Wondering how to get construction leads? Contractor lead generation is easier said than done.
In the last 20-30 years, finding residential construction leads has evolved from simply relying on word of mouth and a phone number to dealing with an ever-growing list of digital marketing tools like search engines, social media, review sites, etc.
So, which lead generation strategies actually work for contractors?
In this 5-minute read, you’ll learn exactly how to generate construction leads for your business with 12 proven strategies.
Let’s start by seeing why lead generation is essential for your business.
Leads for Contractors: Why They’re Important
Without a consistent lead generation strategy, you’re leaving business growth up to chance. And with the residential construction industry becoming even more competitive, that’s something you can’t afford to do.
In fact, according to a recent report, “U.S. homebuilder sentiment rose to a seven-month high in November” of 2024. So there’s good potential for short-term growth. That means now is the time to optimize your lead gen strategy.
And even if you’re not looking to grow your construction company, learning how to generate leads for a construction business is still important.
Why?
You’ll have more steady work. Instead of constantly going through a feast or famine cycle, knowing how to generate residential construction leads ensures you can always have the work you need.
It’ll also help you get better clients.
Not all leads are created equal. 58% of marketers chose improving the quality of leads as their top priority for lead generation strategies. Fortunately for you, modern lead generation strategies help you find those good leads that will drive the greatest revenue.
Let’s take a look at the easiest ways to generate leads for your construction business.
How to Get Construction Leads – 12 Ways
Here are 12 of the best ways to get construction leads. Implement these and get ready to start seeing some growth.
1. Word-of-Mouth Marketing
After working with housing professionals for two decades, we can confidently say that traditional word-of-mouth marketing is still one of the best ways for general contractors and even larger construction companies to generate potential leads. And since people contacting have already been referred by a happy customer those are higher-quality qualified leads.
So how do you get more word-of-mouth leads?
Do great work that makes your customers happy. When you make your customers happy, they want to share that with friends and family. They love showing off their new home or recently finished remodel.
Remember this — Your work and your happy customers are your best salespeople.
The challenge with word-of-mouth marketing is that it’s not consistent. One month you get 5 referrals, the next month, none.
That’s why we have the other strategies listed in this article.
2. Define Your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)
This is the foundation of all your other marketing efforts. Once you figure out who your ideal client is, you can design a targeted lead generation campaign to find your ideal construction job leads.
Start by answering some questions like these:
- What would be the perfect construction/remodeling job for your company?
- What types of projects would you like to have more of?
- Who would likely hire you for those jobs?
- Where do those people live?
- What do they expect out of a contractor?
- How is your ideal client likely to find you?
Understanding the answers to those questions will ensure you’ll get the best residential construction leads and a solid ROI (return on investment) from your marketing efforts.
3. Launch a Website
Your website is the only place online that you have complete control over. And becomes your #1 lead generation tool because it’s your virtual sales representative. Whether someone hears about your company from word-of-mouth, an online review, or a social media post, what are they going to do before they even consider giving you a call?
They’ll go to your website.
- 92% of consumers will look at a company’s website when deciding on a service provider
- 75% of potential clients judge a company’s credibility based on its website
- 30% of customers won’t even consider a business that doesn’t have a website
Imagine that. If you don’t have a website, you’re already losing 30% of your leads.
Launching a website can seem overwhelming at first. Fortunately, with website builders like Wix and Squarespace, it’s easier than ever.
Your construction company’s website doesn’t have to be huge and elaborate. In many cases, simple is better. Whatever design you choose, it should look professional, be easy to navigate, and have up-to-date contact info.
Search engine optimization (SEO) is a whole other topic to get into and it can get technical. But the basic idea is…give your potential customers what they’re looking for. Google notices when people visit your page and how they interact with it. They can tell when someone likes it and when they don’t. If more people like what they see, Google will make sure to send more traffic your way.
PRO TIP! – Once you launch your website (or even if you already have one), find out what others think of it. Show it to team members or even current clients and get their honest opinions.
4. Use 3D Home Design Software to Sell the Vision
3D home design software like Cedreo is another top way to find and nurture leads for construction projects.
Clients love visuals.
Just as a potential client will choose to work with you or not based on how your website looks, the same is true with your project presentation documents.
Instead of just pitching a client with a black and white 2D floor plan, create professional project presentation documents that combine photorealistic 3D renderings of their finished project along with technical floor plans and your company logo. When you can bring a project to life like that, it creates an emotional connection for the potential client and builds trust by showing them you are a professional.
3D renderings also look great on your social media marketing and website. They’re an easy way to showcase your ideas even if you haven’t completed a project like that yet.
3D renderings used to be complicated and expensive to create. But now with Cedreo, you can create residential home designs complete with 2D plans and 3D renderings in just a few hours — no design experience required!
Add Cedreo to your lead generation strategy today!
5. Create and Optimize a Google Business Profile
In 2025, a Google Business profile is another foundational way general contractors can get more leads. Google Business lets you add your business info to Google Maps and local search results. Setting it up for construction companies is a no-brainer since up to 64% of consumers use Google to find info on local businesses.
And best of all…it’s FREE!
Once you create your Google Business profile, it’s easier for local homeowners to find you when they search for home improvement, home services, or other construction professionals on Google Maps. Plus, you get access to other tools that help you optimize your presence online — reviews, analytics, Google Search Console, Google ads, etc.
After you create and verify your listing, you need to optimize it to make sure you attract the right potential customers and get as many leads as possible.
Do this to optimize your Google Business Profile:
- Make sure all your info is correct. 80% of people don’t trust a local business if the contact details are wrong
- Add the right categories for your listing
- Define your service area and the services you offer
- Add plenty of professional photos
- Set it up to receive messages and requests for quotes
- Promptly answer questions and respond to comments
- Ask for reviews (more on that later)
6. Create Profiles on Customer Review Sites
In addition to opening up your Google Business profile to customer reviews, it’s important to do the same on other review sites like Yelp. (Note: Some of the other lead generation platforms mentioned in the next section also double as customer review sites.)
Why is this so important?
Online reviews are modern-day word-of-mouth advertising — 88% of people trust online reviews just as much as personal recommendations.
7. List Your Business on Lead Generation Sites
Lead generation sites are one of the best ways to immediately start finding targeted leads for construction projects.
PRO TIP – Read the fine print. Make sure you understand exactly what you’re signing up for. Some lead generation websites lock you into a yearly contract. With others, you’re competing with a lot of more established contractors for leads.
Here are 9 of the top lead generation companies for residential contractors.
ConstructConnect has one of the largest databases of residential and commercial construction leads. Plus, it gives you the tools to target specific types of project leads.
Just set your preferences and get thousands of leads automatically selected to be the best opportunities for you.
ConstructConnect also helps you save time by letting you manage all your bids in one place, as well as collaborate with your team on takeoffs.
HomeAdvisor is a popular construction lead generation platform.
HomeAdvisor targets homeowners who are looking for home improvement projects. When they sign up and enter the details of their project, HomeAdvisor connects them with general contractors on their platform like you.
You can get hundreds of leads, but it can get expensive. That’s why it’s important to use HomeAdvisor’s tools to target specific project types and zip codes.
Porch helps homeowners find construction professionals and service businesses for things like moving, installing internet, changing a light fixture, and even larger home remodels. It’s a great option if you offer construction services that focus on smaller projects and home renovations.
Similar to other construction lead gen sites, you can set your service area and define what types of projects you’re interested in doing.
Then you can choose to pay by lead or you can set a monthly budget and Porch will automatically send you leads.
BuildZoom works as both a construction lead generation site and a mediator between general contractors and potential clients. You can set up a profile, view jobs, and engage with clients all through their platform.
A nice aspect of BuildZoom is the fact that you only pay for leads that result in contracts. Plus, BuildZoom fully vets each prospective client so you know you’re responding to qualified leads and not just people who want to ask a few questions.
Bark connects customers with all kinds of service businesses including construction professionals. While it might not be your main source of leads, it’s worth adding it to your list. It’s free to join and you only pay for leads that you decide to contact.
Thumbtack is a lead gen site similar to Bark in that it caters to all kinds of service businesses — personal trainers, web designers, and construction services.
Customers search for the type of pro they need and if they contact you, you pay for the lead. Fortunately, Thumbtack lets you adjust your targeting preferences so you only get leads from the type of customers you want to work with.
The Blue Book Building & Construction Network is a powerful resource designed to bring together professionals in the commercial construction industry. It helps contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, and project owners connect and collaborate more effectively.
If you’re a commercial construction company, The Blue Book helps you build strong relationships, discover new projects, and grow your business.
Angi (formerly called Angie’s List) is a review-based search engine that helps homeowners find contractors and handymen. It’s free to sign up, free to list your business, and if someone finds and contacts you, you don’t pay anything. Plus, some paid options ensure you show up higher in the search results.
8. Launch a Review Campaign
Even if you’re ranking high in search engines, like the map pack in Google local search, you still need a bunch of great reviews to build trust with potential clients.
- 95% of people read online business reviews
- After reading positive reviews, 54% will visit the business’s website
So what’s the secret to getting more reviews?
Ask for them (especially at the end of a project when the client is excited about the finished project!) You can even ask previous clients or professional associates to post reviews.
On average, 72% of customers who are asked to write a review, ended up writing one. So be sure to add this to your project punch list.
9. Use Paid Advertising to Get Immediate Exposure
Ranking high in the search results can take time. But paid ads can give you instant exposure. However, it’s best to only attempt paid ads if you’ve got the time, budget, and know-how to research keywords, write ad copy, and optimize conversions, or you’re willing to pay a marketing company to do that for you.
The two main options for paid advertising for construction lead generation are Google Ads and Meta Ads (formerly Facebook Ads).
Google Ads allows contractors to connect with potential clients actively searching for services like “residential construction contractors” or “commercial construction projects” by targeting keywords relevant to their business. These campaigns help contractors capture leads from search engines when homeowners are likely ready to hire. With detailed analytics, contractors can optimize their ad spend to focus on the best-performing keywords and campaigns.
Meta Ads, on the other hand, provide contractors with an opportunity to target homeowners directly based on demographics, location, and interests. For instance, contractors can create visually appealing ads showcasing their expertise in home services, such as remodeling or new construction, to homeowners in specific neighborhoods.
These ads are an excellent way to build an online reputation and generate good leads by capturing the attention of homeowners who might not actively be searching but are interested in upgrading their properties.
Facebook’s retargeting tools also help contractors re-engage homeowners who’ve previously interacted with their ads. That helps turn casual interest into phone calls.
Just thinking about setting up those ads can make your head spin. That’s why a lot of small construction businesses get better results and more qualified leads by hiring a digital marketing agency to manage the ads for them.
10. Share Your Work on Social Media
Social media isn’t just for celebrities and influencers, it’s for contractors too. Visual platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest make it easy to showcase your work and build a relationship with potential clients.
Once you’ve got your socials set up, try to post new content regularly and avoid turning every post into an advertisement. Instead, share design ideas, post before & after pictures, and introduce members of your team. You can also create 3D floor plans and renderings based on project ideas and showcase them on your profiles.
11. Offer Free Quotes
Small construction businesses can use free quotes as an effective strategy to compete with larger companies. It’s true, estimates will take time to prepare depending on the size of the job, but they’re a nice way to give a great first impression and build trust with a lead.
12. Start a Referral Program
Satisfied customers are some of your best salespeople. Since they’re already likely to talk to others about their home project, incentivize them with some compensation or a percentage off a future project for referring others to your business.
Another option to generate leads is to network with construction professionals in related fields and offer them referrals for recommending your business.
Use Technology to Close More Construction Project Leads
Ready to start getting more leads? Then start implementing the steps on our list of the best ways to get construction leads. Some of those steps like a Google Business profile, a website, and social media need some time before you can see measurable results.
Fortunately, you can implement one of the steps with your very next project proposal — 3D home designs from Cedreo. Thousands of residential construction contractors have already switched to Cedreo.
Here’s how Cedreo can help you land more clients.
- Advanced software with features like terrain modeling, cross-sections and elevations, and 3D renderings.
- So easy to use you can create an entire set of home plans in as little as 2 hours!
- Quickly generate professional project presentations to close more deals.
So why not start using Cedreo to…?
- Boost conversion rates
- Streamline your design process for interior and exterior projects
- Simplify client communication
Frequently Asked Questions About How to Generate Leads for a Construction Business
Where do contractors find leads?
Contractors find leads through a mix of lead generation websites, online advertising, and referrals. Platforms like Google Ads and Meta Ads help contractors target homeowners and commercial construction clients actively searching for services. Networking events, partnerships with other contracting companies, and offering a referral fee for repeat business are also effective ways to secure more jobs.
How can I get exclusive construction industry leads?
Some of the best ways to get exclusive construction leads are through SEO, trade shows, review sites, and paid ads. You can also get more jobs through lead generation sites that select specific projects based on your preferences.
Can I buy construction leads?
Yes, you can buy construction leads. It’s one of the fastest ways for general contractors to start getting a steady supply of quality leads. Just be sure to track your costs to make sure you’re getting a return on your investment.
How much does contractor lead generation cost?
A lot will depend on how you’re acquiring them and if they’re vetted before reaching you. You can expect to pay $25-75 for quality leads. But if you have a solid lead nurturing strategy, you can lower your cost per acquisition since you’ll close a higher percentage of your deals.
How do I get leads in my area?
To get construction leads in your area, focus on local SEO strategies, such as optimizing your website for location-based keywords like “general contractors near [your city].” Use lead generation websites and social media platforms to connect with nearby clients, and consider running a targeted ad campaign. Many construction companies also find success by networking within their community and leveraging referral programs to generate quality leads.
