New contractors face a common decision: spend your first marketing dollars on door hangers or Facebook ads? The answer depends on your trade, your budget, and how much proof you already have. Here's an honest comparison based on real cost-per-lead numbers — and why both work better once your websites for contractors is in place.
Door Hangers: The Honest Numbers
500 door hangers cost about $150–$200 printed and $50–$100 in time (or paid distribution). If you walk the neighborhood yourself on a Saturday, your only cost is the printing. Response rates for contractor door hangers run 1–3%, meaning 500 hangers get 5–15 inquiries. Of those, 1–4 typically book.
Cost per lead: $20–$60. Cost per booked job: $50–$200. For a $1,200 painting job or a $3,000 HVAC repair, that's excellent ROI.
The secret to door hangers is targeting. Don't blanket a whole suburb. Find a neighborhood where you've already done a job and walk the 5–6 streets around it. Mention the job you did: "I just painted 14 Colonial Lane — offering the same deal to the next 5 neighbors." Proximity + proof = response.
Facebook Ads: The Honest Numbers
Facebook ads for contractors typically cost $5–$15 per click. If 100 people click your ad, 2–5 fill out a form. Of those, 1–2 actually book a call. So you need 100 clicks at $5–$15 each = $500–$1,500 in ad spend to get 1–2 jobs.
Cost per lead: $100–$300. Cost per booked job: $250–$1,500. For a $1,200 job, that's barely break-even on the first job — you're betting on follow-up work and referrals.
Why Most New Contractors Lose Money on Facebook Ads
Facebook ads work — but only when you have the infrastructure to convert the traffic. You need:
- ▸A landing page or website that looks professional (not just your Facebook page)
- ▸Photos of past jobs (not stock images)
- ▸Reviews or social proof
- ▸A fast follow-up system (leads go cold in 5 minutes)
- ▸A clear offer that beats competitors
Most new contractors have none of these. So they run $500 in ads, get 5 leads, convert none of them, and conclude "ads don't work." They do work — just not without the foundation.
When Door Hangers Win
Door hangers win for new contractors (0–10 jobs done) because they don't require any of the above. You don't need a website, reviews, or a landing page. You need a flyer with your phone number, 1–2 photos (even phone photos), and a simple offer.
They also win for trades with visual, neighborhood-relevant work: painting, roofing, pressure washing, landscaping. When neighbors see your work on the house next door, the door hanger confirms "this person is real and active in my area." For a local playbook that pairs with door hangers, see our contractor SEO in Indiana guide.
When Facebook Ads Win
Facebook ads start winning after you have 10+ reviews, a website, and project photos. At that point, your cost-per-lead drops because your conversion rate goes up. A contractor with 30 Google reviews, a clean website, and real project photos will see Facebook ad leads convert at 2–3x the rate of a new contractor with none of that.
Facebook ads also win for trades that aren't visually obvious to neighbors: electrical, plumbing, HVAC, anything interior. A door hanger can't show a rewired panel, but a Facebook ad with before/after photos can. Looking for contractor web design in Fort Wayne to land those ad clicks on? We build those.
The Smart Sequence
Here's the honest recommendation for a new contractor with a $300–$500 marketing budget:
1. Month 1: $200 on 500 door hangers, targeted to one neighborhood. Walk it yourself on weekends. Goal: 2–4 jobs and 5 photos. 2. Month 2: $0 on ads. Set up Google Business Profile (free), post photos from month 1 jobs, request reviews from every customer. Get a simple one-page website for $250. See our flat-rate pricing. 3. Month 3: Now you have reviews, photos, and a website. Run $300–$500 in Facebook ads with a real landing page. Your conversion rate will be 2–3x higher than if you'd run them in month 1.
The Bottom Line
Door hangers are the training wheels. They teach you what works, what offer converts, and what objections you hear — without burning money on ads that require infrastructure you don't have yet. Facebook ads are the bicycle. You can ride it, but only after you've learned to balance.
Skip the training wheels and you'll crash. Use them, learn, and you'll be ready for ads by month 3. Still on the fence about whether you need a site at all? Read do contractors need a website first. Check out our business resources guide for the full new contractor startup playbook.
Get a flat-rate website quote — see our pricing.
