We use cookies and similar technologies to run the site, keep you signed in, remember your preferences, and understand how the site is used. See our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
Last reviewed: July 2026 · prices in USD · national baseline for general contractors
General contractors live and die on referrals and lead resellers, and the resellers are winning ugly: the same kitchen-remodel lead gets sold to four contractors, and the one who calls back first usually takes it. In 2026 homeowners start somewhere new — they ask ChatGPT what a remodel should cost and who does good work locally before they ever fill out a form. The contractors showing up in those answers get first-call position without paying per-lead, while everyone else keeps racing three competitors to a shared phone number.
A homeowner planning a major remodel checks everywhere: Google for reviews, maps for territory, Houzz and Instagram for photos, and increasingly AI engines for cost and process answers. The bundle keeps a contractor consistent across all of it, which matters in a trust purchase — a strong review profile with a dead website, or great photos with no answer-engine presence, reads as risk at a six-figure price point. Full-surface presence is what referral-quality trust looks like to a stranger.
| Tier | Typical range | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Starter (priority channels) | $500–$2,500/mo | Google + one AI engine + one more surface, focused |
| SMB full bundle | $2,500–$6,000/mo | Google, AI engines, maps, social, and marketplaces together |
| Mid-market | $5,000–$15,000/mo | Multi-location or competitive categories |
| Enterprise | $20,000–$50,000/mo | Brand-wide, every surface, dedicated strategy |
Contractors budget from job margin, not a marketing percentage, and the owner signs off personally. The mental benchmark is per-lead cost — they know exactly what the reseller platforms charge for a shared remodel lead — so frame everything against that. When the backlog is full, marketing feels pointless; when it empties, they panic-buy leads at the worst prices. The disciplined ones treat marketing as backlog insurance and spend steadily, which is precisely why their backlog stays full.
Exterior and addition work peaks spring through fall, interior remodels hold steadier, and planning-stage research spikes in January when homeowners start plotting projects.
I'm booked six months out. Why would I spend on marketing now?
Because the backlog you have now was created by whatever you did — or your referrers did — six months ago, and it says nothing about month seven. Contractors who market steadily choose their jobs and hold margin; contractors who start when the pipeline empties take whatever comes at whatever price. Steady visibility also lets you raise prices, since demand you do not need is negotiating leverage.
How is this different from buying leads from Angi or HomeAdvisor?
Those platforms rent you a lead they also sold to three competitors, and the meter never stops. Search and answer-engine visibility is owned: the homeowner found you specifically, read your work, and often arrives half-decided. Managed programs typically run $2,500 to $6,000 a month — comparable to a serious lead-buying habit — but the asset compounds instead of resetting to zero each month.
Does AI actually matter for a contracting business, or is this hype?
Ask where your last three homeowners started. Increasingly the answer is an AI assistant, because what a project should cost and who is good nearby is exactly what those tools answer well. The contractors cited in those responses take the first-call position that used to belong to referrals. It is not hype; it is the research phase moving somewhere most contractors have not followed yet.
← Back to the national Search Everywhere Optimization cost guide
Methodology: ranges are synthesized from published 2026 market pricing across vendors, agencies, and platforms, reviewed and refreshed monthly (last refresh: July 2026). Metro figures apply a cost-of-doing-business index (built from 2026 local cost-of-living and labor data) that we scale per price tier: self-serve tools are priced nationally and barely move between cities, while managed and enterprise work — which is delivered by local labor — carries the full local premium. That is why the same city shifts a done-for-you retainer far more than a DIY subscription. Prices are in USD and describe typical market rates, not quotes; a real quote for your business takes minutes through a verified provider on the hashtag.org network.