Last updated: 19 July 2026
In this article
Most Australian tradies should budget $1,500 to $3,000 per month for Google Ads to generate enough lead volume to make the campaign worthwhile. Below $1,000 per month, most trade niches in major cities do not generate enough clicks to optimise effectively. The right budget is determined by your average job value and target cost per lead - a plumber charging $800 per job can afford a much higher CPL than a painter charging $300 for a small room.
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The question every tradie asks before starting Google Ads is: how much does it cost? The honest answer is that it depends on your trade, your city, and what you are willing to pay per job enquiry.
This guide breaks down how I approach budget setting for tradie campaigns at J-Digital - using real per-campaign CPL data to show what is realistic in different trade categories.
Start With Your Job Economics, Not an Arbitrary Number
Most tradies set their ad budget based on what they feel comfortable spending. This is the wrong starting point. The right question is: what is a job lead worth to my business?
- 1
Calculate your average job value
Add up your last 20 jobs and divide by 20. Include parts, labour, and callout fees. This is your average revenue per job.
- 2
Estimate your lead-to-job conversion rate
Of the last 20 calls or enquiries you received, how many became booked jobs? A tradie who quotes well typically converts 40-60% of qualified enquiries.
- 3
Calculate maximum CPL
Multiply your average job value by your conversion rate. That is the maximum you can pay per lead and break even. Your target CPL should be 30-50% of that number to leave a profit margin.
Example calculation
Average job value $1,200. Convert 50% of leads to jobs. Maximum break-even CPL = $600. Target CPL for profitable advertising = $90 to $180. Any CPL below $180 generates positive ROI.
What Real Tradie Google Ads Cost Per Lead Looks Like
J-Digital's documented tradie campaigns show a wide range of CPLs depending on the trade category, location, and level of competition.
| Trade Category | CPL Range | Example Campaign |
|---|---|---|
| Electricians | $18 to $80 | EA Services: $17.96, Flex EV: $76.12 |
| Plumbers | $38 to $94 | Campbell Plumbing: $38.37, Riccardi: $93.63 |
| Air Conditioning | $29 to $76 | Starboard Elec: $28.60, Celik Group: $75.63 |
| Painters | $55 to $65 | Everlasting Painting: $60.24 |
| Exterior Cleaning | $50 to $60 | Superior Exterior: $53.49 |
| Glaziers | $35 to $40 | Reglaze: $36.20 |
CPL ranges from real J-Digital tradie campaigns. Figures are per qualified lead (call or form submission) not per booked job.
Why the range is so wide
EV charger installation (Flex EV: $76.12 CPL) is a newer service category with fewer searches but higher job values. Traditional electrical services in the same market (Infinity Electrical: $39.33) have far more search volume and established bidding patterns. Niche services cost more per lead but the jobs are often worth significantly more.
Budget Recommendations by Situation
Just Starting Out: Testing Phase
Budget: $1,500 to $2,000 per month. Goal: validate that the channel works for your specific trade and location before scaling. You need at least 30 days of data to see real patterns.
Growing Phase: Scaling What Works
Budget: $2,500 to $5,000 per month. At this level you have enough data to know your actual CPL, your best-performing keywords, and your best-converting landing pages. Increasing budget at this stage produces predictable results.
Established: Maintaining and Optimising
Budget: whatever it takes to fill your schedule. At this stage, the question is not how much to spend but how many leads your team can handle. The best-performing tradie clients at J-Digital treat their Google Ads budget as a variable cost that scales with capacity.
$17.96
Lowest CPL (EA Services, Townsville)
2026
Google Premier Partner
$93.63
Highest CPL (Riccardi Plumbing)
11,827
Total leads generated across campaigns
How to Get the Most From a Smaller Budget
If your budget is limited, the best way to maximise it is through tight geographic and keyword targeting. Do not try to cover all of Melbourne on $1,000 a month - pick your two or three best suburbs and dominate those searches.
- Target your most profitable service only - not every service you offer
- Use tight geographic targeting - your core three to five service suburbs, not the entire city
- Set up Google Local Services Ads alongside Search Ads - they often deliver a lower CPL for eligible trade categories
- Pause ads on days and times that never produce calls based on your data
- Invest in a proper landing page - better conversion rates mean more leads from the same budget
Jordan Pizzica
Director & Head of Growth, J-Digital
I'm the founder and Director of J-Digital, Australia's dedicated Google Ads agency for trade businesses.
I've run campaigns for 150+ Australian tradies through J-Digital, a **Google Premier Partner 2026**, generating more than 11,800 qualified leads across documented campaigns.
My Rapid Lead Flow System is built around one principle: every dollar a tradie spends on ads must return a trackable, qualified job enquiry.
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