This post breaks down every budget tier — from $300 to $5,000+ per month — with specific numbers about what you actually get, what you don't, and what realistic results look like. If you've been burned by an agency before, or you're trying to figure out how to allocate your marketing budget for 2026, this is the guide you actually need.
Why Contractors Are Skeptical of Marketing Agencies
Most contractors who contact us have already paid at least one agency that didn't deliver. The story is usually the same: you signed a contract, paid $2,000–$5,000 per month, got a monthly report full of impressions and click-through rates, and couldn't tell if you had one extra job to show for it.
That skepticism is earned. Many agencies make money whether or not you get leads. Their success is your marketing story, not their financial obligation. When you can't see what you're getting for your money — no real cost-per-lead data, no revenue attribution — you have no way to evaluate the relationship. This post is the opposite of that.
$300–$500/Month
What's typically included:
- → Google Business Profile setup and ongoing optimization
- → Automated review generation (text and email sequences to past customers)
- → Basic directory listing consistency (Yelp, Angi, Thumbtack, BBB)
- → A monthly snapshot showing review count and profile views
Your Google reviews are the single highest-ROI asset a contractor can have. A plumber with 90 five-star reviews wins the job over one with 14, even if the second plumber is better. Review generation at this tier is systematic — every job you complete triggers an automated text to the customer asking for a review. No manual follow-up required.
Note: You won't see a surge of new leads from this budget alone. This tier makes you look credible when someone finds you. It doesn't help more people find you.
Realistic results: 60–90 days to see a meaningful increase in review count. 3–6 months to move up in Google Map Pack rankings as reviews accumulate.
Boxi Marketing's Starter plan starts at $497/month. It includes GBP optimization, automated review generation, and basic local SEO. No contract.
$800–$1,500/Month
What's typically included:
- → Everything in the entry tier
- → Google Ads management (campaign setup, bid management, negative keywords, landing pages)
- → AI-powered lead follow-up (instant text response to every form fill and missed call)
- → Basic local SEO content
Google Ads put you in front of people who are actively searching for what you do, right now. The AI follow-up piece matters more than most contractors realize. Studies show that a lead responded to within 5 minutes is 21 times more likely to convert than one responded to within 30 minutes. Every missed call and every form fill gets an automatic text response in under 10 seconds.
Note: Google Ads require a budget paid directly to Google — plan on $500–$1,500/month in ad spend on top of the management fee. Your total monthly investment at this tier runs $1,300–$3,000 depending on market competitiveness.
Realistic results: 10–20 qualified leads per month is typical for a well-managed campaign in a mid-size market. Cost per lead varies by trade — HVAC runs $20–$50, roofing runs $40–$90, concrete work runs $30–$60.
Boxi Marketing's Growth plan starts at $1,497/month (plus ad spend). It includes Google Ads management and AI lead follow-up. No contract.
$2,997/Month
What's typically included:
- → Everything in the lower tiers
- → Full SEO strategy (service area pages, blog content, link building)
- → AI voice assistant (answers your phone 24/7, qualifies leads, books appointments)
- → Social media management
- → Answer Engine Optimization — structured so that when someone asks ChatGPT "best HVAC company near me," you're the answer
- → Bi-weekly strategy calls and a custom reporting dashboard
This is the tier where your marketing starts compounding. SEO takes 4–6 months to build momentum, but once it does, you're getting leads without paying for every click. The AI voice assistant means no lead goes unanswered — including the $8,000 commercial job that calls at 11pm on a Tuesday.
Realistic results: 25–50+ qualified leads per month across organic and paid channels. Average cost per lead drops as SEO kicks in because organic leads don't have a per-click cost. Full ROI typically visible within 3–4 months.
Boxi Marketing's Scale plan runs $2,997/month (plus ad spend). It includes everything listed above. No contract.
What $5,000+/Month Gets You From Big Agencies
Scorpion, Broadly, Service Titan Marketing, and similar national agencies start conversations at $3,500–$5,000/month. Some run $8,000–$15,000/month for larger accounts.
Big agencies have significant overhead: sales teams, account management layers, proprietary technology costs, and profit margins that typically run 60–70% on marketing services. A $5,000/month retainer at a firm like Scorpion might involve 8–12 hours of actual work on your account per month.
They also lock you in. Scorpion builds your website on their own platform. If you leave, you leave without your website — you start over. That's a $5,000–$15,000 rebuild cost on top of whatever you spent while you were with them. For a contractor doing $500K–$2M/year, you are the low-priority account at a big agency, and you're paying big-agency prices for mid-tier attention.
How to Evaluate ROI on Any Marketing Program
Before you sign with any agency, get clarity on three numbers:
Cost per lead (CPL)
Total marketing spend divided by total leads. If you're spending $1,500/month and getting 20 leads, your CPL is $75. For an HVAC company where an average job runs $400–$600, a $75 lead that converts to a job at a 40% close rate costs you $187 per booked job. Most contractors would take that trade all day.
Cost per booked job (CPJ)
This is CPL divided by your close rate. If you close 1 in 3 leads, your CPJ is 3x your CPL. Track this number every month. A rising CPJ means either your leads are getting worse or your follow-up is getting slower.
Payback period
How many months of marketing spend does one average job cover? A roofing contractor with average jobs at $12,000 who spends $2,000/month on marketing needs less than one booked job per month to break even. Make these three numbers explicit with any agency before you start.
Boxi Marketing's Actual Pricing
| Plan | Monthly Cost | What's Included |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $300–$500 | Google Business Profile, review generation, basic local SEO |
| Growth | $1,000–$2,000 | Reviews + Google Ads management + AI lead follow-up |
| Scale | $2,997 | Full program: SEO, ads, AI voice + text, social, reputation, AEO |
Ad spend is separate — paid directly to Google. We recommend $500–$1,500/month to start depending on your market. No setup fees. No contracts. No proprietary platform that holds your assets hostage.
If you're on Growth or Scale and we don't generate at least 10 qualified leads in your first 30 days, your first month is free. That's a specific commitment, not a vague promise.
Ready to See the Full Pricing Breakdown?
Visit our pricing page to see every plan, every line item, and exactly what's included. Or book a free strategy call — we'll tell you which plan fits your business and what results to expect before you spend a dollar.