Google Ads for builders that bring in real projects
Google Ads for builders is a different game to most trades. Nobody books a new home or an extension off one click. They research for months, compare three or four builders and then ring the one that looked most like they'd actually done the work. The account has to be built for that.
100 calls a month, or you don't pay us that month.
If our call tracking records fewer than 100 calls from your Google Ads in a calendar month, we waive our management fee for that month. It applies while the campaign runs at the ad spend we agree on together. Ad spend goes to Google for clicks already delivered, so that part isn't refunded. Full terms.
Project searches, not emergencies.
Builder searches split into a few groups and they're worth very different money. Someone typing "knockdown rebuild" plus a suburb is months from signing and worth a lot. Someone typing "cheap granny flat kit" is usually a DIY buyer. Lumping them together is how most builder accounts burn budget.
- Project type plus area: extensions, second storeys, knockdown rebuilds, granny flats, custom homes.
- Comparison searches: "best builders", "builders reviews". Lower volume, high intent.
- Cost questions: "cost to build a second storey". Early in the journey, cheaper clicks, good for remarketing lists.
The waste that's specific to building.
Building has more look-alike searches than almost any trade. Plans, kit homes, owner-builder courses, building inspectors, building supplies and apprenticeships all share the same words.
- Owner-builder and kit home searches, which want materials, not a builder.
- Building inspection and certifier searches, a different trade.
- Job seekers looking for building work, apprenticeships and labourer jobs.
- Display home and volume builder brand searches you can't win and shouldn't pay for.
A starting list we'd add on day one.
- kit, kits, plans, drawings, template
- owner builder, course, licence, apprenticeship, jobs, salary
- inspection, inspector, certifier, surveyor
- supplies, timber, bunnings, hardware
Enquiries that turn into site visits.
For a builder a phone call isn't the only conversion that matters. A detailed quote form from someone with a block and a budget is often worth more. We track calls from ads, calls from the website and form enquiries separately, and set the bidding to the ones that turned into site visits, not raw clicks.
One campaign per project type.
A builder account works best split by the kind of project, because each one has its own searches, its own budget and its own idea of a good lead. An extension enquiry and a custom home enquiry shouldn't be fighting over the same daily budget.
- Extensions and second storeys. Usually the biggest volume of serious residential enquiries. Ad groups for ground-floor extensions, second storeys and rear additions.
- Knockdown rebuilds. Fewer searches, larger contracts. People here often search the phrase itself, plus a suburb or council area.
- Custom homes. Only if you build them. Searches are rarer and the buyer compares portfolios, so the landing page matters more than the ad.
- Granny flats and secondary dwellings. A separate campaign if you offer them, with the kit-home searches excluded hard.
- Your business name. A small brand campaign so a competitor can't sit above you when someone searches you directly.
Target where you'll actually build.
Builders lose a surprising amount of money on enquiries from areas they'd never quote. Set the targeting to the suburbs and council areas you build in, set it to people located there rather than people "interested in" there, and exclude anywhere further than you'd travel. A smaller area with the right projects beats a big one full of tyre-kickers.
What a good builder ad says.
Builder ads should sound like someone who has done the job before, not like a brochure. Specific beats clever every time.
- Headline: Second Storey Additions, [Area] · Description: Registered builder. See finished second storeys near you, then book a site visit.
- Headline: Knockdown Rebuild Builders · Description: One builder from demolition to handover. Fixed-price quote after a site visit.
- Headline: House Extensions Done Properly · Description: Photos of real extensions, real timelines and who you'll actually deal with.
What the page needs before you pay for a click.
- Your builder registration or licence number, near the top.
- A gallery of finished projects with the suburb on each one. People look for a job near them.
- The steps from first call to handover: site visit, design, quote, contract, build.
- Honest timeframes. A builder who says how long things take is trusted more than one who doesn't.
- A short enquiry form asking for suburb, project type and rough timing, so the enquiries can be sorted before you ring back.
- Reviews from past clients, ideally ones who mention the type of project.
What you get told each month.
Enquiries by project type, how many became site visits, what each one cost and which suburbs they came from. If a project type keeps bringing enquiries that don't go anywhere, its budget moves to the one that does. Building leads need months of data to judge properly, so the first report is about whether the right people are enquiring, not about signed contracts.
The builder searches we'd start with.
Phrase and exact match to start, so you only pay for searches that mean what you think they mean. Broad match comes later, if at all, once the negative list has had a month of real search terms fed into it.
| Search | Match | Why it's in |
|---|---|---|
| second storey addition [area] | Phrase | Clear project, clear area, serious buyer |
| home extension builders [area] | Phrase | The most common serious extension search |
| knockdown rebuild [area] | Phrase | High value, low competition outside the volume builders |
| custom home builder [area] | Exact | Only if your portfolio backs it up |
| granny flat builders [area] | Phrase | Needs the kit-home negatives in place first |
| registered builder [area] | Phrase | People who already know to check registration |
| builders near me | Exact | Works once the location targeting is tight |
Mistakes we find in builder accounts.
- One campaign for everything. Extensions, granny flats and custom homes all sharing one budget, so the cheapest clicks win and the best projects get starved.
- Targeting people "interested in" the area. The default setting shows ads to people researching your suburbs from anywhere, including interstate.
- Counting page views as conversions. The account reports dozens of "conversions" a month and almost none of them are enquiries.
- Sending every click to the home page. Someone searching knockdown rebuilds lands on a page about everything and leaves.
- Judging it after two weeks. Building leads are slow. Cutting a campaign before a single site visit has had time to happen throws away the data.
Straight answers.
Do Google Ads work for builders?
Yes, for project searches in your actual build area. They work badly when the account is broad and pays for kit home, DIY and job-seeker searches, which is most of the builder accounts we see.
How long before Google Ads bring in a building job?
Enquiries usually start in the first few weeks. Signed jobs take longer because building decisions take longer. Plan to judge it over a few months, not a fortnight.
Should builders run ads for every suburb they'll build in?
No. Start with the suburbs you most want work in and that your past projects can back up. A tight area converts better and is cheaper to win.
How much should a builder spend on Google Ads?
Enough to get a steady flow of enquiries in the project type you want most, then more once the numbers show which projects convert. Start with one or two project types rather than spreading a small budget across everything.
Can Google Ads compete with the big volume builders?
Not on their brand names or the broadest terms, and it shouldn't try. Where a smaller builder wins is specific project and suburb searches, where the big names don't bother and the searcher wants someone local.
Should builders use Performance Max?
Usually not to start. A search campaign shows you exactly which searches you pay for, which matters a lot in a trade with this many look-alike searches.
Can I run Google Ads for display homes?
You can, but display home visitors are often early and browsing. It works best as one small campaign with its own budget, measured on bookings for a visit rather than clicks.
Do builders need conversion tracking?
Yes, more than most trades. With long sales cycles you need to know which campaign each enquiry came from, or you'll cut the one that was quietly producing your best jobs.
Google Ads for other trades
Building in an area you want more of?
Tell me where you build and what you'd like more of, and I'll tell you honestly whether ads make sense yet.