Cost per won job, up to 3 platforms side by side
Job numbers below are examples: put in yours. A platform box is filled in only when the platform publishes that number.
- Networx (shared leads)$50 per won job
- Networx (exclusive leads)$75 per won job
- Thumbtackprice not published, enter yours below
Cost per won job
$50
10% of job revenue
- Monthly spend
- $200
- Jobs won
- 4
- Profit after leads
- $600
- Break-even close rate
- 6.3%
- Most you can pay per lead
- $40.00
Cost per won job
$75
15% of job revenue
- Monthly spend
- $300
- Jobs won
- 4
- Profit after leads
- $500
- Break-even close rate
- 9.4%
- Most you can pay per lead
- $40.00
"Most you can pay per lead" is the lead price where profit after leads is zero at your close rate. "Break-even close rate" is the share of reached leads you need to win to cover the month's lead costs.
Every unanswered lead is money spent twice: once on the lead, again on the next one. Field service apps that reply and book for you
The calculator opens on Networx’s shared and exclusive plans because Networx is the one US platform that publishes per-lead prices ($10 and $15 minimums). Thumbtack starts empty, so put in the price you see on your leads. Switch any column to another platform.
How the math works
- Jobs won = leads per month × the share you reach × your close rate.
- Monthly spend = leads × lead price, less any credits you get back, plus fixed monthly fees and ad budget.
- Cost per won job = monthly spend ÷ jobs won.
- Profit after leads = jobs won × job value × margin, minus the monthly spend.
- Most you can pay per lead = the lead price where profit after leads hits zero.
With the example numbers (20 leads, 80% reached, 25% won, $500 jobs, 40% margin), you win 4 jobs. At $10 a lead that’s $200 a month, or $50 per won job. Profit after leads is $600, and you’d break even at $40 a lead.
Is an exclusive lead worth more?
An exclusive lead goes to you alone; a shared one goes to other pros too. It costs more, so it only wins if it lifts your close rate. The break-even rule: the close rate has to rise by the same share as the price. Networx’s exclusive minimum is 50% above its shared minimum, so your exclusive close rate must be that much higher. Set the close rate on the exclusive column until the two costs match.
Where to find your lead price
- Thumbtack: you set an exact price for each service, and the price shows on each lead. Thumbtack can raise prices that sit at its unpublished minimums. Thumbtack’s rules
- Angi: each lead’s fee depends on the job size. If you take a subscription, put the monthly amount in “Fixed monthly cost”. Angi’s rules
- Google Local Services Ads: Google doesn’t publish prices, so use the cost per lead in your account. If your account has moved to Google Ads, that number is called “Cost / conv.”. How Google charges
- Yelp Ads: you pay per click, so enter your monthly budget and the leads it brought. Yelp Ads costs
- Nextdoor Ads: you pay for impressions and clicks, so enter a month’s ad spend and the leads it brought. How Nextdoor bills
- Bark: each lead shows its credit cost before you respond. Enter credits per lead; the calculator multiplies by Bark’s published credit price.
What the calculator leaves out
- Your time. Quoting a lead you don’t win costs hours. A low close rate hurts twice.
- Leads you can’t reach. That’s why “Leads you reach” is its own box; calling back fast is the cheapest way to raise it.
- Unpublished fees. Networx charges a monthly fee it doesn’t publish, and Angi’s early termination fee is in your contract only. Add them in “Fixed monthly cost” if you know them.
Get told when these prices change
Providers change fees with little notice. Alerts start soon, and we'll send nothing else.
Common questions
How do you calculate cost per lead?
Divide what you spent on a platform in a month by the leads it sent you. On per-lead platforms like Thumbtack or Google Local Services Ads, it's simply the price of each lead, less any credits you got back. On Yelp Ads you pay per click, so divide your monthly ad spend by the calls and messages it brought in.
How do you calculate cost per acquisition for a contractor?
Take a month's lead spend, including fixed fees, and divide it by the jobs you won from those leads. That's your cost per won job, also called cost per acquisition. It's the number to compare across platforms, because a cheap lead you rarely win can cost more than a pricey one you often win.
What is a good cost per lead for contractors?
There's no single good number. It depends on your job value, margin and close rate. The most you can pay per lead and break even is job value times margin times your close rate on all leads. A $500 job at 40% margin, won from 1 in 5 leads, breaks even at $40 a lead.