Paid search is the fastest way for a new heating company to get calls from strangers, and also the fastest way to spend startup cash on nothing. The first-year lead plan keeps it under control: a monthly cap, every call tracked, missed calls handled, and a monthly check against your own break-even numbers. We manage the marketing; we don't do or dispatch any heating work.
Who this is for
This plan suits owners who already have three things in place:
- A licence and registration that let you legally take the work you'll advertise. Links to each authority are on our provincial pages.
- A live website and a Google Business Profile, ideally with a few reviews. See launch website and local launch.
- Spare capacity: days in the week when you'd rather be on a paid job than waiting.
If one of those is missing, fix it first. Ads sent to an empty website or an unverified listing mostly buy bounces.
What's included
Setup
- Google Ads account in your business's name, with you as the owner.
- Campaigns limited to the services you actually offer and the towns you'll drive to.
- Negative keywords to filter out job seekers, DIY questions and other searches that won't hire you.
- Tracking numbers on ads and the website so each call is attributed.
- A missed-call text-back message, so a caller who reaches voicemail gets a text right away.
Running it
- A monthly spend cap agreed in writing.
- Weekly checks on search terms and call quality.
- A monthly review with you: calls, booked jobs, cost per booked job and what we'll change.
- Seasonal adjustments, such as more weight on furnace and boiler repair in the first cold weeks and on maintenance and replacements in the shoulder seasons.
A worked example you can redo
Suppose:
- Your average heating job (a mix of repairs and replacements) brings in $1,400.
- You book 40% of calls that reach you.
- Paid search in your town costs about $70 per answered call.
Then each booked job costs about $175 in ad spend ($70 ÷ 0.4). That's 12.5% of the average job. If your gross margin on that job is 45%, the ad cost uses roughly a quarter of your gross profit on the first job, before any repeat work or referrals.
Now say a third of calls go unanswered. Answered calls drop, cost per booked job climbs to about $260, and the same budget does a third less. This is why the missed-call text-back and a clear plan for when you're on a job are part of the service, not extras. The full monthly model is in our first-year marketing budget guide.
These numbers are an illustration. Use your own; we'll help you find them.
Timeline
| Period | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Weeks 1–2 | Account setup, tracking, missed-call text, first campaigns live |
| Weeks 3–6 | Search-term clean-up, first real cost-per-call figures |
| Months 2–3 | Cost per booked job measured; budget adjusted up, down or held |
| Months 4–12 | Seasonal shifts, gradual reliance on profile and organic calls |
How results are measured
We report three numbers every month, in this order:
- Answered calls by source: ads, Google listing, website.
- Booked jobs, which only you can tell us, so we ask you to note them.
- Cost per booked job, compared with the break-even figure we agree at the start.
Clicks and impressions appear in the report, but we don't treat them as results.
Mistakes to avoid
- Bidding on the whole province. You'll pay for calls you can't drive to.
- Advertising emergency service you can't answer at 2 a.m. Unanswered emergency calls are the most expensive calls there are.
- Judging after one week. Early data is noisy. Give a campaign several weeks before deciding.
- Letting the agency own the ad account. If you part ways, you lose the history.
- Advertising "eco" claims you can't back up. The Competition Bureau expects environmental claims to be truthful and not misleading.
BCWide.ca reached 3× leads in 90 days, and HVACDeal.ca produced 500+ leads at a 12:1 ROI. Those are results from established HVAC brands, not promises for a new company, but the method is the same. See pricing for plan costs.
Frequently asked questions
How much should a new heating company spend on ads?
Only what you can lose for three months without missing payroll or a loan payment. Start with a cap, measure cost per booked job, and raise it only when the numbers support it. Our first-year budget guide shows the math.
Is ad spend included in your monthly fee?
No. Money paid to Google or Meta for ads is separate from our management fee, and the ad accounts stay in your business's name. We set both out in writing before anything starts.
Why do I need call tracking?
Because a new owner can't afford to guess. Tracking numbers show whether a call came from an ad, the Google listing or the website, so you know what's paying for itself.
What happens if I can't take more work?
We lower or pause spending. A good plan is built around your capacity, and there's no lock-in.