How much does Google Ads cost? Depends on the trade.
The same Google, the same auction, and a ten-times difference in price. The typical top bid on an HVAC search is $76.03; on an auto repair search it's $7.95. Here is what 18 local trades pay, straight from Google's own Keyword Planner.
Short version: Google Ads has no set price. You pay per click, set your own budget, and the click price comes from an auction. Across 143 local service searches we pulled from Google Keyword Planner in November 2026, the middle top-of-page bid was $26.73, but trades ranged from $7.95 (auto repair) to $76.03 (HVAC). A local service business usually needs at least $1,000 to $1,500 a month in ad spend to learn anything.
Google Ads cost per click, by trade
"Typical top bid" is the middle of the high end of Google's top-of-page bid range across about eight core searches for each trade. Click a trade for its full table, seasonality and Google's rules.
| Trade | Typical top bid | Priciest search, top-of-page bid range |
|---|---|---|
| HVAC | $76.03 | emergency ac repair: $25.31 to $125.51 |
| Plumbing | $71.23 | emergency plumber: $24.42 to $110.00 |
| Roofing | $65.05 | roofing contractor near me: $13.29 to $75.00 |
| Garage doors | $46.95 | garage door repair: $15.74 to $85.54 |
| Moving | $39.98 | long distance movers: $23.10 to $88.22 |
| Other contractors | $38.42 | window replacement: $16.52 to $92.13 |
| Pest control | $30.29 | termite inspection: $14.22 to $60.96 |
| Electrical | $26.74 | emergency electrician: $11.30 to $66.00 |
| Remodeling | $26.61 | bathroom remodel: $9.58 to $55.00 |
| Pools | $26.16 | pool remodeling: $5.75 to $35.54 |
| Solar | $22.70 | commercial solar: $6.26 to $52.48 |
| Dental | $16.95 | dental implants: $7.14 to $30.00 |
| Concrete | $16.70 | foundation repair: $11.40 to $69.08 |
| Landscaping and lawn care | $14.91 | retaining wall installation: $2.67 to $20.00 |
| Cleaning | $14.89 | office cleaning: $4.10 to $32.17 |
| Locksmiths | $13.75 | lock change: $3.85 to $28.54 |
| Chiropractic | $10.72 | car accident chiropractor: $8.68 to $95.68 |
| Auto repair | $7.95 | transmission repair: $2.02 to $10.00 |
Source: Google Keyword Planner, United States, pulled November 2026. Bid ranges are what advertisers bid to show at the top of the page, not a price list.
Two patterns stand out. Emergency searches top the list for HVAC, plumbing and electrical, because an urgent caller hires the first business that answers, though not everywhere: for locksmiths, a planned "lock change" outbids "emergency locksmith". And the biggest job is often not the priciest click: an AC replacement or a whole-house rewire costs less to advertise for than an emergency repair. That gap is where a well-built account makes its money.
How Google Ads pricing actually works
- You pay per click, not per view. Showing your ad is free; you're charged when someone clicks or calls from it.
- The auction sets the price. Google: "you only pay what's minimally required to clear the Ad Rank thresholds and beat the Ad Rank of the competitor immediately below you," so the actual cost is often less than your maximum bid (Google).
- You set the budget. A campaign may spend up to twice its average daily budget on a busy day, but over a month you won't be billed more than 30.4 times the daily budget; if Google serves more, it covers the difference (Google).
- Google bills you directly. Your ad spend goes on your own card in your own account. A management fee is a separate cost.
How much should a local business budget?
Divide your budget by your click cost. If every click cost the middle top bid in our data, $1,500 a month would buy about 56 clicks; real clicks often cost less, and an HVAC emergency click can cost far more. Google's bidding needs conversions to learn from, which is why we ask for at least $1,500 a month in ad spend for home services and $1,000 for appointment businesses. Below that, a month rarely produces enough booked jobs to judge anything. To see whether the math works for your business, use the Google Ads worth-it calculator with your own job value and booking rate.
What management costs
Ours is a flat $497 a month for ad spend up to $3,000, plus a one-time $497 setup for tracking and the first account rebuild, billed separately from Google, month to month after the first 90 days. You own the account either way. See pricing for the higher tiers, and how we run accounts.
Related
Compare all industry playbooks, read about Local Services Ads, which charge per lead instead of per click, or get a free audit to see what your clicks actually cost.