Based on the SearchLight HVAC & Plumbing Advertising Benchmarks, which track Local Services Ads performance across 602 advertisers, the median ROAS for HVAC businesses using LSAs is approximately 6.9x, with top-quartile advertisers achieving 15.6x or higher. Bottom-quartile advertisers generate closer to 2.0x, highlighting the outsized impact of reputation, responsiveness, and operational execution on LSA performance.
This page summarizes account-level ROAS benchmarks based on recent HVAC & plumbing Local Services Ads peThis page summarizes account-level ROAS benchmarks based on $18M in HVAC & plumbing Local Services Ads spend, covering Q4 2025 performance across 602 advertisers.
If you’re curious about 2026 Google Local Service Ads Cost per Lead benchmarks, you can read our companion benchmark article on that topic here: What Is a Good Cost per Lead for Google Local Service Ads? (2026 Benchmarks)
Key HVAC Local Services Ads ROAS Benchmarks (2025)
| Performance Tier | ROAS |
| Bottom Quartile | 1.96x |
| Median | 6.90x |
| Top Quartile | 15.62x |
Spend context:
Median monthly LSA spend across advertisers in this dataset was $4,277.
How These Benchmarks Are Calculated
The overall median ROAS is calculated using spend-weighted medians, while quartile benchmarks reflect simple medians within the top and bottom 25% of advertisers by ROAS.
What Drives ROAS Variation in Local Services Ads
The wide gap between bottom-quartile and top-quartile performance is not accidental. The strongest drivers of LSA ROAS include:
Reputation & Trust Signals
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- Review count and review velocity
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- Average star rating
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- Complaint and dispute history
Responsiveness & Operations
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- Speed to answer LSA calls
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- Missed-call rate
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- Weekend and after-hours coverage
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- Booking rate once connected
Account Configuration
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- Service categories selected
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- Geographic coverage area
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- Budget saturation during peak demand
Attribution & Revenue Capture
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- Proper job revenue attribution
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- Repeat customers counted in LSA leads
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- Disputed or refunded leads
Top-quartile advertisers tend to excel operationally just as much as they do in marketing execution.
How to Interpret These Benchmarks
A benchmark is a reference point, not a guarantee. Use these ranges to diagnose performance:
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- Below ~2x ROAS (bottom quartile)
Often indicates missed calls, weak review presence, poor dispute handling, or early-stage accounts.
- Below ~2x ROAS (bottom quartile)
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- Around ~6–7x ROAS (median)
Typical for functioning LSA programs with solid responsiveness and average reputation profiles.
- Around ~6–7x ROAS (median)
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- Above ~15x ROAS (top quartile)
Generally reflects strong review profiles, fast response times, high booking rates, and saturated budgets during peak hours.
- Above ~15x ROAS (top quartile)
Data Source & Methodology
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- Source: SearchLight HVAC & Plumbing Advertising Benchmark
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- Sample Size: 602 HVAC and plumbing advertisers
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- Time Window: Recent rolling period
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- Metrics Used:
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- Account-level ROAS (closed revenue ÷ spend)
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- Median-based quartiles
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- Zero-revenue accounts included where applicable
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- Metrics Used:
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- Spend Reporting: Median monthly spend to reduce outlier influence
Frequently Asked Questions
What is considered a “bad” ROAS for HVAC LSAs?
Anything below ~4x is generally underperforming and often indicates operational or reputational issues rather than market demand.
Is LSA ROAS seasonal?
Less than most people expect.
While demand volume for HVAC services does increase during peak heating and cooling seasons, LSA ROAS itself remained relatively stable throughout the year.
In our 2025 dataset, monthly median LSA ROAS stayed within a narrow range (generally within ~1–2x), with no material spike during peak summer months compared to shoulder seasons.
This suggests that:
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- LSAs consistently capture high-intent demand year-round
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- Efficiency is driven more by lead handling and close rates than seasonality
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- Seasonal swings impact lead volume, not necessarily ROAS
For most contractors, this means LSAs provide predictable efficiency across the year, even as call volume fluctuates.
Are LSA leads better than Google Ads leads?
LSA leads are typically higher-intent, as indicated by a higher ROAS than Google Ads.
However, Google Ads tends to drive higher revenue than Google LSA and offers more levers to pull based on your market and business goals.
Does review count really matter?
Yes. Review volume and rating are among the strongest predictors of LSA ranking and lead volume, which directly impacts ROAS.
How to Cite This Data
SearchLight HVAC & Plumbing Local Services Ads Benchmark (2025), based on account-level ROAS analysis across 602 advertisers.
Updated
Last updated: December 2025