Getting consistent work might be difficult when you're stuck chasing leads that go nowhere. With competition growing and ad costs increasing yearly, it’s no longer enough to “just run Google Ads” and hope for the best. 

Whether you mow lawns solo or manage a whole landscaping business, you need a clear plan to attract leads without draining your budget. This guide will explain the costs of landscaping and lawn care leads in 2025, the factors that influence those prices, and how to obtain quality leads.

 Keep reading if you're ready to stop guessing and start making smarter marketing decisions.

Types of Landscaping and Lawn Care Leads

Before covering landscaping lead costs, it is helpful to understand the types of leads available to a business owner. How a lead finds your business and how ready they are to hire can make or break your chances of closing the job.

With that in mind, here are the most common types of landscaping and lawn care leads you'll come across:

1. Pay-Per-Call Leads

These are phone calls generated from ads, directories, or third-party platforms. You only pay when someone calls your business, making it one of the most direct and intent-driven lead types. Most callers are actively looking for a service like mowing, cleanup, or tree removal and are ready to book. The key is to answer quickly and have a solid pitch.

Pros:

• High intent and leads are often ready to book.

• Fast conversion when calls are answered promptly.

Cons:

• Higher upfront cost.

• Missed calls mean missed revenue.

• Requires strong phone handling skills.

2. Form Submission Leads

These leads come through your website, Google Business Profile, or specific lead generation platforms. Potential customers fill out a quote request or ask a question. 

They’re standard and often cheaper, but they require a fast follow-up. A response within 5 to 15 minutes gives you the best chance of landing the job.

Pros:

• Lower cost compared to phone leads.

• Easy to collect via forms on your website or listings.

• Gives you time to prepare a tailored follow-up.

Cons:

• Speed is critical because delays lead to lost business.

• Quality varies, and some may just be price shopping.

3. Live Transfer Leads

This premium option involves a third-party qualifying the lead and transferring the call to you in real time. It saves time and increases your chances of closing, but it comes at a higher cost. These work best if you or your team can take calls immediately and close on the spot.

Pros:

• Pre-qualified and intent-driven.

• Saves time by skipping cold leads.

• Higher conversion potential.

Cons:

• More expensive than other lead types.

• You must be available to take the call live.

4. Organic Inquiries

These leads come in through unpaid sources like your website SEO, Google Maps, reviews, social media, or word-of-mouth referrals. They cost nothing upfront, and often trust you more because they found you. However, building this channel takes time and consistent effort.

Pros:

• Free to generate once your online presence is established.

• Higher trust and lower competition.

• Long-term return on investment improves over time.

Cons:

• Takes time and effort to build.

• Lead volume can be unpredictable.

• Requires ongoing content, SEO, and review management.

Now that you understand the different lead types and what they offer, let’s examine their costs and what factors influence them.    

What Paid Landscaping Leads Cost in 2025

According to data from 61 landscaping businesses, they spent $225,000 on Google Ads in 2024. Here's what the data shows:

1. Average Cost-Per-Click (CPC): $3.65
   Meaning: That’s what it costs, on average, just to get someone to click your ad.

2. Average Cost-Per-Lead (CPL): $87.80

Keep in mind that these figures are based strictly on Google Search ads. There are no display ads, search partners, or broad match keywords; just clean, intent-based targeting.

Why tracking matters

If you're not using conversion tracking tools like Google Tag Manager and Google Analytics, your reported CPL may look worse than it is. That doesn’t mean your ads are underperforming; you don’t have complete visibility into what’s working.

Track phone calls, form submissions, and email clicks to remedy this. Otherwise, you're just guessing.

How to Know if You Are Beating the Average?

Look at your click-through rate (CTR), which is the percentage of people who see and click your ad. If your CTR is over 5%, you do better than most landscaping businesses.

A strong Google Ads setup with clean targeting, clear messaging, and proper tracking can consistently deliver qualified leads for less than $100 per lead. The key is not just to get clicks, it’s to track them, learn from them, and adjust your strategy accordingly.

Now that you know the average cost of a paid lead, it's worth understanding why that number can vary so much from one business to another. 

What Affects Landscaping Lead Costs

Paid lead costs aren’t stagnant. Two businesses in the same industry can see very different results depending on how they manage their campaigns, where they operate, and how much they’re spending. 

Here are the most significant factors that influence your cost-per-lead.

1. Your Monthly Ad Budget

It might sound counterintuitive, but throwing more money at Google Ads doesn’t always bring better results. If your budget jumps too fast, Google will often respond by raising your cost-per-click (CPC), not your conversion rate.

For example, if you usually get clicks at $5 each and suddenly pour in more ad spend, you might see $30 clicks with no extra value. Google is a demand-based platform; it can’t create search volume without demand.

2. Service Area Size and Service Offering

Lead volume and cost directly depend on your geography and what you offer. A company offering only organic lawn care across a large metro area might still see fewer opportunities than a full-service landscaping business in a smaller, high-demand suburb.

The more services you can promote and the more targeted your coverage, the better your chances of controlling lead flow and cost.

3. Seasonality

Timing matters. January and December tend to have the lowest ad spend, averaging just $314 across most markets.
The peak is April, when businesses spend an average of $1,070 as demand surges.
Don’t make the mistake of going all-in during March when the search volume is still warming up. 

That’s the time to focus on outbound marketing like flyers and Facebook ads. Search intent picks up by April, and that’s when your Google Ads budget should follow. Paid leads can deliver quick results, but are not the only way to grow. 

Some of the most trusted and cost-effective leads come from organic efforts. If you are looking to weigh your options, here’s a comparison of how free and paid leads compare, and when each makes the most sense for your business.

Free vs. Paid Landscaping Leads

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to getting clients. Some landscaping businesses grow through word of mouth and referrals, while others rely heavily on paid ads for steady work.

The right strategy depends on where you are in your growth journey, how much time you can invest in marketing, and how quickly you need results. Here's how both types of leads stack up.

1. Free Leads

Pros: There is no upfront cost; leads often come with built-in trust and credibility.
Cons: These are slower to build, harder to control, and inconsistent.

2. Paid Leads

Pros: Fast to generate, easy to scale, and performance is trackable.
Cons: Can become expensive if you’re not monitoring CPL or campaign settings.

Free leads, such as referrals or organic web traffic, can help your business get off to a strong start if you're just starting or operating solo. 

But if you're trying to grow quickly or keep multiple crews busy, paid leads provide the volume and consistency needed to scale. 

Suppose you want innovative strategies to generate leads for your business. We have covered this in our blog, Landscaping Leads Made Simple: A Practical Guide to Getting More Local Customers. 

The key is knowing when to lean on each method and how to balance them for long-term success. 

Focus on Quality Leads, Not Just Quantity

In 2025, success in landscaping and lawn care marketing isn’t about chasing every lead; it’s about attracting the right ones at the correct cost. A smart Google Ads budget starts at around $500/month and can go up to $1,200 during peak demand in April. 

But spending more doesn’t guarantee that you will get more lawn care customers fast. What matters most is your cost-per-lead. Track it closely, aim to stay under $100, and be ready to scale back once demand slows in the summer.

If you’re looking to skip the learning curve and get straight to the good leads, Gushpro can help. It is best for busy landscaping professionals who want reliable work without the hassle of managing ad campaigns. 

Here’s what makes Gushpro different:

• High-quality, Pre-qualified, warm lawn and landscaping leads delivered straight to your phone.

• Get landscaping leads via SMS within a 15-mile radius of your business.

• No monthly fees, no contracts, and no tech setup are required.

• You only pay per qualified lead. So, zero wasted spend!

• Your first three leads are free.

Try it with zero risk. Get real leads that help you grow without chasing, guessing, or overpaying. Try It With Zero Risk at Gushpro.ai.