Facebook Ads vs Google Ads for Contractors: Why Facebook Wins

I get asked this question constantly: "Should I do Facebook ads or Google ads for my roofing company?" (Or windows, or HVAC, or whatever trade you're in.)

My answer is almost always the same: Facebook. And it's not even close.

Now, I know that sounds like a hot take. Google seems like the obvious choice—people are literally searching for "roofer near me." They're ready to buy. Why wouldn't you want to be there?

I'll tell you why. Because the math doesn't work for most contractors. Let me break it down.

The Cost Problem with Google Ads

Here's what most contractors don't realize about Google Ads: you're paying per click, not per lead.

Every time someone clicks your ad—whether they call you or not, whether they're a serious buyer or a tire-kicker, whether they even meant to click—you pay. And in home services, those clicks are expensive.

That's not per lead. That's per click. Someone clicks your ad, bounces after 3 seconds, and you just paid $50 for nothing.

Why so expensive? Because there are only a handful of keywords that matter—"roofer near me," "roof repair," "roofing contractor"—and every roofer in your market is bidding on them. It's a bidding war, and it's out of control.

Let's do the math on what it actually takes to make Google Ads work:

• 10 clicks per day (minimum to get meaningful data)
• $50 per click (average for roofing)
• = $500/day just to get started
• = $15,000/month in ad spend alone

And here's the kicker: of those 10 clicks, maybe 3 become phone calls. And maybe 1 becomes a customer—if everything is optimized perfectly. Which takes 2-3 months of testing and wasted spend to figure out.

For most contractors, that's a non-starter. You're not sitting on $15K/month in ad budget while you "optimize."

Why Facebook Is Different

Facebook doesn't charge you per click. Facebook charges you for exposure.

It's more like TV advertising than Google. You're paying to get your message in front of people—not paying every time someone interacts with it.

For $50/day on Facebook, you can reach 2,000-4,000 homeowners in your service area. Every single day. That's a completely different game.

The Speed Difference

When you set up a Facebook campaign properly, you should get your first lead within 12-24 hours. Sometimes 48 hours if it's a weird week. But generally, same day or next day.

Google? Even if you set up the account perfectly—structure the campaigns right, write great ads, build solid landing pages—you're still going to waste money for the first 2-3 months while you figure out negative keywords.

Negative keywords are terms you have to manually tell Google NOT to show your ads for. Like "roofing jobs" (people looking for employment, not services). Or "DIY roof repair." Or "roofing materials" (people doing it themselves). You only learn these by watching your money disappear on bad clicks.

On Facebook, you skip all of that. Proper targeting from day one. Leads flowing within hours.

The "But Google Has Higher Intent" Argument

I know what you're thinking: "But people on Google are actively searching for a roofer. They're ready to buy. Facebook users are just scrolling through pictures of their kids."

You're right. Google does capture people with immediate intent. But here's what you're missing:

There's a very finite number of people searching for a roofer at any given moment.

Maybe 1,300 searches per month for "roofer near me" in your market. Split across 50+ roofing companies all bidding on those same keywords. The pie is small and everyone's fighting for a slice.

Facebook flips the script. Instead of fighting over the small pool of people who are actively searching right now, you're reaching people who need a roof but haven't started looking yet.

Think about it like this: Remember those MyPillow commercials? Nobody's watching TV thinking "I need to buy a pillow." But the ad shows up, it resonates with someone who does need a pillow, and they buy.

Same with Facebook. People aren't scrolling looking for a roofer. But when your ad shows up—and it's good—it resonates with the homeowner who's been meaning to get their roof looked at. They haven't Googled anything yet. You got to them first.

Getting There Before Google

This is the part most people miss, and it's huge:

On Google, by definition, they're already shopping. They're going to click 3-4 ads, call 3-4 companies, get 3-4 quotes. You're one of many, competing on price.

On Facebook, you can be the only roofer they talk to. Because you reached them before they started the search process.

When Google Does Make Sense

I'm not saying Google is useless. There are situations where it makes sense:

• You're already killing it on Facebook and want to supplement with additional exposure
• You have a massive budget ($10K+/month) and can afford the optimization period
• You're in a less competitive market where clicks are cheaper
• Local Service Ads (LSAs) in your area have reasonable costs

For most contractors starting out or looking to scale efficiently, Facebook is the play. Get that dialed in first. Add Google later if you want to pour gasoline on the fire.

The Catch: Facebook Has to Be Done Right

Here's the thing—Facebook ads can absolutely fail. I've seen it happen plenty of times. The difference between a campaign that prints money and one that burns cash comes down to execution:

• The ad creative – Does it stop the scroll? Does it speak to real pain points?
• The targeting – Are you reaching homeowners in your service area, or wasting money on renters and people 50 miles away?
• The landing page – Does it make you look like the obvious choice, or like every other contractor?
• The follow-up – Are you calling leads in minutes, or letting them go cold?

When these pieces are dialed in, Facebook is an absolute machine. $50/day can turn into 3, 5, 10, even 15 roof replacements per month. I have clients whose entire business runs on Facebook leads.

When they're not dialed in, you burn money and think "Facebook doesn't work for contractors." It does. It just has to be done right.

The Bottom Line

For most contractors, Facebook beats Google. Here's why:

1. Cost: $50/day on Facebook vs $500/day on Google to even get started
2. Speed: Leads in 24 hours vs 2-3 months of optimization
3. Competition: Reach people before they search vs fighting over the same keywords as every other contractor
4. Positioning: Be the first (and maybe only) contractor they talk to vs being one of 4-5 quotes

Google has its place. But if you're choosing one platform to start with, or you're working with a limited budget, Facebook is the better bet almost every time.

Just make sure it's done right.