Best Google Ads agencies for trades in the UK
Google Ads is the fastest way for a tradesperson to get the phone ringing and the fastest way to waste money. The difference lies almost entirely in who runs the account and what they measure. This ranking compares six UK agencies that run paid search and paid campaigns for trades, from a 12-week programme to a fractional marketing department.
How we assessed the paid search specialists
Three things matter most when a trade hires a Google Ads agency. How the agency is paid: a fixed fee keeps its incentives separate from your spend, while a percentage of ad spend rewards it for spending more. What it measures: clicks and cost per click tell you nothing, booked jobs and cost per job tell you everything. And who owns the account: if the agency owns it, your history leaves with them.
We also looked at whether the agency builds landing pages or sends traffic to your existing site, since a poor site can halve the return on the same spend. The fixed fee versus percentage of ad spend debate gets its own article.
Not every agency here runs Google Ads exclusively. Two lean heavily on Meta. They are included because trades asking about paid ads need to see the alternatives, and each entry is clear about what the agency actually runs.
1. Local Leads Accelerator
Best for: Electricians and small trades wanting Local Services Ads blended with map pack work
Local Leads Accelerator's headline is that clicks do not pay the bills, jobs do, and its reporting follows that logic by measuring cost per booked job rather than rankings or clicks. It combines Google Local Services Ads with local SEO and map pack work, conversion-focused websites, missed-call text-back and automated follow-up, delivered as a 12-week programme.
Electricians are its primary trade, with joinery and carpentry, cleaning, waste removal and exterior services also served. Case studies show before-and-after rankings for a cleaning business and a carpentry business, and clients are mentioned in Manchester and Kent. Pricing is not published.
Local Services Ads are a particularly good fit for emergency trades because the homeowner sees a Google Guaranteed badge and pays per lead rather than per click. Pairing them with text-back follow-up is a sound structure for a small firm.
2. Nivoro Marketing
Best for: Window and door companies turning over £10m to £50m
Nivoro Marketing in Bishopton, Renfrewshire, is the outlier in budget and ambition. It places a fractional CMO and marketing team within 14 days, runs Facebook and Google ads, builds CRM-based sales attribution and publishes a weekly cost-per-lead and cost-per-appointment scoreboard. It also chases unsigned quotes, runs fitter recruitment ads and supports branch and showroom launches.
Retainers are published by company size at £8,000, £13,500 and £25,000 plus VAT a month, with ad spend paid direct, and it carries a performance-or-you-don't-pay promise. Case studies show sales from ad spend for a window installer and a tree surgeon. The transparency is admirable; the price excludes almost every tradesperson reading this.
3. Lead Wave
Best for: Roofers and driveway firms wanting fast Facebook leads with area exclusivity
Lead Wave, run by Nick from Lowestoft and Norwich and trading since 2022, generates leads mainly through the client's own Facebook ads shown only in their area, with Google Ads measured on booked jobs as a second string. It commits to one business per trade per area, sends an automatic text to every enquiry within seconds, and says campaigns are typically live within an hour with first leads inside 24 hours.
It serves roofers, driveway installers, landscapers, tree surgeons and carpet cleaners, and publishes results for roofers in several regions, a tree surgeon and a carpet cleaner. Pricing is quoted over WhatsApp rather than published, on a month-to-month basis with no lock-in.
4. TradesGrow
Best for: Welsh and UK trades wanting PPC with call tracking alongside Facebook and local SEO
TradesGrow in Cardiff runs paid Google campaigns with call tracking, Facebook ads, local SEO including Google Business Profile, citations and review generation, web design and done-for-you lead generation. It serves plumbers and gas engineers, heating specialists, builders, electricians, roofers, driveways, landscapers and bathroom fitters.
It positions itself against clients' previous agencies with a no sales pressure line, publishes lead and revenue results for roofers, a boiler installer, a landscaper and a driveway company, and offers a free strategy call and audit. Lead-gen offers say the first leads are free. A pricing page exists but tiers are not shown on the homepage.
5. JDR Group
Best for: Larger home improvement companies wanting HubSpot-driven inbound and sales process work
JDR Group in Derby grew out of business coaching and describes itself as the UK's leading inbound agency for home improvement businesses and a top HubSpot partner. Google Ads sits within a wider offer of content marketing, SEO, paid social, email automation, HubSpot CRM implementation, web design, conversion optimisation and sales training.
Its trades are kitchen and bathroom designers, window and door specialists, garden room providers, landscapers, hot tub companies, renewable installers and builders. It publishes traffic and revenue results for a B2C home improvement company. Pricing guides are linked but no figures appear on the page.
6. Home Improvement Growth
Best for: Glazing firms wanting a Meta video ads specialist
Home Improvement Growth runs Meta video ads for windows, doors and glazing companies and the wider home improvement sector, promising premium leads, scroll-stopping creative and transparent reporting. It does not run Google Ads at all, and is included here so glazing firms weighing paid channels can see the alternative.
No pricing, location, founder or case studies are visible on the site. Our profile of Home Improvement Growth sets out what to verify before a conversation.
Fee structure, measurement and ownership
| Agency | Channels | What it reports on | Fee model | Trade fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local Leads Accelerator | LSAs, local SEO | Cost per booked job | Not published | Electricians, small trades |
| Nivoro Marketing | Google and Facebook ads | Weekly cost per lead and appointment | £8,000 to £25,000 + VAT/month | Large glazing firms |
| Lead Wave | Facebook first, Google second | Booked jobs | Quoted, month to month | Roofers, driveways, landscapers |
| TradesGrow | Google, Facebook, local SEO | Leads and revenue | Pricing page, tiers not shown | Plumbing, heating, roofing, building |
| JDR Group | Google Ads within inbound | Traffic and revenue | Pricing guides, no figures | Showrooms and installers |
| Home Improvement Growth | Meta video only | Not stated | Not published | Windows and doors |
Which should you choose?
A sole trader or small firm in an emergency trade should start the conversation with Local Leads Accelerator, because Local Services Ads plus text-back follow-up is the structure most likely to produce booked jobs at a sane cost. Roofers and driveway firms who want leads this week should look at Lead Wave, accepting that Meta rather than Google is its main engine.
Firms wanting a mix of paid search, Facebook and local SEO from one agency can benchmark TradesGrow. Showrooms and installers with a sales team should consider JDR Group, and multi-branch glazing companies with serious budgets are the only firms Nivoro is built for.
Whoever you pick, insist on owning the ad account, ask for cost per booked job rather than cost per click, and set a review point at 90 days. Our questions to ask a trades marketing agency includes a paid search section, and agency red flags for tradespeople covers the warning signs that apply especially to ad management.
Frequently asked questions
How much should a tradesperson spend on Google Ads?
As a worked example, a plumber spending £600 a month who gets 20 enquiries is paying £30 each before the management fee. Start with a budget you can afford to lose for three months, and judge the channel on booked jobs rather than clicks.
What is the difference between Google Ads and Local Services Ads?
Standard Google Ads charge per click and appear as sponsored text results. Local Services Ads appear above them with a Google Guaranteed badge, charge per lead and require background checks, which suits emergency trades well.
Should the agency own my Google Ads account?
No. The account, its history and its data should sit under your own login with the agency given access. If you leave, you keep everything.
Fixed fee or percentage of ad spend?
A fixed fee is usually better for a small firm because the agency has no incentive to increase your budget. Percentage models can work for large accounts where the agency's effort scales with spend.