Leads you rent vs a name you own
Are lead sites worth it for trades?
Your numbers
What a job really costs from a lead site
Put in what you pay and how many leads turn into jobs. Most owners know the spend; few have worked out the cost per job won.
Spend a month: 420
Jobs won a month: 5
Cost per job won: 84
Use your own currency. Compare the cost per job with the profit you make on that kind of job.
Side by side
Renting leads vs building your own name
| Lead site | Your own name | |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | Calls this week | Months to build |
| What you pay | Fee, often per lead | Your time, or a tool or agency |
| Who else gets the lead | Often several firms | Just you |
| If you stop paying | Leads stop | Reviews, pages and profile stay |
| Who owns the customer | Shared with the site | You |
An honest view
When a lead site makes sense
If your diary is empty this week, use one. If a lead site's cost per job is well under your profit on that job, keep it running while you build your own name.
What doesn't work is relying on it forever. Reviews left on a lead site stay on that site; they don't add to your Google profile. Ask every lead-site customer for a Google review too.
Building your own name, step by step: the free search checklist for trades.
Written by Alex at Nelvant. Last updated 22 October 2026. Questions or corrections: alex@nelvant.com
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