Guides · 6 min read · Updated 2026-07-21

How much do construction leads cost in the UK?

"How much should I pay for a lead?" is the wrong question. The right one is cost per won job — a cheap lead you compete for on price can cost more than a qualified one you reach first. Here's how the UK options actually price up.

Directory subscriptions and pay-per-lead

Trade directories typically charge a monthly membership plus a fee per lead, or a flat pay-per-lead price that can run from a few pounds for a small domestic enquiry to £30-50+ for larger jobs. The hidden cost is that the same lead is often sold to several trades at once, so your real cost is that fee divided by a lower win rate.

Tender portals

Public tender portals are often free to search, but the cost is in the time: writing compliant bids for fully-open opportunities where you're one of many. Cheap to access, expensive to win.

Qualified lead services

Services that qualify and contact-enrich leads — like BestLeads — price higher per lead because each one is scored, matched to your trade, and comes with the named decision-maker, and it's yours to work rather than shared with five rivals. Judge it on cost per won job, where getting there first and reaching the real decision-maker moves the numbers most.

A simple way to compare

Take any source and divide its monthly cost by the number of jobs it actually wins you. A £45 shared lead you win one in ten times costs £450 a job in lead spend alone; a pricier qualified lead you win one in three costs far less per job. Start free and test the maths on live leads in your area.