HVAC Marketing Budget Calculator
Work backwards from your target ROI to find the most you can spend on ads. Built for HVAC contractors who want to grow without guessing.
💰 Your Business Numbers
Your average HVAC job numbers. Use real averages, not your best job.
🎯 Target ROI
How much return do you want for every dollar spent on marketing?
📊 Your Funnel Metrics
Your actual HVAC marketing funnel metrics. Use the defaults as starting benchmarks if you do not know yours yet.
Your Funnel: Impressions to Jobs
Your Marketing Numbers
$0
monthly ad spend to hit your job goal
Adjust the inputs on the left to see your marketing numbers update in real time.
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Marketing Budget for HVAC Companies
HVAC marketing is expensive. Google Ads clicks run $10 to $25 each, and most HVAC companies are competing for the same emergency repair and installation keywords. Spending more does not help if your funnel leaks.
This calculator works backwards from your HVAC business numbers. Plug in your average ticket, margins, close rate, and funnel metrics. It shows you the maximum you can spend per lead and per month while staying profitable. If your ads are profitable, the only limit is how many jobs your crews can handle.
Stop setting an arbitrary marketing budget. Let the math tell you what to spend.
How the Funnel Works for HVAC
HVAC marketing funnels have a unique pattern. Emergency calls (AC out, no heat) convert fast. The customer searches, clicks, calls, and books within hours. Close rates on emergency work hit 60% to 80% because the customer needs the fix today. Installation and replacement funnels are slower. The customer gets 2 to 3 quotes, compares pricing, and may take a week to decide. Close rates on installs drop to 30% to 45%. Your funnel metrics should reflect the mix of emergency vs. planned work you are targeting. If you run mostly install campaigns, expect lower booking and close rates than a service-focused shop.
HVAC Marketing Benchmarks
Average HVAC Google Ads CPC: $12 to $20. Average cost per lead: $104 (all campaign types). Non-branded search CPL: $149. Landing page conversion rate: 3% to 8% (top performers hit 10%+). Booking rate from leads: 55% to 70%. Close rate on estimates: 35% to 50% for installs, 60% to 80% for emergency repairs. Average customer lifetime value with maintenance agreements: $4,000 to $8,000.
Tips for HVAC Marketing
- Separate your campaigns by intent. Emergency repair keywords ("ac not working," "furnace not turning on") have higher CPC but much higher close rates. Track them separately from install keywords.
- Maintenance agreement customers have 3x to 5x higher lifetime value. Factor that into your LTV calculation. A $250 tune-up customer who signs a $200/year agreement and buys a $6,000 system in 5 years is worth $7,250.
- Landing page speed kills HVAC conversions. Emergency customers will not wait 5 seconds for your page to load. They will click the next result. Test your page speed at PageSpeed Insights and fix anything below 80.
- Track cost per acquisition by campaign type, not just overall. Your Google LSA cost per lead may be $50 but your close rate on LSA leads might be 20%. That is a $250 CPA. Your Google Ads CPL might be $120 but close at 45%. That is a $267 CPA. Similar CPA, very different CPL.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much should an HVAC company spend on marketing?
Most HVAC companies spend 5% to 10% of revenue on marketing. For a $2M company, that is $100,000 to $200,000 per year. But the real answer depends on your funnel math. If your cost per acquisition is $300 and each customer is worth $4,200 in lifetime value, your ads are printing money. Spend more until your crews are fully booked. The constraint is capacity, not budget.
What is a good cost per lead for HVAC companies?
The average HVAC cost per lead on Google Ads is $104. Non-branded search averages $149 per lead, while branded search runs about $34. Performance Max campaigns average $72. But cost per lead alone is misleading. Track cost per acquisition instead. A $150 lead with a 40% close rate costs $375 per job. A $80 lead with a 15% close rate costs $533.
What is a good Google Ads CPC for HVAC?
HVAC Google Ads CPC ranges from $10 to $25 depending on your market, keyword intent, and competition. "AC repair near me" typically costs $12 to $20. "HVAC installation" runs $15 to $25. Brand keywords are $2 to $5. Focus less on CPC and more on what happens after the click. A $20 click to a page that converts at 8% costs $250 per lead. A $12 click to a page that converts at 3% costs $400.
What is a good LTV:CAC ratio for HVAC companies?
HVAC companies should target a 5:1 LTV:CAC ratio or higher. With a $3,500 average ticket, 4 lifetime jobs, and 30% margins, your customer lifetime value is $4,200. If your acquisition cost is $400, your ratio is 10.5:1. That means you can afford to spend aggressively. Below 3:1, your marketing is not sustainable. Between 3:1 and 5:1 is healthy but leaves limited room for error.
How do HVAC companies calculate marketing ROI?
Divide your marketing profit by your marketing spend. If you spent $5,000 on Google Ads and closed 15 jobs at $1,050 profit each, your total profit from marketing is $15,750. Your ROI is $15,750 / $5,000 = 3.15:1. Do not use revenue for this calculation. Use profit. A campaign that generates $50,000 in revenue but only $12,500 in profit at 25% margins has a very different ROI than it looks.
Knowing Your Numbers Is Step One
This calculator shows you one piece. The Growth Report shows you the full picture: where you're leaking revenue, what to fix first, and how contractors like you are growing past the ceiling.