Every agency claims to be the best. Here's what to actually check before you sign anything, and why each one matters more in home services than it does for most other businesses.
01 · Proof, not promises
Industry experience you can verify
Selling a $9,000 roof replacement is not the same job as selling a $50 lawn mow. Bigger trade jobs need a longer follow-up cadence, tracking that connects a click to a signed job, and campaigns split out by service line instead of one account covering everything you do. Ask any agency to show you a real Google Ads account built this way and a Google Business Profile they actually manage, not a slide deck of logos. SearchPod will walk you through a live account on your strategy call, before you sign anything.
02 · See the number before you sign
Transparent pricing, in writing
Home services agencies are known for vague "custom quote" pricing that hides a markup on your ad spend or a setup fee buried in the contract. Ask for the fee as a flat number or a clear percentage of your budget, in writing, before you spend a dollar. Our Google Ads fee is 10% of your monthly budget with a $600/mo minimum, your ad budget goes to Google in full, and there are no setup fees.
03 · Slow season, no lock-in
No long-term contracts
Demand for HVAC, roofing, and landscaping swings hard with the seasons, so a 12-month contract signed during a busy month can trap you if leads slow down later. Ask what happens if you want to pause or leave after month two. We run month-to-month with a 30-day guarantee: if the first 30 days don't show real work and results, that month is free.
04 · Booked jobs, not just clicks
Reporting you can actually read
A "lead" means nothing if it's a homeowner three towns outside your service area or a spam form fill. Home services reporting should show call tracking by source, which zip codes are converting, and which campaigns are producing booked jobs, not a vanity report of clicks and impressions. Ask to see a live dashboard, not a PDF you get once a month.
05 · Your business, not ours
Ownership of your accounts and data
Some agencies build your campaigns inside accounts they control, so if you ever leave, you leave with nothing: no campaign history, no review history, no ranking progress. Ask, in writing, whether the Google Ads account, the Business Profile, and the website will be registered to your business or the agency's. Every account we set up is registered to you from day one.
