Free planning tool
Know your numbers.
Set your lead budget.
Estimate what you can afford to spend on a qualified project inquiry, using your own margins, close rate, and follow-up costs.
Start with your business.
Use a consistent reporting period. The example placeholders are illustrative, not market rates.
02 / Your planning ceiling
What is left for
the lead source?
Add your figures to see an estimated ceiling per qualified inquiry.
Maximum lead-source cost per qualified inquiry
Based on the assumptions you entered, after the follow-up cost below.
- Acquisition budget per sold project
- Total acquisition budget per inquiry
- Qualified inquiries per sale
- Follow-up cost per inquiry
Your follow-up cost uses all or more of the available acquisition budget. These assumptions leave no positive budget for the lead source.
The method
Simple math.
Your assumptions.
Allocate a share of project gross profit to acquiring a sale. Apply your close rate, then subtract follow-up cost per inquiry.
Lead-source ceiling per qualified inquiry
- Gross profit × acquisition shareBudget per sale
- Budget per sale × close rateBudget per inquiry
- Budget per inquiry − follow-up costAvailable for the source
Percentages are divided by 100 in the calculation. If the result is negative, the displayed ceiling is $0.
Before you compare providers
Put the result
in context.
What counts as a qualified inquiry?
An inquiry that meets criteria agreed in advance, such as building type, service area, contactability and timing. Use the same definition when measuring your close rate and comparing sources.
Does this tell me the market price of a lead?
No. It estimates a ceiling from your inputs. It is not a quote, market average or forecast. Compare project fit, distribution, delivery and invalid-lead terms alongside price.
Why include follow-up costs?
Sales time and tools use part of your acquisition budget. Including them shows what remains for the lead source. Keep those costs separate from direct job costs so you do not count them twice.