5 Metrics that Builders That Their Marketing and Lead Generation is Working

In this blog post, we’re going to break down five key metrics that will tell you whether your marketing and lead generation are actually working.

Builders today are bombarded with marketing options such as Google Ads, SEO, social media, referrals, and signage. Each one of these comes with its own “success metrics.” Keeping track of all of it can quickly become overwhelming.

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The good news is you don’t need to track everything.

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The five metrics below apply regardless of how many marketing or lead generation channels you use. They focus on what really matters: how effectively your marketing turns interest into estimates, and estimates into jobs won.

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1. Cost Per Lead

What is Cost Per Lead

For builders, a lead isn’t just someone who calls or fills out a form. A lead is anyone you’ve identified as worth going after or someone who could turn into a real project down the line. 

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This could be:

• A homeowner who saw your ad or website
• A referral from a past customer or subcontractor
• Someone you meet at a home show or event 
• Someone who you’ve identified who has submitted planning for a project that suits your business

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Cost Per Lead tells you how much it costs to get your name in front of these potential customers. It’s the first step in understanding if your marketing is working.

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How to calculate Cost Per Lead

To calculate you Cost Per Lead is straight forward, you simply divide your marketing spend by the amount of leads you have. See the an example below:

You spend:

• Google Ads: £850/month → 10 leads
• SEO content: £150/month → 1 lead
• Planning portal flyers: £350/month → 20 leads

Step 1: Overall CPL

• Total spend: £850 + £150 + £350 = £1,350
• Total leads: 10 + 1 + 20 = 31
• Overall CPL: £1,350 ÷ 31 = £43.55 per lead

Step 2: CPL by channel

• Google Ads: £850 ÷ 10 leads = £85 per lead
• SEO content: £150 ÷ 1 lead = £150 per lead
• Planning portal flyers: £350 ÷ 20 leads = £17.50 per lead

Step 3: What this tells you

• The planning portal is the most cost-efficient channel at £17.50 per lead
• Google Ads is more expensive at £85 per lead, and SEO content is even higher at £150 per lead
• Knowing this allows you to shift budget toward channels that deliver leads more efficiently, or investigate why the expensive channels aren’t performing as expected

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Cost Per Lead answers the first critical question: “How much am I paying just to find someone worth pursuing?”

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2. Cost Per Estimate

What is Cost Per Estimate

For builders, an estimate (or quote) is more than just a number on paper. It’s a serious opportunity to win a job. Cost Per Estimate tells you how much it costs to get in front of a potential customer who is ready to hear what you can do for them.

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This could be:

• A homeowner who requested a quote after seeing your ad or website
• Someone who responded to a flyer or direct mail you sent
• A prospect you identified from planning applications
• A referral who’s asking for a formal estimate

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Cost Per Estimate is the next step after Cost Per Lead. While leads show interest, estimates show serious intent. Understanding this cost helps you see whether your marketing is delivering opportunities that are worth your time.

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How to calculate Cost Per Estimate

To calculate Cost Per Estimate, divide your marketing spend by the number of estimates you provide. Here’s an example based on the same marketing spend as before:

You spend:

• Google Ads: £850/month → 5 estimates
• SEO content: £150/month → 1 estimate
• Planning portal flyers: £350/month → 5 estimates

Step 1: Overall Cost Per Estimate

• Total spend: £850 + £150 + £350 = £1,350
• Total estimates: 5 + 1 + 5 = 11
• Overall Cost Per Estimate: £1,350 ÷ 21 = £122.73 per estimate

Step 2: Cost Per Estimate by channel

• Google Ads: £850 ÷ 5 estimates = £170 per estimate
• SEO content: £150 ÷ 1 estimate = £150 per estimate
• Planning portal flyers: £350 ÷ 5 estimates = £70 per estimate

Step 3: What this tells you

• The planning portal is the most cost-efficient channel at £23.33 per estimate
• Google Ads is significantly more expensive at £170 per estimate
• SEO content is £150 per estimate, highlighting it’s not producing enough serious opportunities

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This breakdown allows you to focus budget and effort on channels that deliver real quotes, not just leads.

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Cost Per Estimate answers the next critical question, “How much am I paying to get in front of someone who is serious enough to consider hiring me?”

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3. Lead-to-Estimate Conversion Rate

What is Lead-to-Estimate Conversion Rate

Not every lead turns into a formal estimate. The Lead-to-Estimate Conversion Rate tells you what percentage of your leads actually request a quote or are qualified enough for you to provide an estimate. This metric shows whether your marketing is delivering serious prospects worth your time.

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For example, from your marketing channels:

• Google Ads: 10 leads → 5 estimates
• SEO content: 1 lead → 1 estimate
• Planning portal flyers: 20 leads → 5 estimates

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How to calculate Lead-to-Estimate Conversion Rate

To calculate the conversion rate, divide the number of estimates by the number of leads and multiply by 100.

Step 1: Overall Conversion Rate

• Total leads: 10 + 1 + 20 = 31
• Total estimates: 5 + 1 + 5 = 11
• Overall Lead-to-Estimate Conversion Rate: 11 ÷ 31 × 100 = 35%

Step 2: Conversion Rate by channel

• Google Ads: 5 ÷ 10 × 100 = 50%
• SEO content: 1 ÷ 1 × 100 = 100%
• Planning portal flyers: 5 ÷ 20 × 100 = 25%

Step 3: What this tells you

• SEO content converts every lead, but there’s only one lead
• Google Ads converts half of its leads into estimates
• Planning portal flyers are generating the most leads, but only 25% convert to estimates

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This helps you see which channels bring quality leads ready for quoting versus just raw enquiries but you must remember to look at the Cost Per Lead and Cost per Enquiry to identify the most cost effective and scalable channel/

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Lead-to-Estimate Conversion Rate answers the critical question: “Of all the leads I’m getting, how many are actually serious enough to quote?”

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4. Cost Per Job Won

What is Cost Per Job Won

Cost Per Job Won, also called Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC), tells you how much it costs to actually win a project from your marketing efforts.

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While leads and estimates show interest, Cost Per Job Won measures the real return on your marketing spend. The number that really matters for your business.

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For example, from your marketing channels:

• Google Ads: 5 estimates → 2 jobs won
• SEO content: 1 estimate → 1 job won
• Planning portal flyers: 5 estimates → 2 jobs won

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How to calculate Cost Per Job Won

To calculate Cost Per Job Won, divide your marketing spend by the number of jobs you win.

Step 1: Overall Cost Per Job Won

• Total spend: £850 + £150 + £350 = £1,350
• Total jobs won: 2 + 1 + 2 = 5
• Overall Cost Per Job Won: £1,350 ÷ 5 = £270 per job

Step 2: Cost Per Job Won by channel

• Google Ads: £850 ÷ 2 jobs = £425 per job
• SEO content: £150 ÷ 1 job = £150 per job
• Planning portal flyers: £350 ÷ 2 jobs = £175 per job

Step 3: What this tells you

• SEO content is very cost-effective, but it only produced 1 job
• Planning portal flyers are delivering more jobs at a lower cost per job than Google Ads
• Google Ads produces leads and estimates, but at a higher cost to land each project

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Cost Per Job Won answers the final critical question: “How much am I spending to actually win a job, and which marketing channels give me the best return?”

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5. Estimate-To-Job Won Conversion Rate

What is Estimate-to-Job Won Conversion Rate

Not every estimate turns into a signed job. The Estimate-to-Job Won Conversion Rate tells you what percentage of your estimates actually result in a project. This metric shows whether your marketing and sales process is turning serious prospects into real work.

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For example, from your marketing channels:

• Google Ads: 5 estimates → 2 jobs won
• SEO content: 1 estimate → 1 job won
• Planning portal flyers: 5 estimates → 2 jobs won

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How to calculate Estimate-to-Job Won Conversion Rate

To calculate the conversion rate, divide the number of jobs won by the number of estimates and multiply by 100.

Step 1: Overall Conversion Rate

• Total estimates: 5 + 1 + 5 = 11
• Total jobs won: 2 + 1 + 2 = 5
• Overall Estimate-to-Job Won Conversion Rate: 5 ÷ 11 × 100 = 45%

Step 2: Conversion Rate by channel

• Google Ads: 2 ÷ 5 × 100 = 40%
• SEO content: 1 ÷ 1 × 100 = 100%
• Planning portal flyers: 2 ÷ 5 × 100 = 40%

Step 3: What this tells you

• SEO content converts every estimate to a job, but there’s only one estimate to start with
• Google Ads and planning portal flyers are producing multiple estimates, but only 40% turn into jobs
• This helps you see how effective each channel is at closing work, not just generating interest or quotes

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Estimate-to-Job Won Conversion Rate answers the question: “Of all the estimates I provide, how many actually become signed jobs?”