How Much Do Construction Leads Cost in the UK?
Everyone in construction has an opinion on lead costs, usually formed by one bad experience with a lead portal.
The useful question is not 'what does a lead cost?' but 'what can I afford to pay for one, given my win rate and margin?'
Work out your affordable cost per lead first
Take your average project margin, multiply it by your quote-to-win rate, and you have the maximum you can rationally pay for an enquiry while still profiting. Most firms discover they can afford far more than they assumed — and that they have been rejecting good channels on instinct.
A firm winning one in four enquiries on projects with healthy margin can justify meaningful spend per lead. A firm winning one in twenty cannot, and should fix qualification before buying more leads.
Channel by channel
- Lead portals: cheapest headline price, worst exclusivity. You are usually one of several quoting, so win rates and margins suffer.
- Google Ads: higher cost per click in competitive trades, but the intent is strong and the lead is yours alone.
- Meta and social: cheaper reach, colder intent, works best for visual trades and for retargeting people who already visited your site.
- Organic search and content: highest upfront investment, lowest marginal cost over time, and the leads are exclusive.
- Referrals and repeat clients: still the best economics in construction — which is why case studies and reputation work deserve budget.
Lead quality beats lead price every time
A £40 lead you lose on price is more expensive than a £200 lead you win at full margin. Track win rate by source, not just volume, and be ruthless about switching off sources that fill your inbox but never your diary.
- Calculate your affordable cost per lead from margin and win rate before comparing channels.
- Exclusive leads convert far better than shared portal leads.
- Organic search costs most upfront and least over time.
- Track win rate by source, not enquiry volume.
Are lead portals like Checkatrade worth it?
They can fill quiet weeks, but they push you into price comparison against several competitors. Treat them as a top-up rather than your pipeline strategy.
What is a good cost per lead in construction?
There is no universal figure — it depends entirely on project value, margin and win rate. A high number can be excellent for a firm doing large commercial projects and terrible for a small domestic trade.
How do I stop getting unqualified enquiries?
Qualify on the page: state your minimum project size, your coverage area and the type of work you take on, and ask budget and timeline questions in your enquiry form.