Plumbing Leads: The Complete Guide to Getting More Customers

I audited 50 plumbing company Google profiles in Sacramento last month. Not a quick glance -- I went through every field, every photo, every review response.

Here's what I found: the average plumber had their profile maybe 60% filled out. Half were missing service categories. A third had zero Google Posts in the last 90 days. Most had fewer than 30 reviews.

And almost all of them were buying leads from Angi or HomeAdvisor to fill the gap.

That's the pattern. Plumber skips the free stuff that takes time to build, pays $2,000-4,000/month for shared leads from platforms where 3-4 other plumbers get the same name and number. Industry data puts close rates on shared leads at 8-15%. Do the math on that and you're paying $250-500 per actual customer. On jobs that average $350-500, that barely breaks even.

Lead companies have done a great job convincing plumbers that buying leads is the only way to get work. It's not -- it's just the easiest pitch to make.

This guide is about the other way. The methods that cost less (or nothing), convert better, and build something you actually own. I build websites and run SEO for plumbing contractors -- this is what I spend my days researching, auditing, and implementing.

But I'll be straight with you: if you need leads tomorrow, this isn't for you. Go buy some from Angi. Seriously. Sometimes you need cash flow.

If you want plumber leads next quarter, next year, and five years from now -- without writing a check to a lead company every month -- keep reading.

Short version: The best plumbing leads are free -- Google Business Profile, SEO, referrals. Paid leads (Angi, HomeAdvisor) work short-term but cost $250-500 per customer. This guide is about building a lead system you own, not rent.

What Are Plumbing Leads?

A lead is anyone who might hire you. That's it.

But lead companies love keeping this vague because vagueness is profitable. When Angi says they'll send you "leads," they mean:

• Someone who filled out a form
• Who might be a homeowner (or might not)
• Who might actually need plumbing work (or might be price shopping)
• Who you'll compete against 3-4 other plumbers to win

That's a very different thing from:

• A homeowner with an active leak
• Who Googled "emergency plumber near me"
• Found your website first
• And called you directly

Both are technically "plumbing leads." One costs you $15-80 every time. The other is free -- once you've done the work to earn it.

The first kind keeps you dependent. The second kind builds a business.

The Lead Quality Spectrum

Most plumbers I talk to are stuck in the top row. The ones who make real money live in the bottom three.

How to Get Plumbing Leads: 7 Methods That Actually Work

Here's what works. And what's a waste of time.

1. Google Business Profile (Free and Underrated)

This one's free and should be your first priority. Takes 2-6 months to build up, but the payoff is real.

When someone Googles "plumber near me," three things show up:

1. Ads (cost money)
2. The map pack (3 local businesses with their Google profiles)
3. Organic results (websites)

The map pack gets clicked more than anything else for local searches. If you're not showing up there, you're invisible to the people most likely to hire you.

I recently optimized a plumbing contractor's site in Sacramento -- a highly competitive market -- and they started getting clicks for actual plumbing jobs within a few weeks. Not from ads. From showing up where people were already searching. That's the power of getting your Google presence right.

What actually moves the needle on map pack ranking? Filling out your entire profile. I mean every field -- hours, services, service areas, photos -- all of it. Google rewards completeness. Like I said, about 6 out of 10 profiles I audit are maybe 60% complete. That's the gap. That's your opportunity.

Reviews matter more than almost anything else for local search. The data is clear on this: volume beats perfection. A plumber with 200 reviews averaging 4.6 stars will outrank someone with 15 reviews at 5.0. BrightLocal's annual survey confirms this -- review quantity, velocity, and recency are consistently in the top local ranking factors.

Post weekly. Google Business Profile has a "Posts" feature most plumbers ignore. Use it. Share a completed job photo, a tip, a seasonal reminder. It signals to Google that you're active.

Respond to every review -- good ones, bad ones, doesn't matter. Response shows engagement.

Add real photos. Not stock photos. Real photos of your trucks, your team, your completed work. Google's AI analyzes images, and customers notice.

If you have fewer than 50 reviews, that's your first job. Ask every single customer. Make it easy -- send a text with a direct link.

2. Organic Search: Slow, Annoying, Worth It

SEO means showing up in Google's regular search results. When someone searches "how to fix a running toilet," "water heater replacement cost," or "best plumber in [your city]," SEO determines who shows up.

This takes forever. I'm not going to sugarcoat it. Most plumbers who start a website today, do everything right, still won't see much for 6-8 months. Maybe longer. A lot give up around month 4 when nothing's happening -- understandable, but that's usually right before things start moving.

But once you rank, you rank. A single well-written blog post answering a question like "how much does a water heater replacement cost in [city]" can drive calls for years. That's the difference between renting leads and owning traffic. One costs you every month. The other is an asset that compounds.

Your website needs to load fast. If it takes more than 3 seconds on mobile, you're losing half your visitors before they see your phone number. I build contractor sites that score 90+ on Google's Lighthouse audit -- that kind of speed matters for both rankings and conversions. Test yours at pagespeed.web.dev.

Create pages for every service you offer. Not one "Services" page. Individual pages for drain cleaning, water heater installation, sewer line repair. Each page can rank for its own keywords.

Create location pages if you serve multiple areas. "Plumber in [Suburb Name]" pages capture searches from people outside your main city.

Write helpful content that answers real questions. "How much does it cost to replace a water heater in Sacramento?" is a real search. Answer it well, and you'll rank for it.

Should you DIY or hire someone? If you're working 60+ hours a week already, you probably don't have time to learn SEO properly. Hire someone who knows what they're doing or focus on simpler methods first. Bad SEO is worse than no SEO.

3. Google Ads (Fast But Expensive)

Google Ads puts you at the top of search results. You'll spend $1,000-5,000+ a month to do it right, but results are immediate. You pay per click, not per lead.

The Real Math on PPC

Here's the math most plumbers get wrong. They look at $40 clicks and think "expensive." But if 1 in 8 clicks becomes a customer, you're paying $320 per job. That works for a $2,000 water heater installation. It doesn't work for a $150 drain cleaning.

What matters for plumber PPC campaigns:

Bid on service + location keywords. "Emergency plumber Sacramento" converts better than "plumber." More specific = more intent.

Use negative keywords aggressively. Add "DIY," "how to," "jobs," "salary" to your negative list. You don't want clicks from people who aren't hiring.

Track which keywords lead to phone calls, not just clicks. Use call tracking. Without it, you're flying blind.

Start with Google Local Services Ads -- the "Google Guaranteed" listings above regular ads. You pay per lead, not per click. Quality is generally higher.

The catch: Google Ads get more expensive every year. Cost-per-click for plumbing terms has climbed from around $15 to $40+ in many markets over the past five years. Still works, but margins are tighter.

4. Referral Systems: The Best Plumbing Leads You'll Ever Get

Referrals are the best leads you'll ever get. Industry data shows 50-80% close rates. Maybe 1 in 10 plumbers do anything deliberate to get more of them.

Most plumbers wait around hoping customers will mention them to their neighbors. Sometimes they do. Usually they don't -- not because they're unhappy, but because it doesn't occur to them.

The fix is stupidly simple: ask.

An automated text message 3 days after a job -- "Thanks again for choosing us. If you know anyone who needs a plumber, we'd appreciate the referral. You get $50 off your next service for anyone you send our way" -- costs almost nothing to set up and works because most people are happy to refer. They just need a nudge.

The data backs this up. A Texas A&M study found that referred customers have a 16-25% higher lifetime value than non-referred ones. And according to Nielsen, 92% of people trust recommendations from people they know over any form of advertising.

Make it easy for them. Leave a business card, a fridge magnet, something they can hand to a neighbor. A $50-100 referral credit gives people a reason to actually remember to mention you.

Track every new customer's source. Every single one.

5. Plumbing Lead Generation Services: The Truth

Fine. Let's talk about Angi, HomeAdvisor, Thumbtack, and the rest.

I'm not going to pretend they don't work. They do. You give them money, they give you leads. Some become customers.

But you need to understand what you're buying.

Shared leads (Angi, HomeAdvisor standard): You and 3-4 other plumbers get the same lead simultaneously. First to call wins. Close rates are 8-15% if you're fast. Most plumbers aren't fast.

Exclusive plumbing leads (Angi "same-day," specialized lead gen companies): You're the only plumber getting this lead. Close rates are higher (20-35%), but so is the price ($80-200+).

Why I don't recommend building a business on this:

You don't control the flow. They can raise prices, reduce quality, or shut down your account whenever they want. Scroll through plumbing forums on Reddit -- you'll find plenty of horror stories.

You're renting customers, not owning them. When that customer needs a plumber again, where do they go? Back to the app that connected you.

It gets worse every year. More plumbers join, more competition per lead, lower close rates, higher costs.

When it makes sense: You're new and need cash flow now. You have capacity to fill. Fine. Just don't let it become your only source.

6. Social Media and Facebook Ads

Facebook doesn't work like Google. People aren't searching for plumbers there. They're looking at pictures of their cousin's kid.

So the game is different. You're not trying to catch someone who needs you right now. You're trying to be the name they remember when their water heater dies in six months.

Here's what actually gets engagement:

Job completion photos. Before/after shots. Nasty drain cleanouts. That weird thing you pulled out of someone's sewer line. Plumbers posting this kind of content on social media routinely get hundreds or thousands of shares. People love it -- it's real, it's specific, and it shows you know what you're doing.

Quick tips. "Here's how to shut off your water main in an emergency." Useful, and people remember who taught them.

Responding in local Facebook groups. When someone posts "who's a good plumber?" in your town's community group, be there with a helpful comment. Not "Call us at 555-1234!" but something like "Check the shut-off valve under the sink first -- if it's corroded, that's your problem." Helpful first, business second.

Facebook Ads are trickier than Google. You're interrupting people, not answering a search. Best used for water heater promos before winter, targeting new construction neighborhoods, or retargeting people who visited your water heater page but didn't call.

I don't recommend Facebook Ads as your first marketing spend. Master Google Business Profile and Google Ads first.

7. Direct Mail and Door Hangers

Old school. Still works.

When you complete a job, leave door hangers on the 5-10 houses closest to your customer. "Just finished a job in your neighborhood. Here's 10% off if you've been putting off that plumbing project."

Why this works: neighbors notice service trucks. They see the door hanger and think "oh, they were just here." That's trust you didn't have to earn.

Direct mail works for specific campaigns -- new mover mailings, annual maintenance reminders, neighborhood saturation.

Track with unique phone numbers or coupon codes. If you can't measure it, you don't know if it works.

The "Stop Buying Plumbing Leads" Playbook

If I were advising a plumbing company from day one, here's the order I'd prioritize things. You're probably somewhere in the middle of this, not at the start -- so skip what you've already done. But the sequence matters.

The first few months are about survival and foundation-building at the same time.

Week one: claim and fully optimize your Google Business Profile. Set up a basic website with pages for each service. Start asking every customer for a Google review. That day. Not next week. Not "when you get a system set up." Today.

You'll probably need to buy some leads from Angi or similar to keep cash flowing. Yes, I know I just spent 500 words complaining about this. You need to eat. But while you're doing that, perfect your phone answering and closing process. Ask the referral question to every customer. Use this phase to build habits.

By month three, you should have 30+ Google reviews. Create 3-5 blog posts answering questions your customers actually ask you. Set up basic Google Ads for emergency services only -- that's where the margin is.

Somewhere around month 4-6, things should start shifting.

This is the hard part. You've been doing the work but don't see much yet. The temptation to abandon ship is real. But this is usually right before organic calls start trickling in. Give it 60 more days before you change anything.

Your Google reviews should be helping your map pack ranking. This is when you can start reducing paid lead spending -- maybe 25% -- and put that money toward Google Ads you control. Add 2-3 blog posts monthly. Set up automatic referral texts.

Months 7-12 is where you stop needing the paid lead companies.

Map pack ranking should be generating organic leads. Reduce or eliminate third-party lead services -- or at least stop depending on them. SEO content should be starting to rank. Google Ads refined based on 6 months of data.

After year one:

Organic leads should be half or more of new business. Reinvest ad savings into content and local link building. Referrals should be consistent and somewhat predictable. This is when you might consider hiring dedicated marketing help.

What Plumber Leads Should Actually Cost

Here's what the industry data shows. These vary 30-50% based on local competition and population density, but they'll give you a benchmark:

Angi/HomeAdvisor (shared) — Cost per lead: $25-60 | Close rate: 10-15% | Real cost per customer: $250-500

Exclusive lead services — Cost per lead: $80-150 | Close rate: 25-35% | Real cost per customer: $280-500

Google Ads (before optimization) — Cost: $40-80/click | Close rate: 8-12% | Real cost per customer: $400-800

Google Ads (optimized, 6+ months) — Cost: $40-80/click | Close rate: 15-25% | Real cost per customer: $200-400

Google Local Services Ads — Cost per lead: $30-80 | Close rate: 20-30% | Real cost per customer: $120-300

Google Business Profile — Cost: $0 | Close rate: 30-50% | Real cost per customer: $0

SEO/Organic — Cost: $0 per lead | Close rate: 25-40% | Real cost per customer: $0 (after building it)

Referrals — Cost: $50-100 incentive | Close rate: 50-80% | Real cost per customer: $75-150

The plumbing companies that spend the least per customer have one thing in common: they maxed out the free sources first and use paid sources to fill gaps, not as the foundation.

The ones paying $300+ per customer are almost always over-reliant on shared lead services.

How to Spot Bad Plumbing Lead Sources

Whether you're buying plumbing leads or considering a marketing service, watch for these:

"Guaranteed" leads without defining what "lead" means. A name and phone number isn't a lead if the person isn't actually looking for a plumber.

No way to dispute bad leads. Legitimate services let you reject leads that are junk -- wrong number, out of area, not actually requesting service.

Aggressive upselling. If they're constantly pushing you to buy more, that's where their profit comes from.

No performance data. Any service worth using should show you conversion rates, not just volume.

Long contracts. Month-to-month is standard. If they want a year commitment, ask why. Month-to-month keeps them accountable because you can leave if they stop delivering.

Won't share customer contact info. If you can't reach customers directly for follow-up, you don't own the relationship.

Why Most Plumbers Struggle with Lead Generation

Here's what I've noticed from auditing plumbing companies: the ones struggling usually have no idea what's actually working.

They couldn't tell you their close rate. They couldn't tell you what they're paying per customer. They're spending money on three different things and they genuinely don't know which one is bringing in jobs.

Hard to fix a problem you can't see.

At minimum, here's what every plumber should track:

Where every lead comes from. Yes, it's tedious. Yes, you have to ask every single caller. But without this, you're guessing -- and guessing is expensive.

Which leads convert to jobs -- and what those jobs are worth. A lead that turns into a $150 drain cleaning is very different from one that becomes a $4,000 repipe.

Your customer acquisition cost by source. Total marketing spend divided by customers acquired. If you're paying Angi $1,000/month and getting 3 customers, that's $333 per customer from that source.

Customer lifetime value. How much does a customer spend with you over time? If your average customer calls you twice over five years and spends $800 total, that changes how much you should pay to acquire them.

Track these four things. The decisions get easier after that.

What to Do Now

This guide is 4,000+ words. Here's what actually matters:

If you have fewer than 50 Google reviews: That's your first job. Drop everything else until you hit 50. Nothing works as well until this is done.

If you have 50+ reviews but no website: Get a basic website with pages for each service. Doesn't need to be fancy. Needs to exist and load fast.

If you have reviews and a website but no organic leads: Start creating content. One blog post per week answering a question your customers actually ask.

If you're spending more than $300/customer on leads: Something is broken. You're either buying bad leads or not closing well. Fix this before spending more.

If you're getting 50%+ of leads organically: You've built the machine. Tighten the screws and grow.

Frequently Asked Questions About Plumbing Leads

When will I see results from SEO for plumbing leads?

Most markets: 8-14 months. Competitive metros like Sacramento or Dallas: 12-18 months. Smaller towns: sometimes 5-8 months. If someone promises Page 1 in 30 days, they're either lying or doing something that's going to get your site penalized later.

Is it worth paying for plumbing lead generation services?

If you're clearing $500K+ and working 60 hours already, yes -- hire someone to handle it. Otherwise, do the basics yourself first. Google Business Profile, reviews, a decent website. That alone puts you ahead of 70% of plumbers based on the profiles I've audited.

Which CRM is best for managing plumbing leads?

ServiceTitan if you have the budget ($400+/month) and want full field service management. Housecall Pro for mid-range ($50-150/month). Jobber as a simpler alternative. Honestly, pick whichever one you'll actually open every day. The best CRM is the one you use. Start simple.

Should I use Yelp for plumbing leads?

I'd skip Yelp. Their sales team will hound you, their filter buries legitimate reviews, and Google matters more for plumbing leads. If you're already strong everywhere else, fine -- but that's not where most plumbers are.

Are Angi plumbing leads worth it?

For short-term cash flow when you're starting out, sure. For building a sustainable business, no. They work as a supplement to organic leads, not a replacement.

How many plumbing leads should I expect per month?

Depends on your market size and how established you are. A solo plumber in a mid-size city doing the basics well should see 20-40 inbound leads per month within 12 months. A larger operation in a metro area can hit 100+ with consistent SEO and a strong Google Business Profile. The first 6 months are the slowest -- that's normal.

One last thing. Everything in this guide boils down to one question: do you want to rent leads or own them?

Renting is easier. Swipe the card, leads show up, you hustle to close them before three other plumbers do. It works until it doesn't -- until Angi raises prices again, or your close rate drops, or you realize you've spent $40K this year with nothing to show for it but a dependency.

Owning takes longer. You have to build a Google presence, earn reviews, create a website that actually converts, write content that ranks. Months of work before the payoff.

But once it pays off, it keeps paying. Your Google Business Profile doesn't send you an invoice. Your website doesn't charge per click. Your reputation doesn't have a monthly fee.

That's the difference between a lead source and a lead system. One drains your account. The other builds your business.

Not sure where to start? Get a free audit of your current Google presence -- I'll tell you exactly what's working, what's broken, and what to fix first.