Google Ads vs Facebook/Meta Ads for Landscapers and Home Improvement Companies: Which Should You Use?

Landscaping, decking, driveways, extensions and kitchens share something that urgent trades do not: most customers are not in a hurry. They think about the project for weeks, look at photos, talk it over at home and get two or three quotes. That makes the choice between Google Ads and Meta Ads (Facebook and Instagram) less obvious than it is for, say, an emergency plumber.

Here is how the two channels differ for planned, visual, higher-value work, what the published benchmarks say about cost per lead, and how we usually split a budget between them.

The core difference: intent versus inspiration

What the benchmarks say

The most consistent published benchmarks come from WordStream and LocaliQ. They are US figures, so treat them as a guide to the gap between channels rather than UK prices.

Sources: WordStream/LocaliQ Google Ads Benchmarks 2026 (13,474 US campaigns) and Facebook Ads Benchmarks 2025 (726 US lead campaigns). Medians, USD.

Meta leads cost less than half as much on these figures. The catch is that a cheaper lead is not a cheaper job. A Facebook lead for a garden makeover is often someone who liked a photo and tapped a pre-filled form; a Google lead is someone who typed "landscape gardeners near me" and chose you. In our experience the booking rate on social leads is noticeably lower unless the form qualifies them properly.

When Google Ads is the better fit

• People already search for your service. "Patio installers [town]", "fencing contractors near me", "driveway companies [town]" all show active demand.
• The job is needed rather than wanted. Storm-damaged fencing, a collapsed wall, a failed kitchen worktop.
• You want fewer, better leads. Search filters for intent before you pay.
• You have a clear landing page with photos, areas covered and a quote form.

When Meta Ads is the better fit

• The work sells on looks. Before-and-after garden makeovers, porcelain patios, outdoor kitchens, kitchen and bathroom transformations.
• Demand is seasonal and you want to start it early. Reaching homeowners in late winter with spring garden projects fills the diary before the search rush.
• You want to stay in front of people who visited your site. Retargeting reminds them of you during the weeks they are deciding.
• Search volume in your area is thin. Social ads can reach homeowners in specific postcodes regardless of what they are searching.

Fixing the Meta lead quality problem

Most complaints about Facebook leads come from the default lead form: one tap, pre-filled details, no questions. Three changes make a large difference:

1. Use the "Higher intent" form type. It adds a review screen so people confirm their details before submitting.
2. Ask qualifying questions. Project type, rough budget band, postcode and timescale. Conditional questions can close the form for people outside your area or budget.
3. Show prices or minimums in the ad. "Most patios we lay are £6,000 to £15,000" puts off people with a £500 budget before they cost you anything.

Alternatively, send social traffic to a landing page instead of an instant form. Fewer people complete it, but the ones who do are usually more serious.

How to split a budget

Starting points only. Move money based on cost per booked job after 60 to 90 days.

A worked example

A landscaping company spends £1,500 a month: £900 on Google and £600 on Meta. Google brings 12 enquiries at £75 each and books four projects. Meta brings 25 enquiries at £24 each and books three. Cost per booked project: £225 on Google, £200 on Meta. On these numbers the channels are close, and the right move is to keep both and improve the weaker booking rate, not to switch one off.

Illustrative example, not a benchmark.

Measure both the same way

Give each channel its own form or phone number, record which channel each booked job came from and what it was worth, and compare cost per booked job every month. If you can, send booked jobs back to both platforms as offline conversions, so each one learns which leads become customers.

For the general comparison across all local services, read Google Ads vs Meta Ads for a local service business. For landscaping specifically, see how we run marketing for landscaping companies.

What each channel needs from you

Seasonality for landscaping and home improvement

Garden and outdoor projects follow the weather. A typical pattern for UK landscapers:

Home improvement work such as kitchens, bathrooms and extensions is less weather-driven, but enquiries often rise in January and after the summer holidays, when people plan the year's projects.

Creative that works on Meta for visual trades

• Before and after of the same space, ideally from the same angle.
• Short walk-through videos shot on a phone, 15 to 30 seconds, with captions.
• The team at work, which builds trust that stock photos cannot.
• A price anchor in the copy, such as "Most of our porcelain patios are £6,000 to £12,000".
• Location in the first line: "Just finished in Oadby…" makes local homeowners stop scrolling.

Common mistakes

• Judging Meta on cost per lead and Google on booked jobs, which makes Meta look better than it is.
• Running Meta with no postcode limits, then wasting calls on enquiries 50 miles away.
• Using the same creative for months; Meta audiences tire of an ad far faster than Google searchers.
• Switching Google Ads off in winter and losing the account's learning; a small always-on budget is usually better.

Frequently asked questions

Are Facebook ads or Google Ads better for landscapers?

Google Ads usually brings fewer but more ready-to-buy enquiries; Facebook and Instagram bring cheaper leads that need more qualifying. Many landscapers use Google for demand capture and Meta for portfolio and retargeting.

How much does a Facebook lead cost for home improvement?

WordStream’s 2025 benchmarks put the median cost per lead for US home and home improvement lead campaigns at $41.26. UK costs vary, so test and measure cost per booked job.

How do I get better quality leads from Facebook ads?

Use the Higher intent form type, ask qualifying questions such as postcode, project type and budget band, and show prices or minimums in the ad. Or send traffic to a landing page instead of an instant form.

Should home improvement companies run Google and Meta ads together?

Usually yes, once each is tracked separately. Compare cost per booked job after 60 to 90 days and move budget towards the stronger channel.

Related guides

• Google Ads vs Meta Ads for a Local Service Business
• Google Ads for Landscapers
• How to Get Landscaping Clients

Sources

1. WordStream / LocaliQ, Google Ads Benchmarks 2026
2. WordStream, Facebook Ads Benchmarks 2025 (726 US lead campaigns, Apr 2024 to Jun 2025)
3. Jon Loomer, "A guide to instant forms" (form types and conditional questions)