Google Local Service Ads vs Facebook Ads for UK Trades in 2026
Which paid channel actually books more jobs for UK plumbers, electricians, roofers and heating engineers? Real numbers from 40+ live campaigns, not vendor marketing pages.
For most UK trades, LSA books more jobs. Facebook fills gaps.
Google Local Service Ads captures buying-intent leads at £15 to £45 per verified enquiry with a 34% booking rate. Facebook Ads produces cheaper leads at £8 to £30 but conversion is only 6 to 12% because Facebook interrupts feed browsers who were not searching for a plumber. Cost per booked job: £65 on LSA vs £190 on Facebook. LSA should be your primary channel. Facebook works well for evergreen brand awareness, seasonal offers, and retargeting.
At a glance
Side by side, the two channels the way our clients see them.
Google Local Service Ads
Buying intent · Google verified
- Pricing modelPay per verified lead
- Avg CPL (UK trades)£15 to £45
- Lead to job rate34%
- Cost per booked job£65
- Setup time2 to 4 weeks
- Trust signalGoogle Guaranteed badge
- Best forBookings today
Facebook Ads (Meta)
Interruption · Feed browsers
- Pricing modelPay per click or lead
- Avg CPL (UK trades)£8 to £30
- Lead to job rate6 to 12%
- Cost per booked job£190
- Setup time1 to 3 days
- Trust signalNone built-in
- Best forAwareness & retargeting
Real costs from 2026 campaigns
Averages across 40+ UK trade LSA and Meta Ads accounts.
By trade type, cost per booked job
Real figures from live campaigns Jan 2024 to June 2026.
| Trade | LSA CPL | LSA cost/job | Facebook CPL | Facebook cost/job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plumbers | £22.40 | £65 | £14.60 | £190 |
| Electricians | £28.70 | £99 | £18.20 | £235 |
| Roofers | £34.10 | £131 | £22.40 | £295 |
| Heating engineers | £41.80 | £135 | £24.90 | £315 |
Why the same lead costs 3x more on Facebook
Four structural reasons LSA outperforms Meta for trades right now.
Buying intent, not interruption
An LSA lead is someone typing “emergency plumber Leeds” at 6pm on a Sunday. A Facebook lead is someone scrolling holiday photos who paused on your ad. The gap in intent is the gap in conversion.
Google verification builds trust
The Google Guaranteed badge is earned through licence, insurance and background checks. Customers see it before they call. Facebook Ads have no equivalent trust marker, so leads take longer to warm up.
Pre-qualified enquiries
Google confirms job type, postcode and urgency before letting the customer contact you. Facebook lead forms are usually a name, phone and email with no filter. Roughly 30% of Facebook trade leads turn out to be tyre-kickers or the wrong service area.
Response speed still wins
Reply to an LSA lead in under 5 minutes and 51% book. Reply to a Facebook lead in 5 minutes and only 24% book, because the moment of interest was fleeting. LSA leads stay hot longer because the intent was real.
When to use each channel
Neither channel is universally better. Match the tool to the job.
Use Google Local Service Ads when
- You need booked jobs this month, not brand awareness
- You have a Google Business Profile with 5+ reviews
- You are Gas Safe, Part P, NICEIC or scheme-qualified
- You can respond to leads within 5 to 15 minutes
- You are willing to complete the 2 to 4 week verification
- You want to appear above competitors’ regular Google ads
Use Facebook Ads when
- You need brand recognition in a specific postcode area
- You have a seasonal offer (boiler service, aircon install)
- You want to retarget people who visited your website
- You have great photo or video content of finished work
- Your work is discretionary (bathroom refurb, kitchens)
- You want to build a warm audience for future campaigns
Real campaign results
Five real UK trade businesses, 12 months of data on both channels running side by side. Plumbers, electricians, roofers, heating engineers and junk removal.
Case study 1: Emergency plumber (Leeds)
Single-city emergency plumbing service. 12 months of data.
| Metric | LSA | Facebook Ads |
|---|---|---|
| Spend | £14,200 | £9,800 |
| Leads generated | 612 | 688 |
| Verified/qualified | 612 | 478 |
| Booked jobs | 208 | 52 |
| Cost per booked job | £68 | £188 |
| Revenue attributed | £71,000 | £17,800 |
| Return on ad spend | 5.0x | 1.8x |
Case study 2: Domestic electrician (Sheffield)
Part P registered domestic electrical work including EV chargers and rewires. 12 months of data.
| Metric | LSA | Facebook Ads |
|---|---|---|
| Spend | £18,500 | £11,200 |
| Leads generated | 645 | 615 |
| Verified/qualified | 645 | 448 |
| Booked jobs | 187 | 48 |
| Cost per booked job | £99 | £233 |
| Revenue attributed | £74,800 | £19,200 |
| Return on ad spend | 4.0x | 1.7x |
Case study 3: Roofing firm (West Yorkshire)
Roof repairs, full replacements and flat-roof installs. Bigger tickets, lower volume. 12 months of data.
| Metric | LSA | Facebook Ads |
|---|---|---|
| Spend | £22,600 | £13,500 |
| Leads generated | 662 | 603 |
| Verified/qualified | 662 | 456 |
| Booked jobs | 172 | 46 |
| Cost per booked job | £131 | £293 |
| Revenue attributed | £198,000 | £52,900 |
| Return on ad spend | 8.8x | 3.9x |
Case study 4: Heating engineer / HVAC (Manchester)
Gas Safe registered. Boiler installs, servicing and repairs plus air-source heat pumps. 12 months of data.
| Metric | LSA | Facebook Ads |
|---|---|---|
| Spend | £24,800 | £14,600 |
| Leads generated | 593 | 587 |
| Verified/qualified | 593 | 440 |
| Booked jobs | 184 | 46 |
| Cost per booked job | £135 | £317 |
| Revenue attributed | £276,000 | £68,000 |
| Return on ad spend | 11.1x | 4.7x |
Case study 5: Junk removal & house clearance (Leeds)
Waste carrier licensed. House clearances, garden waste, single-item collections. Higher volume, smaller tickets. 12 months of data.
| Metric | LSA | Facebook Ads |
|---|---|---|
| Spend | £8,400 | £6,200 |
| Leads generated | 600 | 689 |
| Verified/qualified | 600 | 488 |
| Booked jobs | 252 | 73 |
| Cost per booked job | £33 | £85 |
| Revenue attributed | £42,300 | £11,600 |
| Return on ad spend | 5.0x | 1.9x |
See how we can help your business today
Free 20-minute discovery call. We look at your postcode, your trade and your current spend, then tell you honestly what to change to book more jobs.
Frequently asked questions
Can I run both LSA and Facebook Ads at the same time?
Yes. Most of our clients do. Use LSA to book jobs today, use Facebook for brand awareness and to retarget people who visited your site but did not enquire. Facebook is much cheaper than LSA for retargeting warm audiences.
What is the minimum weekly budget for each?
LSA: £100 to £250 per week for a single-city trade. Facebook Ads: £70 to £150 per week per campaign. Below these floors, algorithms cannot optimise and cost per result rises fast.
Are Facebook lead forms as good as LSA leads?
No. Facebook lead forms are quick to fill and give you a name and phone number, but 25 to 40% of trade leads on Facebook lead forms are either wrong service area, wrong service type, or already found a tradesperson. LSA verifies each enquiry before you pay.
Does Facebook Ads work better for higher-value jobs like bathrooms?
Yes, meaningfully. For discretionary trades (bathrooms, kitchens, extensions) Facebook Ads can produce good ROAS because photo and video content sells the outcome. Emergency and routine repair work still belongs on LSA.
What about Instagram Ads specifically?
Instagram is included in Meta Ads spend and performs similarly to Facebook for trades. It skews younger and works well for photo-led before-and-after content. Same CPL and same conversion issues.
If I only have £500 a month for ads, which should I pick?
LSA. At £500 a month you will get roughly 15 to 25 verified leads and book 5 to 8 jobs. On Facebook Ads at £500 a month you will get 20 to 40 unqualified leads and book 2 to 5 jobs at higher cost per booking.
How long before I know if either channel is working?
LSA: First 30 days give you clear signal. Facebook Ads: Allow 6 to 8 weeks because Meta’s algorithm needs 50+ conversions to optimise properly.
Want the same benchmarks for your business?
Free 20-minute audit for UK trades comparing LSA and Facebook Ads performance for your postcode and category.
Andrew Heppinstall is founder of Unavoidable Marketing, a Leeds-based UK digital marketing agency specialising in Google Local Service Ads management for UK trades and dental practices. 14 years running UK digital marketing campaigns. Unavoidable Marketing has delivered 390+ projects with a 92% returning client rate. Get in touch: andrew@unavoidablem.com or 07749 941 111.
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