What Google Ads cost for HVAC companies
No current public benchmark breaks out HVAC on its own, so the closest figures are LocaliQ's 2026 Home & Home Improvement numbers: $8.33 per click and $90.92 per lead. LocaliQ's older home services data (May 2020 to June 2021) put air conditioning services at $8.94 per click and $55.15 per lead, and heating and furnaces at $7.92 and $62.18.
The 2026 benchmark
| Category | Cost per click | Click-through rate | Conversion rate | Cost per lead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home & Home Improvement[1] | $8.33 | 6.47% | 8.05% | $90.92 |
| All industries[1] | $5.42 | 6.64% | 8.18% | $66.69 |
LocaliQ's page labels these figures averages.[1] WordStream's write-up of the same 2026 data, as reported by PPC Land, describes them as medians across 13,474 US search campaigns from April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026.[2]
The HVAC-specific numbers, and how old they are
The most recent public figures that break out air conditioning and heating come from LocaliQ's home services report, built on 4,595 North American accounts that ran ads between May 1, 2020 and June 25, 2021.[3] LocaliQ says these figures are medians.
| Subcategory | Cost per click | Click-through rate | Cost per lead | Cost per call | Monthly spend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Conditioning Services[3] | $8.94 | 3.11% | $55.15 | $59.15 | $1,620 |
| Air Conditioning Sales[3] | $6.62 | 3.28% | $50.91 | $54.60 | $1,500 |
| Heating & Furnaces[3] | $7.92 | 3.05% | $62.18 | $68.03 | $1,800 |
The two sources disagree, and both are shown on purpose. The 2026 figure covers a broader category (remodeling, roofing and other trades sit in it too) and a later period. The older figures are HVAC-specific but five years old. LocaliQ has newer home services numbers, including HVAC, in a 2025 guide that sits behind a sign-up form.[4] We didn't publish figures we couldn't read at the source.
One pattern holds in both: heating clicks were cheaper than air conditioning service clicks ($7.92 against $8.94), but heating leads cost more ($62.18 against $55.15). Air conditioning sales leads were the cheapest of the three at $50.91.
What drives HVAC costs up or down
- Season. Cooling searches spike with the first heat wave and heating searches with the first cold snap. Competition rises with them.
- Emergency intent. "AC not working" and "furnace repair near me" searchers call fast, and every company in town bids on them. Ads only pay off if someone answers the phone at that hour.
- Repair vs install. A new system is worth far more than a service call, so install and replacement terms attract higher bids.
- Service area. Ads that show 40 miles out bring calls you can't take. A tight radius or a list of ZIP codes cuts that waste.
- Maintenance and tune-up offers. Cheaper searches that fill the schedule in the off season.
A worked budget example
A three-truck HVAC company wants 25 leads a month going into summer. It has no history yet, so it checks all three benchmarks.
25 leads a month, three ways
The range runs from $1,379 to $2,587. Start near the top of it in peak season and adjust after 30 days of your own data. Google can spend up to twice the daily budget on a hot day, but no more than 30.4 times it across the month.[5]
Try it with your numbers
The two budgets differ because the benchmark cost per lead, cost per click and conversion rate are each calculated separately across thousands of campaigns, not taken from one account. Plan for the higher one, then use your own numbers after 30 days.
RunAds plans the campaign at your budget and writes the ads.
Local Services Ads or Search?
Local Services Ads charge per lead instead of per click.[6] That moves the risk of a wasted click to Google. Search ads let you choose which services, areas and hours you pay for and send people to your own page. Running both is common. Judge them on cost per booked job.
How RunAds lowers cost per lead for HVAC
Hire an agent, not an agency.
- Builds separate campaigns for repair, install and maintenance from your site, limited to your real service area.
- Writes ads around your hours, response times and offers, and shows you the launch before anything goes into your account.
- Adjusts bids by time of day, device and location, and brings budget changes for the season back to you as approval cards.
- Blocks fraudulent clicks and tracks conversions server-side with Smart Pixel.
See how it works for your vertical on Google Ads for HVAC, or compare plans on the pricing section.
500 free credits cover your first $100 of ad spend.
Common questions
How much does a Google Ads click cost for HVAC?
The 2026 LocaliQ benchmark for Home & Home Improvement, the category HVAC falls in, is $8.33 per click, the #2 highest of 23 industries. LocaliQ's 2020 to 2021 home services data had air conditioning services at $8.94 and heating and furnaces at $7.92 per click. Emergency repair searches in peak season often cost more than the average.
What is a normal cost per lead for HVAC Google Ads?
The 2026 category figure is $90.92 per lead. The older HVAC-specific medians were $55.15 for air conditioning services and $62.18 for heating and furnaces, from data collected in 2020 and 2021. Costs have moved since then, and LocaliQ's 2026 report says the average cost per click rose over the past year, so use the older figures as a rough reference.
How much should an HVAC company spend on Google Ads per month?
Multiply the leads you want by a cost per lead. For 25 leads, the 2026 category figure gives $2,273 a month, and the click-based method gives $2,587. The 2020 to 2021 air conditioning figure gives $1,379. In the older data, the middle air conditioning services advertiser spent $1,620 a month on search.
Should HVAC companies run Local Services Ads or Search ads?
Many run both. Local Services Ads charge per lead rather than per click, according to Google. Search ads give more control over which services, areas and hours you pay for. Compare the two on cost per booked job, not cost per lead.
When do HVAC Google Ads cost the most?
Demand follows the weather: cooling searches climb in the first heat wave and heating searches in the first cold snap. More searches bring more competing ads, so set budgets by season and raise them before the peak, not during it.
Sources
- NEW 2026 Search Advertising Benchmarks (+Tips), LocaliQ (with WordStream), by Stephanie Heitman. Last updated June 1, 2026.Google Ads and Microsoft Ads search campaigns across 23 industries. The page labels each figure an average.
- Google Ads CPL drops for first time since 2020 as CPC hits $5.42, PPC Land, covering WordStream's 2026 benchmarks (published May 19, 2026). 2026.Methodology: 13,474 US search campaigns, April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026, reported as medians. WordStream's own page blocks our fetcher, so this is the methodology as reported.
- Home Services Advertising Benchmarks (+9 Ideas for Better Results), LocaliQ, by Stephanie Heitman. Last updated February 23, 2026; data from May 1, 2020 to June 25, 2021.4,595 North American LocaliQ home services accounts. The page says its averages are medians.
- Home Services Search Ads Benchmarks (2025 guide), LocaliQ. 2025.Newer HVAC subcategory figures sit behind a form. We did not publish numbers we could not read at the source.
- About average daily budgets, Google Ads Help. Checked Oct 30, 2026.A campaign can spend up to 2x its average daily budget on a given day, and up to 30.4x it in a month.
- How leads work (Local Services Ads), Google Local Services Ads Help. Checked Oct 30, 2026.
Every outside number on this page links to its source above, with the date we checked it. RunAds has not published its own account data here.
Related pages
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