Free calculator · Marketing
Max Cost-Per-Click Calculator
About to run Google or Facebook ads? Find out the most you can pay for each click before the campaign stops making you money, using your own job value and win rates.
The short version
Every click is a small bet. Work out how many clicks it takes to win one job, and what that job is worth to you in profit, and you know the most a click can cost before you lose money. Bid below that line and each job leaves you something. Bid above it and you pay to win work for nothing.
Break-even click price = Profit per job × (click to enquiry rate × enquiry to job rate)
Set a ceiling before you set a budget
Most people running ads start with a daily budget and hope. The better starting point is the opposite: work out the most a single click can cost, then bid under it. A budget only tells you how fast you spend. A maximum click price tells you whether you are making money while you do it.
Where the break-even click price is $4.80, paying $2.40 means every job costs you half its own profit to win. Paying $6 means every job loses you money, however busy the phone gets.
Why a click is worth so little
Most clicks go nowhere. A small share become enquiries, and only some of those turn into jobs. Multiply the two and you get the share of clicks that end up paying, which is why a click that looks cheap can still be expensive per job.
Use your own numbers, then update them
If you have no history, start with honest estimates and treat the first few weeks as a test. Once real enquiries and jobs come in, replace your guesses with the real rates and the calculation gets sharper.
Questions tradespeople ask
What is a good cost per click for a trade business?
There is no single number, because it depends on what your jobs are worth and how many clicks turn into work. The calculator gives you the ceiling for your own business, which is more useful than an industry average.
How do I find my click-to-enquiry rate?
Divide the enquiries your ads produce (calls, forms, messages) by the clicks they received. Your ad platform shows clicks, and you count the enquiries. If you are new to ads, start with a modest estimate and update it.
What share of the profit should I spend on ads?
Many trades are comfortable spending up to around half the profit on winning a job, but it depends on repeat work. If a customer is likely to come back, you can sometimes spend more on the first job.
What if my cost per click is above the break-even price?
Either improve the numbers, with a better landing page, a faster response to enquiries or a stronger offer, or bid lower, or advertise on something that converts better. Running above break-even just pays to win work at a loss.
Does this work for Google and Facebook ads?
Yes. The maths is the same for any pay-per-click advertising. Only the click-to-enquiry rate will differ between platforms, so use the rate you actually see on each one.
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