The Real Cost of Shared Leads
Shared leads look cheaper on the invoice. When you run the conversion math, exclusive leads cost 40 to 60 percent less per booked job. Here's the industry data.
Shared electrical leads from major aggregators convert at 8 to 15 percent because 3 to 5 contractors buy the same lead. Exclusive leads convert at 30 to 45 percent. Per booked job, exclusive leads cost 40 to 60 percent less even when the per-lead price is 3x higher.
Shared lead platforms sell you a homeowner's phone number for $30 to $75. Feels cheap. It is not. Let's do the math the invoice hides.
The industry conversion numbers
Aggregated across trade contractor benchmarks over the last three years:
- Shared leads: 8–15% booking rate. Sold to 3–5 contractors per lead.
- Exclusive leads (Google LSA): 22–32% booking rate.
- Exclusive leads (owned SEO + brand): 30–45% booking rate.
The real cost per booked job
The number that matters isn't cost-per-lead. It's cost-per-booked-job — what you actually pay to put a truck in a driveway.
Shared lead math
$45 per lead ÷ 12% booking rate = $375 per booked job.
Exclusive lead math
$120 per lead ÷ 35% booking rate = $343 per booked job — with no competitors on the same call.
Owned channel math (SEO / brand)
$4,000/month spend generating 60 leads × 38% booking = 23 jobs. $174 per booked job, and the pipeline compounds — next month's cost drops as content and reviews accumulate.
The hidden costs shared leads don't show you
- Response tax: you're paying for the lead and paying labor to race 4 competitors to the phone.
- Price compression: homeowners who called 4 electricians expect 4 quotes. Margins get squeezed.
- Brand dilution: every lead builds the platform's brand, not yours. Cancel the subscription and the pipeline goes to zero.
When shared leads actually make sense
Two cases: (1) you're brand new and need volume to build your review base, or (2) you have truck idle time on a specific day and any margin beats zero. Outside those two cases, they're a tax on not having your own funnel yet.
Affiliate disclosure: some links below earn us a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend gear we'd wire into our own homes or shops.
- Call tracking
CallRail
Dynamic number insertion + call recordings. Proves which marketing dollars ring the phone.
Why we picked it: Every contractor arguing about lead quality needs recordings, not opinions.
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Frequently asked
What's the difference between shared and exclusive leads?+
A shared lead is sold to 3 to 5 contractors at once — you're racing them to the phone. An exclusive lead is sold only to you, generated through your own brand, ads, or SEO.
Why do shared leads convert so poorly?+
By the time you call, the homeowner has already been called by two or three competitors. Response fatigue and price shopping tank the conversion rate.
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