The short answer
HVAC companies typically pay $10-$50 per click in the US, with AC repair in summer and furnace repair in winter at the top end. Most small-to-mid HVAC businesses spend $2,500-$15,000 a month, flexing with the seasons. Replacement and install searches cost more per click but are worth many times more per job than repairs.
Cost per click for common HVAC searches
| Search | Typical CPC | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| AC repair near me | $15-$50 | Spikes in heatwaves |
| Furnace repair / heating repair | $15-$45 | Spikes in cold snaps |
| AC installation / new AC unit | $20-$60 | Big-ticket, planned purchase |
| Heat pump installation | $15-$50 | Growing demand, rebates drive interest |
| HVAC maintenance / tune-up | $8-$25 | Cheaper, good for service plans |
| Emergency HVAC | $20-$60 | Urgent, calls fast |
In the UK, boiler repair, boiler installation and heat pump searches are the equivalents, usually at lower CPCs than the US.
Seasonality changes everything
HVAC demand isn't steady. The first real heatwave of summer can double search volume overnight, and CPCs rise with it as every competitor turns their budgets up at once. Spring and autumn are quieter and cheaper.
The HVAC companies that do best plan for this. They save budget for peak weeks, push maintenance and tune-up offers in shoulder seasons to keep technicians busy, and use those quieter months to build remarketing lists and service plan sign-ups.
- Peak season: raise budgets, focus on repair and emergency terms, make sure calls get answered.
- Shoulder season: maintenance offers, install and replacement campaigns, financing messages.
- Always on: brand terms, heat pumps and system replacement, where decisions take weeks.
Worked example: summer repair campaign
An HVAC company spending $7,500 in a peak month at about $25 per click, with calls answered 7 days a week.
| Step | Example |
|---|---|
| Monthly ad spend | $7,500 |
| Average cost per click | $25.00 |
| Clicks | 300 |
| Conversion rate to calls | 13.0% |
| Calls | 39 |
| Cost per call | $192 |
| Close rate to booked jobs | 50% |
| Booked jobs | 19.5 |
| Cost per booked job | $385 |
| Average job value | $1,100 |
| Revenue | $21,450 |
| Return on ad spend | 2.9x |
Roughly $192 per call and $385 per booked job, about 2.9x return on ad spend before counting the replacements and maintenance plans that repair visits often lead to.
Where HVAC budgets get wasted
Parts and DIY searches
"AC filter", "thermostat wiring" and brand-name part searches are cheap clicks that never book a visit.
Manufacturer support searches
People looking for a manufacturer's helpline aren't looking for you. Exclude support and warranty phrasing.
Same budget all year
A flat budget runs out early on peak days and wastes money in quiet weeks. Budgets should follow demand.
No separate install campaign
Mixing $150 repair calls with $10,000 install enquiries hides what's working. Split them.
How to lower your cost per job
- 1
Run Local Services Ads alongside search
HVAC is one of the core Local Services Ads categories. Pay-per-lead calls at the top of the page are hard to beat.
- 2
Import booked jobs
Feed booked and completed jobs from your field service software back to Google so bidding favours callers who book.
- 3
Promote financing on installs
Monthly payment messaging lifts conversion rate on replacement searches considerably.
- 4
Use weather and scheduling
Bid up when it's hot or cold and you have capacity. Bid down when the schedule is already full.