How much do leads cost for tradies in Australia?
In Australia in 2026, tradie leads typically cost anywhere from a few dollars to $80 or more each depending on trade, town and channel. Google Ads clicks for competitive metro trades run $50 to $90, with many tradies spending $1,000 to $2,000 a month. Meta lead ads are often cheaper per lead. The number that matters is cost per won job, not cost per lead.
- Google Ads (high intent, metro): about $50 to $90 per click; $1,000 to $2,000/mo typical budget.
- Meta lead ads (demand gen): usually a lower cost per lead, lower intent.
- Shared-lead platforms: cheap per lead but resold to rivals, so the true cost is higher.
- Track cost per won job, contact rate and ROI, not just the headline lead price.
Why "cost per lead" is the wrong headline number
A $10 lead that is sold to four tradies and never called back is more expensive than a $60 exclusive lead you win. Always divide your spend by jobs won, not leads received.
Channel by channel (cited)
- Google Ads: highest intent (someone searching "emergency electrician [suburb]" needs you now). Metro clicks $50 to $90 for trades like plumbing; budget $1,000 to $2,000/mo to gather enough data.
- Meta (Facebook and Instagram) lead ads: generate demand with an offer; often a lower cost per lead but the person was not actively searching, so follow-up speed matters even more.
- Shared-lead marketplaces / membership platforms: low per-lead or subscription pricing, but the lead is commonly resold, which pushes the real cost up via price competition.
What drives your cost
Trade (emergency trades cost more per click), town (metro is dearer than regional), offer strength, and how well the landing page and follow-up convert. A converting page and instant follow-up lower your effective cost per job more than chasing a cheaper click does.
The hidden multiplier: speed and exclusivity
Two tradies can pay the same per lead and get wildly different results. The one who replies in seconds to an exclusive lead wins far more jobs from the same spend. That is the lever Tradley’s Speed-to-Lead engine pulls: exclusive leads, answered by SMS in under 60 seconds.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good cost per lead for a tradie?
It varies too much by trade and town to name one number. Judge it against your average job value: if a job is worth $400 or more and your cost per won job is a small fraction of that, the leads pay for themselves.
Are cheaper leads better?
Not if they are shared or low intent. A cheap lead resold to rivals usually costs more once you factor in the jobs you lose on price.
Google Ads or Facebook ads for tradies?
Google for people actively searching (higher intent, higher cost), Facebook and Instagram to create demand with an offer (lower cost, needs fast follow-up). Many tradies use both.
How do I lower my cost per job?
Reply faster, use exclusive leads, and send traffic to a page built to convert. Speed and exclusivity move the number more than a cheaper click does.
Figures cited from public 2026 Australian sources (dynamicgroup.net.au, thequoteyard.com.au, theleadgenlab.com.au, buzzpilot.com.au). External references, not Tradley results.
Want exclusive leads, answered in seconds?
Tradley runs your ads and answers every lead by SMS in under 60 seconds. One operator per trade, per town, so the lead is yours alone.