Cheap Leads Are Costing Contractors More Than They Think

Cheap Leads Are Costing Contractors More Than They Think

In this week's episode of The Contractors Edge, Anthony Brown shares how contractor leads and lead opportunities are changing heading into Summer 2026. It may come as a surprise but, cheap leads may be costing your business more time and money than you realize... From Google and Facebook ad updates, to shifting buyer behavior, lead quality trends, seasonal marketing adjustments, and the increasing role of AI in advertising, this episode focuses on what contractors should actually be paying attention to right now (without chasing every shiny object the marketing industry throws at them). Anthony dives into: • Why lead quality matters more than lead volume • The hidden operational cost behind "cheap" leads • How poor follow-up systems can quietly kill your ROI • What contractors should watch for inside Meta and Google Ads • Seasonal shifts that impact homeowner behavior and conversions • Why speed-to-lead still matters in 2026 • The growing role of automation, and where contractors need to be cautious • What marketing metrics actually matter beyond impressions and clicks • How better tracking and operational awareness can improve marketing performance This episode also explores the reality contractors are facing with modern lead generation: More automation. More AI-assisted advertising. More competition. But the contractors who continue to win aren't always the ones spending the most money. They're the ones building better systems, paying attention to operational gaps, and understanding how their marketing actually connects to booked jobs and revenue. If you're a contractor, owner, estimator, or sales leader trying to understand where digital marketing is heading, and trying not to get buried in hype, this episode is for you. ------- Grow your business with our Contractor Growth Playbook - The DIY approach to understanding your KPIs, marketing spend, and return on investment, with a step by step process on how to delegate to your team. Download here: https://yourcontractorsedge.com/growth-playbook [https://yourcontractorsedge.com/growth-playbook] Connect With The Contractors' Edge Hosts: Mike Stiers: www.linkedin.com/in/michaelstiers/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelstiers/] Anthony Brown: www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-brown-419009106/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-brown-419009106/] Partner of Greenbaum Stiers Strategic Marketing Group The marketing and growth solution for contractors and business owners looking to grow year after year with consistent lead generation, and proven systems. Learn more: www.greenbaumstiers.com [https://www.greenbaumstiers.com] Podcast Sponsored By: Snoball (The referral engine for contractors) Some contractors have 6 figures ($$$) worth of unsold opportunity sitting in their CRM. You work hard to earn those customers, and even harder to make them happy. But momentum can end after the job. Snoball turns your relationships into referrals, reviews, and repeat business. When new customers come in, you get to watch the revenue compound. The best part? It's all done for you. Watch The Snoball effect, Get A Demo: https://snoball.com/info/thecontractorsedge [https://snoball.com/info/thecontractorsedge] Visit The Contractors' Edge Website: www.yourcontractorsedge.com

The Proposal System Contractors Need: Sell With Confidence (ArcSite)

*]:pointer-events-auto R6Vx5W_threadScrollVars scroll-mb-[calc(var(--scroll-root-safe-area-inset-bottom,0px)+var(--thread-response-height))] scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto" data-turn-id= "request-69c43826-e070-832e-a185-20276190ee07-1" data-turn-id-container= "request-69c43826-e070-832e-a185-20276190ee07-1" data-testid= "conversation-turn-220" data-scroll-anchor="false" data-turn= "assistant"> Are you losing your leads during the proposal process to "a better company?" Or are you losing jobs because you're leaving the homeowner confused on the what, why and how you're going to fix the problem? If the proposal process loses urgency, or creates confusion on why your estimate is a different price, you can guarantee they'll go with the contractor who gives a clearer explanation and an onsite solution. Having a system (or tool) that provides this isn't just an "advantage" to your business, it's a non-negotiable investment for backing up your team/company inside the home. In Episode 25, Mike and Anthony interview Scott Weigel (COO at ArcSite) to break down the proposal system contractors use to match urgency, win homeowner trust, and sell solutions that are clear/easy to understand in complex situations. This process works for foundation repair, waterproofing, concrete leveling, fencing, remodeling, and any trade industry where the sale depends on accuracy, speed, and clarity of why you provide the best solution for the customer. Learn how top contractors: * Close the field-to-office gap that takes time and kills deals * Deliver proposals faster without sacrificing job accuracy * Use visuals to explain complex work and prevent price shopping * Standardize pricing and scope so every rep sells the same way * Roll out new tech without team resistance on using something "different" Scott also shares what ArcSite is launching next (at the upcoming NFRA event), including topography and AI-assisted planning that helps justify scope and reduce the "three different bids, and three different plans" problem homeowners run into when choosing a contractor. Connect with Scott Weigel: LinkedIN [https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-weigel-b588b91/] Watch ArcSite in action for your industry: https://arcsite.pxf.io/c/7329944/3907615/51315 [https://arcsite.pxf.io/c/7329944/3907615/51315] ArcSite Special Offer: Sign up for the estimate tier, and get a FREE Ipad per annual membership ($350 value) Get The Contractor Growth Playbook: ($99) Use your current KPIs to discover why you're not growing + learn the exact area that needs your focus to add more revenue. Implement the playbook, and give your team the 90 day execution plan to start scaling your business again. https://yourcontractorsedge.com/growth-playbook [https://Download] Connect With The Contractors' Edge Hosts: Mike Stiers: LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelstiers/] Anthony Brown: LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-brown-419009106/] Partner of Greenbaum Stiers Strategic Marketing GroupThe marketing and growth solution for contractors and business owners looking to grow year after year with consistent lead generation, and proven systems. Learn more: www.greenbaumstiers.com [https://www.greenbaumstiers.com] Podcast Sponsored By: Snoball (The referral engine for contractors) Some contractors have 6 figures ($$$) worth of unsold opportunity sitting in their CRM. You work hard to earn those customers, and even harder to make them happy. But momentum can end after the job. Snoball turns those relationships into referrals, reviews, and repeat business. When new customers come in, you get to watch the revenue compound. The best part? It's all done for you. Watch The Snoball effect: Snoball Demo [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbXUyZ3VLU2F1RVdLOUxBeVNwb0pqN3VyYkFNZ3xBQ3Jtc0ttUHFvVGllVVZGaURFTWdYVmxHeGN1a2dFYmd4N2plbUZRTnVqX05pXzBXWGZGYTVyNFBlVGNtSjhLSEYyYmpLLXFmUXNOVDFkQkpJTmprR2Q5WnBWRmlTNTNyUWNjLTBlQkw5ajZOOHR0MzRxNzJCYw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fsnoball.com%2Finfo%2Fthecontractorsedge&v=5ML_lycCkEk] Visit The Contractors' Edge Website: www.yourcontractorsedge.com [https://www.yourcontractorsedge.com]

Best Contractor Advice of 2026: More Profit, Fewer Mistakes

If you want more profit in 2026, stop treating "more leads" like the only answer. In Episode 24, Mike and Anthony recap the best contractor advice so far this year, pulled from our Q1 conversations and the patterns we keep seeing across home services. Costs are still weird, competition is real, and trust is harder to earn. But the market is expanding in a lot of regions, which means the opportunity is there if your systems are tight. This episode is about making more money while making fewer mistakes that cost you revenue: * Why "sales is for the show, production is for the dough" is not a quote, it's mindset. * How small efficiency gains change your bottom line fast (and why most contractors ignore them) * Taking the right approach with crawlspace jobs that will keep you clients long term * Where homeowner trust usually fails, and how to fix it when competing for jobs * How to stop buying leads while leaving referrals and repeat business sitting in your CRM * A simple follow-through system that turns past customers into your next booked job Get The Contractor Growth Playbook: ($99) Know the exact KPIs succesful contractors track. Identify your bottlenecks. Access our contractor growth plans built for each revenue level. Stop wasting money, and start growing your business: https://yourcontractorsedge.com/growth-playbook [https://yourcontractorsedge.com/growth-playbook] Connect With The Contractors' Edge Hosts: Mike Stiers: / michaelstiers [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqblExTmR6T0lUX240SXgzMDdaUDNBZVpySE9GZ3xBQ3Jtc0ttSTNMbWFBQVM0TXlEeEFfSmNGTmpIR21fcjlRQ1NEZmhoMEIxZ0pBRFk0NEs2SmszRlF2Y1MxSGFKS0IzeFVnMndDMHpxdVB6TzRIX2tjSm9rZmxNZmlqMHlOWE5RcTRxcXhVWW9OcjJwZ3phczNTZw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fmichaelstiers%2F&v=tEswdkfeL1s] Anthony Brown: / anthony-brown-419009106 [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbmh5LTBzczlWQ21WM1ZpQ1lqM0hrTEV5cUF0QXxBQ3Jtc0tsVHhDbHhvdlpFU29IZVFCQmk3TTlOamRzTFFxSTdoa1BoVElIVXppQ3R6OWluQVB6YS16S0FiVTBMaWNkMlg1M3dWUDhvSUh5TWZ5M3pOem9GZHM3cmJDWkUzNjdHcTBBRG1za1FhXzJUbzJmMEZNdw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fanthony-brown-419009106%2F&v=tEswdkfeL1s] Partner of Greenbaum Stiers Strategic Marketing Group The all-in-one marketing and growth solution for contractors and business owners looking to make more profit and get consistent leads. Learn more: www.greenbaumstiers.com [https://www.greenbaumstiers.com] Podcast Sponsored By: Snoball (The referral engine for contractors) Do you have six figures of unsold opportunity sitting in your CRM? You've worked hard to earn those customers, and even harder to make them happy. But that momentum stops after the job. Snoball turns those relationships into referrals, reviews, and repeat business. When new customers come in, you get to watch the revenue compound. The best part? It's all done for you. The Snoball effect: https://snoball.com/info/thecontractorsedge [https://snoball.com/info/thecontractorsedge] Visit The Contractors' Edge Website: www.yourcontractorsedge.com [https://www.yourcontractorsedge.com]

Get Off the Island: Mentors, Standards, and the Future of Foundation Repair (NFRA) with Jae Wells

Working in foundation repair can make you feel like you're building a company on an island. There's limited mentorship, standards are lacking, and for a long time, there hasn't been clear training on how to approach jobs or build relationships with homeowners inside the home. But in this episode, Mike and Anthony sit down with Jae Wells, owner of American Standard Foundation Repair and current President of the NFRA, to talk about what the association is doing to raise the bar in a growing (and here to stay) industry. Think national/local mentors and community, new education and certification systems, updated standards, and initiatives that can help contractors reduce risk while building a profitable business that feels like a system. If you want to grow your foundation repair company with confidence things are being done right, Jae shares why the NFRA needs to be on your radar this year. Episode Topics: * Why NFRA is pushing standards + better inspection education to support homeowners/trust signals. * Standards and education that will reduce lawsuits and chaos * Relationships and NFRA access = companies that will scale faster with fewer mistakes. * What the (June) Oklahoma conference has for owners, sales, and production, plus why sending your team can pay for itself. * Why poly can be a high-margin add-on worth taking seriously Learn more about The NFRA and National Conference: www.foundationrepair.org [https://www.foundationrepair.org] Meet Jae Wells: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jae-wells-54123b278/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jae-wells-54123b278/] * Owner: American Standard Foundation Repair * President: National Foundation Repair Association He's spent more than 17 years in the trenches across operations, production, sales, and marketing, and he's become one of the strongest voices pushing the foundation repair industry toward a stronger, more standarized future. Jae is also a relationship-builder at heart, the kind of guy who makes you want to level up your company after a five-minute conversation, and he's on a mission to help contractors get off the island of fear/confusion, and grow with the right mentorship and resources. Are you a foundation repair contractor looking to take your business to the next level? Do you want to make more money and increase profitability without being told you need to spend more on marketing? Foundation repair is our bread and butter. With 40+ years of combined experience in this industry, we see the same problems show up again and again: Missed calls. Slow follow-up. Poor lead handling. Unclear KPIs. Inconsistent sales process. Money stuck in unsold opportunities. We built The Contractors' Edge Playbook to give you a clear game plan you can execute on your own, with our support. Get the clarity you need for less than $100: https://yourcontractorsedge.com/growth-playbook [https://yourcontractorsedge.com/growth-playbook?utm_source=chatgpt.com] Connect With The Contractors' Edge Hosts: Mike Stiers on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelstiers/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelstiers/] Anthony Brown on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-brown-419009106/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-brown-419009106/] Podcast Sponsored By: Greenbaum Stiers Strategic Marketing Group The everything marketing and growth solution for contractors and business owners looking to make more profit and get consistent leads. Learn more about our services and approach at www.greenbaumstiers.com [https://www.greenbaumstiers.com] Visit The Contractors' Edge Website: www.yourcontractorsedge.com [https://www.yourcontractorsedge.com] Join The Contractors' Edge LIVE at the NFRA Event in June 2026: https://foundationrepair.org/nfra-events/35-260623/main [https://foundationrepair.org/nfra-events/35-260623/main]

The Atmox Advantage: Win More Jobs + More Profit in Crawl Spaces With Myriam Breedlove

If you do crawl space encapsulation, moisture control, or basement waterproofing, you already know the industry has strong opinions on the best way to approach homeowner problems. In this episode, Mike and Anthony sit down with Myriam Breedlove, President and Owner of Atmox, to break down what actually matters in crawl spaces: how different air conditions affect crawl space moisture, why dew point matters more than humidity alone, and how contractors can deliver a smarter system that homeowners understand and pay more for. We also get into the business side: where contractors leave money on the table in crawl spaces, how to sell (good/better/best), and why recurring maintenance plans can turn your work into reliable revenue. *]:pointer-events-auto scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto" data-turn-id= "request-69c43826-e070-832e-a185-20276190ee07-6" data-testid= "conversation-turn-104" data-scroll-anchor="true" data-turn= "assistant"> Who should watch this episode * Crawl space, basement waterproofing, and foundation repair contractors who want to secure jobs based on knowledge and product advantages vs competing on price. * HVAC, pest, and mold/restoration companies who keep seeing moisture problems under homes and want a smarter fix than "just add a dehu." * Any contractor in a humid or seasonal climate who wants to understand when outside air helps vs hurts for a more comprehensive homeowner solution. * Owners and sales teams who want a good/better/best upgrade to raise their crawl space average ticket and profit. Timestamps: 0:34 Crawl space opinions setup (sealed vs vented, stir the pot) 5:22 How Atmox started (wine cellar tech + termites story) 11:53 Why the crawl space debate exists (vocabulary, geography, execution) 15:45 Crawl space fundamentals most pros agree on (waterproofing, vapor barrier, drying) 18:55 When outside air helps vs hurts (seasonality and "good air/bad air") 21:57 Dew point vs RH and why humidistat-only fans can create condensation 28:36 How Atmox works (controller, sensors, logic, ventilation/circulation/dehu) 33:24 Energy + efficiency: dehumidifier as workhorse and why seasonality matters 44:20 Business: where contractors leave money on the table (making the ask, service plans) 57:59 How to fit Atmox into encapsulation (upgrade, good/better/best positioning) 1:03:20 Where crawl space moisture management is headed (IAQ, healthy homes) 1:07:08 Differentiation: how it helps win jobs and avoid price-only comparisons Special Guest Myriam Breedlove: * Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/myriam-breedlove-31941b5/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/myriam-breedlove-31941b5/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] * Website: https://atmox.com/ [https://atmox.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] The Contractors Edge Growth Playbook is the step-by-step blueprint to break through your next revenue ceiling and build a scalable machine (KPIs, lead flow, conversion, and team systems). Grab it here: https://yourcontractorsedge.com/growth-playbook [https://yourcontractorsedge.com/growth-playbook?utm_source=chatgpt.com] Connect With The Contractors' Edge Hosts: Mike Stiers on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelstiers/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelstiers/] Anthony Brown on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-brown-419009106/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-brown-419009106/] Podcast Sponsored By: Greenbaum Stiers Strategic Marketing Group The all-in-one marketing and growth solution for contractors and business owners looking to create predictable leads and revenue. Learn more about our services and approach at www.greenbaumstiers.com [https://www.greenbaumstiers.com] Visit The Contractors' Edge Website: www.yourcontractorsedge.com [https://www.yourcontractorsedge.com] Visit us LIVE at The NFRA Annual Conference: https://foundationrepair.org/nfra-events/35-260623/main [https://foundationrepair.org/nfra-events/35-260623/main]