Google Ads vs Facebook ads for a roofing company
By the Margin Media team · Updated
For a roofing company, Google ads reach homeowners who are searching for a roofer right now, and Facebook and Instagram ads reach homeowners who have an ageing or damaged roof but are not searching yet. Start with Google when you need booked inspections soon. Add Facebook when search is working and you want more volume than search can give.
What is the real difference?
The difference is intent. A Google search ad appears when someone types 'roof leak repair near me', so the need already exists. A Facebook ad interrupts someone scrolling, so it has to supply the reason to act: a storm that came through last week, a roof past its age, a free inspection.
That changes what happens next. Search leads tend to call. Facebook leads tend to fill in a form and then forget they did, which is why they need a call or text within a minute.
How do they compare for a roofer?
Side by side, on the things a roofing owner asks about before putting money into either one. Neither column is better. They do different jobs at different points in the homeowner's decision.
| Google search ads | Facebook and Instagram ads | |
|---|---|---|
| Who sees it | Homeowners searching for a roofer now | Homeowners in your area who fit the picture |
| Best for | Leaks, repairs, urgent replacements | Storm inspections, planned replacements |
| How leads arrive | Mostly phone calls | Mostly forms |
| What it depends on | Answering the phone | Fast follow-up and persistence |
| Limit | Only as many leads as there are searches | More leads, more of them not ready |
| Slow season | Keeps working on repair searches | Needs a strong reason to act |
When is Facebook the better first choice?
Facebook is the better first choice right after a storm, when a whole area needs inspections and few people have searched yet, and in small towns with too few searches to fill a calendar. It also suits a roofer with a strong visual story: drone photos, before and after, a crew on a neighbour's roof.
How does Margin run ads for roofers?
Margin runs Facebook and Instagram ads, in an ad account your roofing company owns. The ad budget is your money, paid straight to the platform. Each campaign gets its own booking page, and Mia answers the calls and follows up the forms.
Ads go live within 30 days of kickoff. How to split the budget between the two is part of the plan from your audit, and the monthly report shows what the ads brought in and what got booked.
What Margin sets up for this.
- Ads on Facebook and Instagram, in an account you own
- Mia, the AI receptionist, on every call
- Follow-up until they book or say no
- A monthly report and strategy call
What a business needs is decided on its audit. It is a one-time setup fee and a monthly fee, with exact numbers on the audit.
How Margin works for roofersSee the portal with a sample business
Related questions
Which gives better roofing leads, Google or Facebook?
Google search leads are closer to buying, because the homeowner went looking for a roofer. Facebook leads take more follow-up for each booked inspection. Judge both by what a booked, attended inspection costs your roofing company, not by cost per lead.
Can a roofing company run both at once?
Yes, once the first is working. Running both from day one makes it harder to see which is paying, so a roofing company with a limited budget is better off proving one before adding the other.
Do Facebook roofing leads need a different follow-up?
Yes. A homeowner who filled in a Facebook form was not searching for a roofer a minute earlier, so they need a fast first contact and several reminders by text over the following days before the inspection is booked.