What you are paying for
LSA uses lead-based charging. An inquiry can arrive through a call, message or supported booking route. The exact options depend on the category and setup. A charge does not mean a customer accepted your estimate or hired your crew. Google's US getting-started guidance explains how the service works.
Treat the account as an inquiry channel that someone needs to manage. Decide who responds, which jobs you accept and how you record the outcome. An advertised service should match the work your business can actually deliver.
Check eligibility and verification first
Use Google's eligibility flow for your category and service location. Screening requirements vary, so check the documents requested for your business instead of borrowing another contractor's checklist. Do not publish an unearned badge on your website.
The current badge is Google Verified. Google's 2025 announcement replaced earlier LSA badge programs. Its current badge guidance explains verification and the end of the former Money Back Guarantee. Older guides about buying a Google Guaranteed badge can be out of date. Sources checked November 11, 2026.
Set a budget you can evaluate
There is no universal contractor lead price to insert into your plan. Check the estimate and bidding options in your own account. Google's bidding guidance describes automated bidding and target cost-per-lead options; a target is not a promise of a particular price for every inquiry.
Before switching on a test, write down:
- Which service categories and locations are enabled.
- Who receives the inquiry and when the business can respond.
- The budget, billing settings and date you will review spending.
- How you will distinguish a new lead, an estimate, a won job and collected payment.
- Which costs you will count alongside the ad charge.
For an illustrative test, $600 of net lead charges and three won jobs is $200 in lead charges per won job. That is arithmetic, not an advertised LSA rate or a forecast. Add your other acquisition costs and compare the result with the gross profit those jobs actually produced.
Know the current credit rules
Google's automated lead-credit guidance says leads can be assessed before charging and reviewed again afterward. Credits may be automatic. It also says the old service-type and out-of-area credit categories are no longer supported, with eligibility exclusions for some advertiser categories and regions. These rules were checked November 11, 2026.
Keep service-area and job-type settings accurate. Do not plan a campaign on the assumption that every unwanted inquiry will be refunded. Review charged and credited items in the account, and use the provider's current feedback process.
Review outcomes before expanding
Track net spending after credits, useful conversations, estimates sent, jobs won and their gross profit. Include time spent answering inquiries. A month with more leads can still be a poor result if they do not fit your crew or convert into worthwhile work.
Keep the ad profile and your own service pages consistent. If your website does not explain the work you provide, our contractor website service starts with that page plan. LSA spending and management are separate from the website-build offer.
Checked: November 11, 2026. Platform terms and account options can change. Recheck the linked Google guidance and your account before committing a budget.