The short answer
Solar installers in the US typically pay $10-$40 per click, and most spend $3,000-$20,000 a month. Leads often cost $80-$300 once qualified. With average residential systems worth well over $15,000, the maths works if you screen out renters, shaded roofs and people outside your area before paying a sales visit.
Cost per click for common solar searches
| Search | Typical CPC | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Solar panel installation near me | $15-$40 | High intent, heavy competition |
| Solar panels cost / price | $10-$30 | Researching, still valuable |
| Solar companies [city] | $12-$35 | Comparing installers |
| Solar battery / home battery | $8-$25 | Growing, often paired with panels |
| Solar incentives / tax credit | $5-$20 | Mostly informational; test carefully |
| Commercial solar | $10-$40 | Fewer searches, much larger projects |
Incentive and policy changes move solar demand quickly, so these ranges shift more than in most industries. UK solar and battery searches are generally cheaper per click.
You're bidding against lead sellers
A big share of solar ads are run by lead generation companies that sell the same enquiry to several installers. They bid aggressively because each lead gets sold more than once. That pushes CPCs up for installers advertising directly.
The installer's advantage is exclusivity and trust. Your leads come to you alone, and you can show real local installs, reviews and warranties. Ads and landing pages that lean into that ("local installer, not a lead broker") tend to convert better and bring more serious homeowners.
Worked example: a regional residential installer
Spending $8,000 a month at about $22 per click, with a qualifying form (homeowner, roof type, monthly bill) on the landing page.
| Step | Example |
|---|---|
| Monthly ad spend | $8,000 |
| Average cost per click | $22.00 |
| Clicks | 364 |
| Conversion rate to qualified leads | 7.0% |
| Qualified leads | 25 |
| Cost per qualified lead | $314 |
| Close rate to installs | 12% |
| Installs | 3.1 |
| Cost per install | $2,619 |
| Average system value | $21,000 |
| Revenue | $64,145 |
| Return on ad spend | 8.0x |
About $314 per qualified lead and $2,619 per install, around 8.0x return on ad spend in contract value. Qualification on the form costs some volume, but saves far more in wasted sales visits.
Where solar budgets get wasted
Renters and flats
People who can't install panels. A single homeowner question on the form filters most of them.
DIY and kit searches
"Portable solar panel", "solar kit for RV" and product searches rarely want an installer.
Free-panel expectations
"Free solar panels" searches bring people who won't pay. Exclude them unless you offer a genuine scheme.
Slow follow-up
Homeowners often request several quotes. The installer who calls first usually books the visit.
How to lower your cost per install
- 1
Qualify on the form
Homeowner status, roof type and electricity bill. Fewer leads, far better ones.
- 2
Import appointments and sales
Feed sits and signed contracts back to Google so bidding favours serious homeowners.
- 3
Target your real service area
Presence-only location targeting and realistic radius settings stop you paying for leads you'll never visit.
- 4
Retarget researchers
Solar decisions take weeks. Cheap remarketing keeps you in the frame while they compare.