Nobody Gives You Straight Numbers. We Will.

Every contractor we talk to asks the same question: "What's this going to cost me?"

And every marketing agency dodges it: "It depends on your goals," "Every business is unique," "Let's schedule a call to discuss pricing."

We're not doing that. Here are the real numbers — based on managing 80+ contractor clients across North America. These are what things actually cost in 2026, not hypothetical ranges designed to get you on a sales call.

The Complete Cost Breakdown

Google Business Profile Management

| Service Level | Monthly Cost | What You Get | |--------------|-------------|--------------| | DIY (you do it) | $0 | Your time (2-4 hours/month if done properly) | | Basic management | $150-250/mo | Photo uploads, post creation, review responses | | Full management | $250-400/mo | Everything above + citation audit, competitor monitoring, monthly reporting | Our opinion: This is the highest-ROI marketing spend for any local contractor. If you can only afford one thing, do this.

Google Ads

| Market Size | Monthly Ad Spend | Management Fee | Total | |-------------|-----------------|----------------|-------| | Small market | $1,000-2,000 | $300-500 | $1,300-2,500 | | Medium market | $2,000-4,000 | $500-800 | $2,500-4,800 | | Large market | $4,000-8,000+ | $800-1,500 | $4,800-9,500 | Cost per lead: $25-80 depending on competition and campaign type. LSAs are cheapest.

SEO / Content Marketing

| Service Level | Monthly Cost | What You Get | |--------------|-------------|--------------| | Basic SEO | $500-1,000/mo | Technical fixes, on-page optimization, 1-2 blog posts | | Growth SEO | $1,000-2,500/mo | Above + content strategy, 4+ blog posts, link building | | Aggressive SEO | $2,500-5,000/mo | Full-stack SEO with dedicated strategist, 8+ pieces of content | Timeline to ROI: 3-6 months for meaningful organic traffic. Compounds over time — unlike ads, the leads keep coming even if you pause spending.

Website Design & Development

| Type | Cost | Timeline | |------|------|----------| | Template/basic site | $1,500-3,000 | 1-2 weeks | | Custom design | $3,000-7,000 | 2-4 weeks | | Premium with 3D/animation | $7,000-15,000 | 4-8 weeks | | E-commerce/SaaS | $10,000-25,000+ | 6-12 weeks | Our approach: We build conversion-focused websites. Pretty doesn't matter if it doesn't generate leads. Most contractors need a $3,000-5,000 custom site — not a $15,000 showcase.

Meta (Facebook/Instagram) Ads

| Service Level | Monthly Ad Spend | Management Fee | Total | |--------------|-----------------|----------------|-------| | Testing phase | $500-1,000 | $300-500 | $800-1,500 | | Growth phase | $1,000-3,000 | $500-800 | $1,500-3,800 | | Scale phase | $3,000-10,000 | $800-1,500 | $3,800-11,500 | Best for: Brand awareness, retargeting website visitors, storm damage campaigns, seasonal pushes. Not as direct as Google Ads for immediate leads, but powerful for staying top-of-mind.

AI Voice Agent

| Plan | Monthly Cost | What You Get | |------|-------------|--------------| | Standard | $150-200/mo | AI phone answering, CRM integration, call transcripts | | Premium | $200-300/mo | Above + calendar booking, multi-line, priority support | ROI math: If it captures 2 extra jobs per month at $8,500 each, that's $17,000 from a $200 investment.

RoofQuote (Instant Estimate Tool)

| Plan | Cost | |------|------| | Monthly | $59/mo | | Lifetime | $1,500 one-time | | Free trial | 14 days, no card required |

What Should a Contractor Actually Spend?

Here's what we recommend based on revenue:

| Annual Revenue | Marketing Budget | Monthly Spend | Priority | |---------------|-----------------|---------------|----------| | Under $500K | 5-8% of revenue | $2,000-3,300 | GBP + Google Ads | | $500K-$1M | 6-10% | $2,500-8,300 | GBP + Ads + SEO | | $1M-$3M | 7-10% | $5,800-25,000 | Full stack: GBP + Ads + SEO + Website + AI | | $3M+ | 8-12% | $20,000-30,000+ | Everything above + dedicated strategist | The minimum viable stack: GBP management ($200/mo) + Google Ads ($1,500/mo total) = $1,700/month. This is the floor for any contractor serious about growth.

Red Flags When Hiring a Marketing Agency

| Red Flag | What It Means | |----------|---------------| | Long-term contract required | They don't think results will keep you | | Won't share ad account access | They own your data, not you | | Guarantees specific rankings | Nobody can guarantee Google rankings | | No conversion tracking | They can't prove ROI | | Generic portfolio (no contractors) | They don't understand your industry | | Monthly reports with vanity metrics | Impressions and clicks don't pay bills | What to look for: Month-to-month contracts, full account transparency, conversion tracking from day one, and experience specifically with contractors.

The Osprey Approach

We're transparent about pricing because we believe the work should speak for itself. No long-term contracts. Full access to your accounts. Real reporting on metrics that matter — calls, leads, jobs booked.

What we offer contractors: → Book a free strategy call — we'll tell you exactly what you need and what it costs

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the minimum a contractor should spend on marketing?

$1,700/month — Google Business Profile management ($200) plus Google Ads ($1,500 total including management). This is the minimum to generate consistent leads in most markets.

How do I know if my marketing is working?

Track three numbers: cost per lead, number of leads per month, and close rate. If you can't calculate these, your marketing isn't being tracked properly.

Should I hire an agency or do it myself?

If you have 2-4 hours per week to dedicate to marketing consistently, you can handle GBP and basic social media yourself. For Google Ads, SEO, and website development, the learning curve makes agency management more cost-effective for most contractors.

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