What's a good cost per lead for landscaping?
Maintenance: $8-30.
Design-build: $150-400. Design-only: $80-180. Anything above these ranges signals a broken funnel.
design-build
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Landscaping Lead Generation Blueprint for Austin
How Austin landscape design-build firms attract $15K+ project leads instead of $80/week mow-and-blow inquiries.
By Forge Growth Team6 min read
Quick answer: How Austin landscape design-build firms attract $15K+ project leads instead of $80/week mow-and-blow inquiries.
The two lead economies in landscaping
Maintenance leads (mowing, cleanup) come cheap and convert fast — but average $80-200/job. Design-build leads (patios, outdoor kitchens, full yards) cost 5-10x more to acquire and take 3-6 weeks to close, but average $12K-45K/project. Your channel mix must match your target economy.
Where design-build leads actually come from
Analysis of Austin design-build firms: 35% Houzz + Angi + Yelp, 25% Google organic (portfolio pages), 15% referrals from architects and remodelers, 12% Instagram, 8% Google Ads, 5% Facebook. Notice: LSA and cheap Google traffic are minor players.
Portfolio SEO strategy
Individual project pages ('cedar-park-outdoor-kitchen-installation') rank for exactly the queries design-build buyers search. Each project page: 5-10 photos, 400-600 words describing scope + materials + timeline, budget range, related projects, contact CTA.
Houzz and Instagram: essential for design-build
Houzz drives 20-30 design-build inquiries/month for well-optimized profiles. Post 3-5 photos/week to Instagram tagged with #austinlandscaping #cedarparkpatios etc. Instagram ads targeting homeowners aged 35-65, household income $150K+ in service ZIP codes produce $180-300 CPL for design consultations.
Qualifying leads before the consultation
Include a budget-range dropdown ($5K-15K, $15K-40K, $40K+) on your inquiry form. This filters tire-kickers without offending serious buyers. Auto-reply immediately with a link to your portfolio and a Calendly link for consultations.
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Common questions
Quick answers about this topic
Short answers first, then the detail. Skim what you need.
Should landscapers use HomeAdvisor or Angi?
Selectively.
Angi pro leads run $40-90 each and are shared with 2-4 competitors. Only worth it if you have fast response time and a strong close rate. Skip for design-build; keep for maintenance.
design-build
Is Instagram worth it for landscapers?
Yes for design-build.
It's the primary discovery platform for homeowners planning outdoor projects. Not worth it for maintenance-only businesses.
design-build
How do I get on Houzz?
Create a free pro account, upload 20+ project photos with detailed descriptions, request reviews from past clients (10-15 minimum).
Paid Pro+ tier ($199-499/mo) unlocks lead generation.
Paid Pro+
Do landscapers need Google Ads?
For design-build in Austin, yes — but at modest budgets ($1,500-4,000/mo) targeting long-tail terms like 'landscape design cedar park.' Skip broad terms — CPCs run $18-40 with low conversion.
austindesign-buildSkipCPCs
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