paid, such as membership fees and agency fees, and count only jobs that were booked, not quotes sent.
Why does close rate matter more than cost per lead?
Cost per lead only counts what you pay in; close rate decides how many of those leads come back as jobs. Cost per job equals cost per lead divided by close rate, so doubling your close rate halves your cost per job. A $120 lead you win 40% of the time costs $300 per job; a $50 lead you win 15% of the time costs $333.
How do I compare shared and exclusive leads?
Work out cost per job for each: cost per lead divided by close rate. Shared leads are sold to several tradies, so close rates are typically lower. Exclusive leads cost more each but go to one business. Track both for 60 days or so, then compare cost per job won and the margin on those jobs, not the price per lead. See shared vs exclusive leads.
What does break-even cost per lead mean?
It is the most you can pay for one lead before your gross profit on the jobs it produces no longer covers the cost. Multiply lead-to-quote rate, quote-to-job rate, average job value and gross margin. With the default inputs it is $105. Paying less than that is profitable, paying more loses money.
Does this calculator store or send my numbers?
No. The calculation runs in your browser, nothing is submitted and nothing is saved. If you would like a second opinion on your figures, you can book a free lead audit.
Want help improving your numbers?
Book a free 30-minute audit. We look at your lead sources, cost per booked job and follow-up, and show you where the leaks are. No pitch, no lock-in.
Prefer to talk? Call 0493 531 857
Last updated · Reviewed by Muhammad Furqan, Founder