HVAC lead generation companies: the honest comparison.
Every option for getting HVAC leads, priced and graded — including the ones that compete with us. Marketplaces, per-lead brokers, national agencies, DIY LSA, and local exclusive-lead systems: real costs, exclusivity fine print, and who each is actually right for.
Five ways to buy HVAC leads.
Marketplaces (Angi, Thumbtack, Networx, Modernize)
$25–$150/shared lead. Fastest start; worst economics. Leads sold 4–8 ways, price-shopper heavy. Right for: brand-new companies bridging an empty calendar.
Per-lead brokers
$60–$200/“exclusive” lead. Quality varies enormously; verify exclusivity claims and dispute terms in writing. Right for: proven closers who want volume without managing marketing.
National HVAC agencies
$1,500–$5,000/mo + ad spend. Real systems, but assets often stay in the agency's accounts and territories overlap. Ask the three ownership questions before signing.
DIY Local Service Ads
$50–$120/call, no management fee. The best self-serve option in HVAC. Costs: your time, the screening paperwork, and dispute management. Right for: owner-operators under ~$1M revenue.
Local exclusive-lead systems (us)
Flat monthly or per-lead — assets in YOUR accounts. LSA + intent-split search + estimator website + reviews. Slowest to peak, cheapest at maturity, and you keep everything. Right for: companies planning to exist in five years.
The tiebreaker
Whoever you pick: campaigns in your accounts, calls to your number, assets you keep. Those three questions filter 80% of the industry — the good operators in every category answer them without flinching.
Cost per booked job, not per lead.
Shared marketplace lead
$40 lead × 1-in-6 close = $240/job — before the margin you cut winning the bid.
Exclusive generated lead
$90 lead × 1-in-3 close = $270/job at full margin — falling every month as reviews and rankings compound.
Your own estimator, ranked
Organic lead × any close rate = ≈$0/job marginal. The end-state every serious HVAC company should be building toward.
Questions contractors actually ask us.
What are the best HVAC lead generation companies?
Depends on what you're buying. Marketplaces (Angi, Thumbtack, Networx, Modernize) start fast but sell shared leads. Per-lead brokers vary wildly on exclusivity. Agencies building assets in YOUR accounts — LSA, search, your website — cost more up front and win long-term because you keep the machine.
How much do HVAC lead generation companies charge?
Marketplaces: $25–$150 per shared lead. Exclusive brokers: $60–$200 per lead. Agencies: $1,000–$3,000/month management plus ad spend. Ours: flat monthly system or per-lead pricing — both exclusive, both from assets you own.
What questions should I ask before signing?
Three: Whose ad accounts do campaigns run in? Whose phone number do calls route to? Who keeps the website and rankings if we part ways? Any answer other than “yours” means you're renting, and the price should reflect that.
Do shared HVAC leads ever make sense?
As overflow during heatwave weeks when your close rate is proven, yes. As your primary pipeline, no — the 4-way phone race plus price pressure makes the effective cost per booked job 3–5× the sticker.
Get the comparison run for your company.
One call. Within 24 hours: what HVAC leads cost in your zips from every source above, your current visibility, and what your top three competitors are running.
No card. No contract. Takes one phone call.