How Much Should HVAC Companies Spend on Marketing?
"How much should I spend on marketing?" is the wrong first question. The right one is: "What is a booked job worth to me, and how many more do I want?" Budget follows from economics, not a flat percentage.
Start from unit economics
If your average job is worth $450 and your lifetime customer value is several thousand dollars in repeat and replacement work, a cost-per-acquisition that feels high in isolation can be extremely profitable. Know these numbers before setting any budget.
- Average job value — separate repair vs. install economics.
- Customer lifetime value — include maintenance and replacements.
- Target cost-per-acquisition — what you can profitably pay per job.
Benchmarks as a sanity check
Most growing HVAC companies invest between 5% and 12% of revenue in marketing, with newer companies on the higher end while building presence. Use that as a guardrail, but let your actual return on ad spend drive allocation between channels.
The biggest mistake isn't spending too much — it's spending blindly. Without per-channel attribution you can't tell which dollars produce jobs, so you cut the wrong things. Track everything, then scale what's profitable with confidence.
