It's one of the first questions we get from new clients: "How much should I be spending on Google Ads?" The honest answer is — it depends. But there are clear patterns across the home services businesses we work with, and this guide will give you a realistic starting point.
What Drives Google Ads Cost for Tradespeople?
Google Ads operates on an auction system. Every time someone searches a term you're bidding on ("emergency boiler repair Dublin", "roofer Cork"), Google runs an instant auction to decide which ads to show and in what order.
Your cost per click (CPC) is determined by:
- How competitive your trade and location is
- How relevant your ad and landing page are to the search
- Your Quality Score — Google's rating of your ads' relevance
- The time of day and device the search is made on
This means Google Ads costs vary significantly by trade and location. A plumber in London faces a much more competitive auction than a roofer in Galway.
Working Out Your Minimum Viable Budget
A practical rule of thumb: you need at least 5–10 clicks per day to gather meaningful data and generate consistent leads. At lower volumes, you'll have days with no clicks at all and no way to optimise properly.
For most trades in Ireland and the UK, that means a minimum daily budget of €25–€50 — roughly €750–€1,500 per month in ad spend.
Below €750/month it's very hard to make Google Ads work well. Your budget gets spent unevenly, you can't compete in peak hours, and optimisation is difficult with limited data.
The Hidden Costs People Miss
Ad spend is only part of the budget. You also need:
- A dedicated landing page (not your homepage) — a poor conversion rate can double your cost per lead
- Conversion tracking — without it, you're flying blind
- Ongoing management — campaigns need regular bid adjustments, negative keyword additions, and ad copy testing to stay efficient
A campaign left running without active management typically deteriorates over 3–4 months as competitors adjust and search trends shift. The businesses that get the best long-term cost per lead are the ones treating Google Ads as an ongoing programme, not a set-and-forget tool.
Our Recommendation
For most trade businesses new to Google Ads, we recommend starting with €800–€1,200/month in ad spend. This gives enough volume to generate consistent leads, enough data to optimise quickly, and a realistic cost per lead.
As conversion rates improve and campaigns become more efficient over 3–6 months, the cost per lead typically drops — meaning more leads for the same budget.
Want to know what a Google Ads campaign would cost for your specific trade and location? Book a free call and we'll give you a realistic projection based on actual auction data.