Lead Generation for New Contractors: A 90-Day Plan

A new contracting company has a chicken-and-egg problem: homeowners hire contractors with reviews and a track record, and you can't get either without jobs. The way out is to start with channels that reward effort more than budget, then add paid sources once you can measure them.

Here's a practical 90-day plan.

Before day one: get the basics right

• License, insurance, and registration for your state and trade, with your license number ready to show. Homeowners and lead platforms will ask.
• A simple website with your services, service area, license information, photos, and a clear way to call or request an estimate.
• A Google Business Profile with accurate hours, service area, categories, and photos.
• A phone that gets answered. Missed calls are lost jobs; set up missed call text back if you can't always pick up.
• A basic CRM or even a spreadsheet that records every lead, its source, and what happened.

Days 1–30: your warm network

Your first jobs almost always come from people who already trust you.

1. Tell everyone. Friends, family, former coworkers, your kids' coaches. Ask them to send you one name, not to "keep you in mind."
2. Work for past employers' overflow. If you came from another company, overflow or subcontract work builds a portfolio.
3. Do every job like it's your marketing. Photograph before, during, and after. Ask every happy customer for a review the day you finish.
4. Knock the neighbors. After each job, leave a friendly note or door hanger on nearby homes. Neighbors see the trucks and are curious.

Days 31–60: local visibility

1. Reviews. Aim for a steady stream rather than a burst. Respond to every one.
2. Service and area pages. Add a page for each service and each town you serve, with real photos.
3. Partner introductions. Introduce yourself to realtors, property managers, insurance agents, and complementary trades. Bring a one-page summary and proof of insurance.
4. Community presence. Local groups, sponsorships, and neighborhood forums — helpful answers beat ads.

Days 61–90: test one paid source

Once you can answer calls quickly and have some reviews, test exactly one paid source at a time with a small budget:

• Local Services Ads if you qualify — pay per lead, high intent.
• Exclusive leads or appointments if you want volume without managing ads.
• Search ads if you or someone you trust can manage them.

Avoid shared-lead platforms as your only source; competing with established companies on the same homeowner pushes you into price wars before you have reviews to stand on. Run the test with clear success metrics, as in how to test a lead vendor.

Know your numbers early

Even new contractors should know three things before spending on leads:

Together they tell you the most you can afford per lead or appointment — the method is in break-even cost per lead.

Common new-contractor mistakes

• Saying yes to every job, including work outside your skills or far outside your area.
• Underpricing to win, then not having margin for marketing or warranty work.
• Buying several lead sources at once, so you can't tell what works.
• Slow callbacks because you're on a job site all day.
• No follow-up after estimates — see following up after an estimate.

When to bring in help

When you have more estimates than time to sell them — or more time than estimates — that's the moment to add a controllable source. Appointment setting suits contractors who are good in front of homeowners but don't have time to make calls. Our services page explains the options.