How Much Should You Spend to Get the Best Leads?

Why Wastewater Contractors Struggle with Google Ads

You’ve probably heard that Google Ads is one of the best ways to get more leads for your wastewater business. Maybe you even tried running ads before, but it didn’t go the way you expected.

🔴 You spent hundreds (or thousands) on ads, but barely got any calls.
🔴 The leads you got weren’t serious or didn’t turn into real jobs.
🔴 It felt like your budget disappeared with nothing to show for it.

If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Many wastewater contractors waste money on Google Ads simply because they don’t know how much they should be spending—or how to spend it the right way.

At Excavation Marketing Pros, we specialize in running high-converting Google Ads campaigns for wastewater contractors. In this guide, we’ll break down how much you should actually spend to get the best leads, what influences ad costs, and how to make sure you’re not wasting your budget.

Here is a webinar of Google Ads Mastery for Excavation & Septic: The 2025 Strategy You Can’t Afford to Ignore

How Google Ads Works for Wastewater Contractors

Before we talk about budget, let’s make sure we’re on the same page about how Google Ads works and why it’s so effective for wastewater services.

What is Google Ads?

Google Ads is a pay-per-click (PPC) advertising platform where you can pay to show up at the top of Google search results when someone looks for services like:
✅ "Septic system installation near me"
✅ "Wastewater contractor in [your city]"
✅ "Septic repair cost"

When someone clicks your ad, you pay a small fee (this is called Cost-Per-Click or CPC). If they call you and book a job, that click just turned into real revenue for your business.

Why Google Ads is So Powerful for Wastewater Contractors

✔ Instant visibility – You show up at the top of Google immediately, unlike SEO, which takes months.
✔ Targeted leads – Your ads only show to people actively searching for wastewater services.
✔ Control over budget – You decide how much to spend per day or per lead.

Now, let’s talk about how much this actually costs and how to budget correctly.

The Cost of Google Ads: What to Expect

What Determines Your Google Ads Costs?

Your Google Ads budget depends on a few factors:
💰 Competition – If many contractors in your area are running ads, CPC prices go up.
🔑 Keywords – High-intent keywords (like “septic system installation near me”) cost more than general searches.
📍 Location – Costs vary by region; urban areas tend to be more expensive than rural ones.
📞 Conversion Rates – The more leads you convert into paying customers, the better your ROI.

Average Cost-Per-Click (CPC) for Wastewater Keywords

Here’s a rough breakdown of CPC costs in the wastewater industry:

Keyword

Average CPC

"Septic system installation near me"

$8 - $15

"Wastewater contractor [city]"

$5 - $12

"Septic tank repair cost"

$7 - $14

"Commercial wastewater services"

$10 - $20

🚨 Warning: If your ads aren’t optimized, you could be paying for useless clicks (like people looking for DIY solutions or job seekers).

Now, let’s figure out how much you actually need to budget for Google Ads to be profitable.

How to Determine Your Google Ads Budget

Step 1: Understand Your Cost-Per-Lead (CPL)

Your Cost-Per-Lead (CPL) is how much you need to spend to get one qualified lead.

Formula:

🔹 CPL = Total Ad Spend ÷ Number of Leads Generated

💡 Example: If you spend $1,500 on ads and generate 30 leads, your CPL is $50 per lead.

Step 2: Estimate Your Budget Based on Your Business Goals

Your budget depends on how many leads you need per month.

Monthly Leads Goal

Estimated Budget (Based on $50CPL)

10 Leads

$500

25 Leads

$1,250

50 Leads

$2,500

100 Leads

$5,000

🚀 Takeaway: A good starting point for most wastewater contractors is $1,500 - $3,000 per month for consistent leads.

How to Lower Costs and Maximize ROI

Now that we’ve covered budgeting, let’s talk about how to get more leads for less money.

1. Use Negative Keywords to Avoid Wasting Money

If you don’t filter your ads correctly, you’ll pay for useless clicks (like job seekers or DIYers).

🔴 Add these negative keywords to block bad clicks:
🚫 “cheap”
🚫 “free”
🚫 “DIY”
🚫 “jobs”

💡 Pro Tip: Just adding negative keywords can lower your costs by 30% or more.

2. Improve Your Landing Pages for Higher Conversions

A bad website can make great ads fail. Instead of sending visitors to your homepage, create a dedicated landing page with:

✔ A strong headline (e.g., “Expert Septic System Installers in [City]”)
✔ A clear call-to-action (Call Now / Get a Free Quote)
✔ Customer reviews to build trust
✔ A fast-loading mobile-friendly design

📈 Better landing pages mean lower CPL and higher profits.

3. Track Your Ads to Stop Wasting Money

You must track which ads are bringing in leads. Set up:
✅ Call tracking to see which ads generate calls
✅ Google Analytics to monitor website traffic
✅ Conversion tracking to measure ROI

 If you don’t track your ads, you’ll waste money on clicks that never turn into jobs.

Case Study: How a Wastewater Contractor Used Google Ads to Generate High-Value Jobs

One of our clients, a wastewater contractor in Florida, was spending $2,000/month on Google Ads but wasn’t getting many good leads.

🔴 Problems:

• They were targeting the wrong keywords

• Their landing page wasn’t optimized

• They weren’t tracking conversions

✅ What We Did:

• Added negative keywords to cut wasted spend

• Created a high-converting landing page

• Set up call tracking to measure ROI

Results After 60 Days:

• 50% more leads without increasing budget

• Dropped their CPL from $120 to $45 per lead

• Generated over $60,000 in new jobs from Google Ads

🚀 Takeaway: Small changes make a BIG difference.

Final Thoughts: Is Google Ads Worth It for Your Wastewater Business?

✅ Yes—if you do it right.

Google Ads can be one of the best investments for your business, but only if:
✔ You set the right budget ($1,500 - $3,000/month is a good starting point)
✔ You optimize your targeting to avoid wasted clicks
✔ You track conversions and adjust your campaigns for better results

Want expert help? At Excavation Marketing Pros, we specialize in running profitable Google Ads for wastewater contractors.

📞 Contact us today to see how we can help you get better leads—without wasting money.