The $15k+ Job Filter: Why Most Remodeling Contractors Should Stop Running Google Ads (Until They Fix This)

Your Google Ads aren't inconsistent. Your system is.

If you're a kitchen or bath remodeler running Google Ads and getting flooded with $3,000 tile repair calls when you want $25,000 gut remodels—your ads don't have a quality problem. Your system does.

Here's the uncomfortable truth: 78% of customers buy from the first company that responds. But if you're the first to respond to the wrong leads, you're just burning money faster than your competition.

This article shows you exactly what breaks contractor ads—and the filter system that fixes it.

The Real Cost of "More Leads" (It's Not What You Think)

Every agency brags about lead volume. But here's what they won't tell you: more leads can actually destroy your profitability.

Let's run the math that matters.

Scenario A: The "Volume" Approach

You spend $5,000/month on Google Ads. You get 50 leads at $100 CPL. Sounds great—until you realize 35 of those leads want jobs under $5,000. Your crew spends 40 hours quoting $3k projects that barely cover overhead. Meanwhile, the $30,000 whole-kitchen remodel that called on Tuesday got a callback... three hours later. They already booked your competitor.

Scenario B: The "Filter" Approach

You spend $5,000/month. You get 25 leads at $200 CPL. Your cost per lead doubled—but every single lead wants a $15k+ project. You quote 25 qualified jobs instead of 50 mixed ones. Your close rate jumps from 15% to 35% because you're not exhausted from chasing junk.

The Numbers

The 5 Pre-Ad Qualifiers (The System)

Before you spend another dollar on Google Ads, you need five filters in place. Miss even one, and you're paying for leads that will never become profitable jobs.

1. Minimum Job Size Positioning

Most contractors hide their pricing because they're afraid of scaring people off. That's backwards. You want to scare off the wrong people.

Your landing page should state clearly: "We specialize in full kitchen remodels starting at $25,000" or "Our bathroom renovations typically range from $15,000-$45,000."

This isn't arrogance—it's clarity. The homeowner with a $5,000 budget will self-select out. The homeowner with a $35,000 budget will feel like they found the right contractor.

2. Landing Page Filtering

Your landing page isn't a brochure. It's a filter.

According to 2025 industry data, home services conversion rates average around 7.33% when landing pages are optimized for qualification rather than volume. Generic "free estimate" pages convert higher—but they convert garbage.

Your landing page must include:

• Service area boundaries. "We serve the Greater [City] area within a 30-mile radius." If they're outside, they know before they call.
• Project type specificity. "Full kitchen remodels including cabinets, countertops, and appliances" tells them what you do. "We don't do repairs or single-item replacements" tells them what you don't.
• Timeline expectations. "Design-build process takes 8-12 weeks from contract to completion." This filters out the "I need it done by next weekend" crowd.
• Social proof at scale. Not just testimonials—before/after galleries of $15k+ projects specifically. If someone sees twelve $30k kitchen transformations, they understand your level.

3. Keyword Intent Tiers

Not all keywords are equal. In fact, the highest-volume keywords are often the worst for profitability.

High-Intent (Bid Aggressively)

"Kitchen remodel contractor near me," "bathroom renovation company [city]," "design build remodeler" — These people are ready to hire. They're comparing 2-3 contractors. Worth $8-15 CPC.

Medium-Intent (Bid Cautiously)

"Kitchen remodel cost," "how much does bathroom renovation cost" — They're researching but may be 3-6 months out. Worth $4-8 CPC if you have a nurture sequence.

Low-Intent (Avoid Entirely)

"Kitchen remodel ideas," "bathroom design photos," "DIY cabinet installation" — These are Pinterest browsers, not buyers. Every click is wasted money.

4. Phone Script Intake

Your ads drive the call. Your phone intake determines if that call becomes a qualified appointment or a wasted hour.

The 5 questions that filter on the first call:

1. "Are you the homeowner?" Renters can't authorize renovations. Property managers often can't either without owner approval. This one question eliminates 15-20% of junk leads.
2. "What's the scope of your project?" Listen for keywords: "full remodel," "gut renovation," "complete redesign" = qualified. "Just need to replace a faucet" or "looking for a quick fix" = not your customer.
3. "What's your timeline?" "Next month" or "this quarter" = serious buyer. "Just exploring options" or "maybe next year" = nurture list, not sales call.
4. "Have you set a budget range for this project?" This isn't about extracting a number—it's about gauging seriousness. Someone who's thought about budget is further along than someone who hasn't.
5. "Are you speaking with other contractors?" If yes, they're in buying mode. Prioritize these callbacks. If they say "you're the first call," they may still be in research mode.

5. Follow-Up Speed Protocol

This is where most contractors lose deals they already paid for.

The data is brutal: responding to a lead within 5 minutes makes you 100x more likely to connect than waiting 30 minutes. Leads contacted within one minute convert at 391% higher rates than those contacted even two minutes later.

Yet the average business takes 42 hours to respond to a lead. In home services specifically, customers now average 5.5 touchpoints before making a decision—up from 4.9 last year. If you're not the first touchpoint, you're fighting uphill.

The 5-Minute Rule Implementation

• Missed calls: Call back within 5 minutes. No exceptions. Use call tracking to alert immediately.
• Form leads: Text within 2 minutes ("Got your request—calling you in 3 minutes"), call within 5.
• After-hours: Auto-text immediately, priority callback queue for 8:01 AM next business day.
• Follow-up persistence: Industry data shows 57% of contractors reach out to new leads 4+ times, but only 14% follow up that persistently with quoted leads. That's backwards. Once you've invested quoting time, follow up relentlessly.

The "Stop Running Ads" Checklist

Here's where I tell you something no agency wants to say: sometimes you shouldn't run Google Ads.

Not because ads don't work. Because ads will expose every weakness in your business—and multiply the damage.

You should NOT scale Google Ads if:

• Your close rate is under 20%. More leads won't fix a sales problem. You'll just waste more money faster. Fix the sales process first.
• You can't respond to leads within 30 minutes. If your current response time is measured in hours or days, you're paying for leads your competition will close.
• You can't define your minimum profitable job size. If you don't know this number, you can't filter for it. And you'll keep attracting jobs that lose money.
• You have no CRM or lead tracking. Without tracking, you can't measure what works. You're just gambling with ad spend.
• Your website is a brochure, not a filter. Generic sites attract generic leads. Before scaling ads, build pages that pre-qualify.
• You have fewer than 20 reviews with a 4.5+ average. About 36% of consumers check at least two review sites before deciding. No reviews = no trust = wasted clicks.

What Happens When the Filter Works (Case Example)

Here's what the transformation looks like in practice.

Before Implementing the Filter System

A mid-sized kitchen remodeling company in the Southeast was spending $6,500/month on Google Ads. They were generating 45+ leads monthly—which sounds great until you look deeper.

• Cost per lead: $144
• Qualified lead percentage: 25%
• Booked appointments from ads: 6/month
• Close rate: 18%
• Jobs closed: ~1/month
• Revenue from ads: roughly $22,000 average

The real cost per closed job: $6,500. On a 35% margin job, that's eating most of the profit.

After Implementing the 5 Qualifiers

Same $6,500 monthly spend. Lead volume dropped to 28. But qualified lead percentage jumped to 85%.

• Cost per lead increased to $232—but cost per qualified lead dropped to $273 (vs. $576 before)
• Booked appointments: 12/month
• Close rate: 38%
• Jobs closed: 4-5/month
• Revenue from ads: $100,000+

The new cost per closed job: ~$1,400. That's a 78% reduction in acquisition cost while increasing revenue 4.5x.

The Formula: Calculate Your Maximum CPL

Every contractor should know this number before spending a dollar on ads.

Maximum CPL = (Average Job Value × Profit Margin × Close Rate) ÷ Target ROI

Let's run it for a typical kitchen remodeler:

• Average job value: $28,000
• Profit margin: 35% ($9,800 gross profit)
• Close rate: 30%
• Target ROI: 5x return on ad spend

Maximum CPL = ($28,000 × 0.35 × 0.30) ÷ 5 = $588

That means if you're paying $350 per qualified lead and maintaining a 30% close rate on $28k jobs, you're well within profitable territory—even though $350 might seem expensive compared to "industry averages."

FAQ

Why did my Google Ads leads suddenly drop?

Usually it's one of four things: tracking broke (most common), a competitor increased spend and pushed you down, your quality score dropped due to landing page changes, or you're hitting budget caps earlier in the day. Start by checking conversion tracking before assuming campaign performance changed.

Why are my Google Ads leads low quality?

"Low quality" leads are caused by four factors: generic messaging that doesn't filter ("free estimate" attracts everyone), broad keywords matching low-intent searches, landing pages without qualification elements, and slow follow-up that lets qualified leads go cold. The leads aren't bad—your system isn't filtering them.

How much should remodeling contractors spend on Google Ads?

Budget backward from revenue goals, not forward from "industry benchmarks." If you need 4 jobs/month at $25k average, and your close rate is 25%, you need 16 qualified leads. At $400 CPL for qualified leads, that's $6,400/month minimum. Spending less means fewer leads; spending more should scale linearly if your system works.

Should I use Google Local Services Ads or regular Google Ads?

Both, if your market supports it. LSAs operate on a pay-per-lead model and appear above traditional search ads with the "Google Guaranteed" badge. They're excellent for capturing high-intent local searches. Regular Search ads give you more control over messaging and landing page experience. The best remodelers run both.

How long until Google Ads works for my remodeling company?

You can generate leads immediately. Consistent, optimized performance typically takes 60-90 days of data collection and refinement. The caveat: if your tracking, landing pages, or follow-up process are broken, no amount of time will fix performance. Fix the fundamentals first.

The Bottom Line

Google Ads isn't "sometimes working" for your remodeling business. Your system is.

If you want predictable lead flow that turns into profitable jobs, you need to:

• Track real outcomes (not vanity metrics)
• Build a differentiated offer (not "free estimate")
• Convert demand with fast follow-up (minutes, not hours)
• Filter bad-fit jobs by design (not by accident)

That's how ads become reliable. That's how you stop gambling with your marketing budget.

Want a Blunt Assessment?

Want to know whether Google Ads will work for your remodeling company in your market?

Request a Contractor Ads Reliability Audit. If your foundation is weak, we'll tell you exactly what's broken and what it'll take to fix it—before you spend another dollar.

We've turned down 30% of prospects because their operations weren't ready. We'd rather tell you no than take money we can't multiply.

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Running Google Ads for kitchen remodeling, bathroom renovation, or full home renovation? Read about the Seasonality System to understand why your results fluctuate by month.