How Much Do Contractor Leads Cost in Canada? (2026)

Ask a platform what a lead costs and you'll get a sales call. Ask contractors, and a clearer picture emerges: on the big pay-per-lead platforms, a single shared lead typically costs somewhere between $15 and $100+, depending on your trade — and that lead is usually sold to several of your competitors at the same time. Here's what the market actually looks like in 2026, and how to judge any lead source by the only number that matters: cost per booked job.

Typical Shared-Lead Prices by Trade

Ranges below are compiled from public contractor reporting and platform comparisons (2025–2026). Exact prices vary by city, season, and how many contractors are buying in your category — treat these as the going rate, not a quote.

Why "Cost Per Lead" Is the Wrong Number

A $50 lead sounds manageable until you run the full math:

• You buy 30 shared leads at ~$50 = $1,500/month.
• Each lead went to 3–4 other contractors. You're racing to respond, and many homeowners have already booked by the time you call.
• At a realistic 1-in-5 close rate, those 30 leads become about 6 jobs.
• Lead cost per booked job: ~$250 — before materials, labour, fuel, or your time quoting the 24 you didn't win.

None of this means shared leads never work — high-ticket trades with fast response times can make them pay. It means the advertised "cost per lead" hides the number that decides whether the channel is profitable.

The Costs Nobody Puts in the Brochure

• The response race. Shared leads reward whoever calls in the first five minutes. If you're on a roof or under a house, you lose leads you already paid for.
• No-detail requests. Many shared leads arrive with no photos, no budget, and no real scope — you spend your evening qualifying people who were never going to hire.
• Out-of-area leads. A "Toronto" lead can mean a job 90 minutes away. Travel time quietly eats the margin.
• Tire-kickers. Homeowners comparison-shopping for fun, or collecting quotes for insurance, cost the same as a ready-to-book client.

The Flat-Plan Alternative

BuildBridge flips the model: one flat monthly plan, and every job post must include photos, a budget range, and a postal code before it reaches a trade — the detail gate is what filters out most tire-kickers before you spend a cent.

Run the same math as above on Pro: 30 leads for $99, and even at the same 1-in-5 close rate, lead spend per booked job is about $16.50 instead of ~$250. No platform can promise you a close rate — that part is your response speed, your reviews, and your quoting. What a flat plan changes is the input cost: capped, published, and known before the month starts. See the full head-to-head in HomeStars vs BuildBridge.

Questions to Ask Any Lead Platform

• Is this lead sold to anyone else — and if so, how many?
• What detail comes with it — photos, budget, postal code, or just a name and phone number?
• What do I pay if the lead never answers, is outside my area, or is a duplicate?
• Is there a contract, and what happens to my profile and reviews if I leave?
• Can I see the full price list now — not after a sales call?

Frequently Asked Questions