Facebook Ads vs. Google Ads: Which Is Better for Home Services?
Short answer: Google Ads win when someone is already searching for your service: the burst pipe, the dead AC, the leaking roof. Facebook and Instagram ads win before the search, putting your business in front of homeowners in your area who will need you soon, like roof replacements, painting, solar, lawn programs and maintenance plans. For most trades businesses, Google catches the urgent jobs and Facebook builds demand for the planned ones.
How Google Ads work
Your ad shows when someone searches for what you do, like “water heater replacement near me.” You pay when they click (or, with Local Services Ads, when they call or message).
- High intent. They’re looking for you right now.
- Great for emergencies and repairs. Plumbing, HVAC, garage doors, electrical service calls.
- Costs more per click in competitive trades, because every shop in town wants the same searches.
- Depends on your landing page. A slow or generic page wastes the click.
How Facebook and Instagram ads work
Your ad shows to people in your service area based on who they are, not what they’re searching. You pay to reach them, and they see your work in their feed.
- Builds demand. Reaches homeowners before they start shopping.
- Great for visual and planned work. Before-and-after photos and short videos do the selling.
- Usually cheaper per lead, but leads need faster follow-up since they weren’t actively searching.
- Precise local targeting. By ZIP code or radius, which is useful after storms or for filling specific routes.
Side by side
| Google Ads | Facebook & Instagram Ads | |
|---|---|---|
| Catches people | Already searching | Before they search |
| Best for | Emergencies, repairs | Planned, visual, seasonal work |
| Cost per click or lead | Often higher | Often lower |
| Lead quality | High intent | Needs quick follow-up |
| Creative needed | Text ads, strong landing page | Photos, short video |
Which one should you start with?
- Emergency-heavy trades (plumbing, HVAC repair, garage doors): start with Google.
- Planned and visual trades (roofing replacements, painting, landscaping, solar): Facebook and Instagram can carry a lot of the load.
- Recurring plans (pest control, lawn programs, HVAC maintenance): Facebook is strong for selling plans; Google catches the urgent calls.
- Both, once the basics work. Google and Meta together cover the homeowner who needs you today and the one who will need you next month.
Whichever you run, two things decide whether ads pay off: a page built for the job you’re advertising, and answering every lead fast. We run both. See Google and Facebook ads for contractors, or compare plans on our pricing page.
Frequently asked questions
Do Facebook ads work for contractors?
Yes, especially for planned, visual or seasonal work like roofing, painting, landscaping, solar and maintenance plans. They’re weaker for true emergencies, where people search Google instead.
How long before Facebook ads bring in leads?
Often within the first couple of weeks, though the first month is mostly testing which offers, images and audiences work. Results usually improve after that.
What are Google Local Services Ads?
They’re the listings at the very top of some Google searches, with a Google Verified badge and a call button. You pay per lead instead of per click, and you have to pass Google’s verification first.