Most channel comparisons stop at cost per lead, which is where the confusion begins. A lead from a Meta form, a phone call from a Google ad and an estimate booked at the door are not the same thing. They differ in intent, in show rate, in close rate and in average ticket. The only honest comparison is cost per booked job, and ideally cost per completed job.
This analysis walks through how each channel behaves for cleaning, exterior maintenance, contracting and home service businesses in the Lower Mainland, and offers a seasonal framework for allocating budget between them.
Google Search and Local Services Ads: high intent, high competition
Search captures demand that already exists. Someone typing gutter cleaning Coquitlam wants gutters cleaned this week. Click costs in Metro Vancouver service categories are high because every competitor knows this, and they climb sharply in peak season. Local Services Ads, which charge per lead rather than per click and display the Google Guaranteed badge, often deliver a lower cost per booked job than standard search for eligible categories.
Search is the fastest channel to switch on and the easiest to scale down when the calendar is full. Its weakness is ceiling: you cannot buy more searches than exist, and in shoulder seasons the volume simply is not there.
Meta and YouTube: cheap reach, patient conversion
Meta and YouTube reach people who are not searching yet. Before-and-after content, crew videos and neighbourhood-specific offers build recognition at low cost per impression. Leads captured through instant forms are inexpensive but lower intent; without fast, persistent follow-up most go cold.
These platforms shine as a reinforcement layer: retargeting website visitors, warming canvassed neighbourhoods and keeping a renovation brand visible during a buyer's multi-week research phase. As a primary lead source for immediate jobs, they usually trail search and field.
Door-to-door and field marketing: created demand, highest quality
Field marketing creates demand rather than capturing it. A rep can book an estimate with a homeowner who had not planned to clean their roof this year, which means the addressable market is far larger than search volume suggests. Cost per booked estimate depends on territory selection and rep quality, but show rates and close rates are the highest of any channel because the customer has already met a person from the company.
Field programs take longer to launch, typically three to four weeks for recruiting, training and territory planning, and require management discipline. Once running, they scale with headcount rather than auction prices, which makes cost predictable.
A seasonal allocation framework
For Lower Mainland service businesses we recommend allocating by season rather than setting a fixed split.
- Pre-season (four to six weeks before peak): weight toward field campaigns and organic content to create demand and build reviews.
- Peak season: shift toward search and Local Services Ads to capture existing demand, keep field running in the highest-yield territories.
- Shoulder season: reduce search, maintain Meta and YouTube retargeting, use field for commercial and B2B accounts that buy year-round.
- Off season: invest in SEO, website improvements and sales training so the next cycle starts stronger.
