Separate the two numbers
Every lead generation conversation is clearer once you split it.
The system. Pages that rank, a Google Business Profile that works, forms that deliver, follow-up that happens, and tracking that shows which source produced which job. This is what an agency is actually building.
The traffic. If part of the plan is paid ads, that budget is paid to the platform. An agency should not be marking it up, and you should be able to see it in your own ad account.
When someone quotes "$3,000 a month for leads" without saying how much of that is ad spend, that is the first question to ask.
What BayouEdge charges for the system
| Package | Setup | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| Starter Presence | $2,500 | $750 |
| Growth Engine | $5,500 | $1,500 |
| AI Marketing System | $8,500 | $2,500 |
| Authority Builder | $12,500 | $3,500 |
For a contractor, Growth Engine is usually the honest starting point: real service pages, local SEO structure, FAQ support and a proper inquiry flow. Starter Presence works for a single-trade operator in one area.
What actually decides the cost for a contractor
Trades and services. A general contractor with eight service lines needs eight genuinely different pages. A specialist needs one strong one.
Area. Serving inside the Loop is different from covering Katy, Sugar Land, Pearland and Conroe. Each area you want to be found in is a page that has to earn its place.
Review position. Reviews are not a marketing expense, but they set how hard everything else has to work. A contractor with forty recent reviews and one with three are running different races.
Season. Roofing after a storm, HVAC in July, plumbing in a freeze. If your work is seasonal, the spend should be too, and a flat annual retainer that ignores that is spending money in the wrong months.
What a fair result looks like
Be wary of anyone who quotes a number of leads per month up front. Nobody can promise that honestly, because it depends on your reviews, your pricing, how fast you answer the phone and what your competitors do next.
What can be committed to is the work: which pages get built, what gets tracked, what gets reported, and how quickly a new enquiry reaches you.
The cheapest improvement available
Before spending anything on traffic: answer the phone faster and call back the enquiries you already have. Most contractors have a bigger gap between leads received and leads contacted than between leads wanted and leads received.
Frequently asked questions
Is ad budget included in the monthly fee?
No, and it should never be blended in without being named. Ad spend goes to the platform from your own account. If a quote does not separate the two, ask which portion is the agency and which is the media.
Can anyone promise a number of leads per month?
Not honestly. It depends on your reviews, your pricing, how fast you answer, and what competitors do next. What can be committed to is the work — the pages, the tracking, the reporting and the response time.
Should a seasonal contractor pay the same every month?
Usually not. If your work spikes after storms or in July, spend should follow demand. A flat annual retainer that ignores season is spending in the wrong months.
What is the cheapest improvement I can make?
Answer faster and call back the enquiries you already have. For most contractors the gap between leads received and leads actually contacted is bigger than the gap between leads wanted and leads received.