If you have worked in the contracting industry for any length of time, you have likely heard the horror stories—or lived through them yourself. A contractor hires a marketing agency, pays them $5,000, $10,000, or even $20,000, and gets absolutely nothing in return: no leads, no jobs, just excuses.
The story is almost always the same. A smooth-talking salesperson promises you 50 leads a month and “hyper-targeted geo-fencing,” but once the check clears, the phone doesn’t ring,. When you ask why, they blame the economy, the weather, or your sales process.
The problem isn’t just that there are bad agencies out there; it is that most contractors don’t know how to vet them properly. To help you separate the professionals from the scammers, here is a breakdown of the 30 questions you must ask before signing a contract.
The Foundational Questions: Are They a Real Business?
Before worrying about Google Ads strategies, you need to verify the agency’s stability and capacity.
- How long have you been in business? While being new isn’t a dealbreaker, you want a partner who has weathered economic downturns and algorithm changes. Longevity matters.
- How many clients do you have? There is no magic number, but you need to know if they are stretched too thin. An agency with three employees trying to manage 50 accounts is a recipe for neglect,.
- What does your onboarding process look like? If they say, “We’ll figure it out as we go,” run. A professional agency should have a detailed system—like a 100-day roadmap—covering everything from keyword strategy to ad creative.
- What do you expect from me to get results? Marketing is a partnership. An honest agency will tell you they need access to your accounts, photos of your work, and a solid sales process to close the leads they generate. If they say “we handle everything,” they are lying.
- What are your contract terms? Reputable agencies often ask for 6-to-12-month agreements because SEO and optimization take time. However, you must ask about buyout clauses and exactly what you are locked into.
- Do you have experience in my industry? This is non-negotiable. If they don’t know the difference between a roofer’s sales cycle and a plumber’s, they cannot help you.
- How large is your team? 8. Where is your team located? You need to know if they have the resources to execute their promises and if you will be dealing with massive time zone differences,.
- What is your service level agreement (SLA) for communication? 10. What makes you different from competitors? Don’t settle for “we are data-driven.” Demand specifics about their edge and how fast they respond to emergencies,.
Accountability: Tracking the Money
Amateurs talk about “impressions.” Pros talk about revenue.
- What results or case studies do you have? Ask for case studies that match your specific trade and revenue range. A playbook for a $10 million company won’t work for a $500k business.
- What KPIs will I be held accountable for? If they focus on reach and engagement, be wary. You want to hear about cost per lead, lead-to-book rate, and ROI.
- How do you track revenue attribution? 14. What does your reporting dashboard look like? They must be able to explain how they track a lead from a click to a booked job in your CRM. If they claim they can’t show you a sample dashboard due to “privacy,” that is a red flag—they could easily redact names.
- How long before I realistically see results? Anyone promising a flooded phone line in 30 days is lying. Real SEO takes 6 to 12 months, and Google Ads need at least 90 days to optimize. Honest agencies set realistic expectations.
Logistics and Operations
- What is notincluded in your service? 17. How do you handle emergencies (e.g., website crashes)? 18. Who is actually managing my account? Ensure you aren’t being handed off to an intern or a rotating cast of people who don’t talk to each other. You want a name, a face, and direct access.
- What does the first 90 days look like? 20. What access do you need from me? If they don’t ask for access to your Google Analytics, CRM, or website, they aren’t actually doing any work.
The “Pro” Questions: Digging Deeper
These final questions will signal to the agency that you have done your homework.
- Are my leads exclusive? Some agencies resell the same leads to multiple contractors. Make sure you aren’t competing for leads you paid for.
- How do you stay current with changes in AI and SEO? 23. Do you have case studies in my revenue range? 24. What happens if I need to pause or scale budgets? Great agencies can adapt to your business needs; bad agencies freak out because they rely on your ad spend to survive.
- How many clients does each account manager handle? A solid account manager can handle 30 to 40 accounts effectively. If they are juggling 60 or 80, you are getting cookie-cutter reports and zero attention.
- How do you protect my data and ad accounts? 27. What happens if performance drops? 28. What tools and software do you use? Pros use a full tech stack including call tracking, heat maps, and automation platforms. Amateurs use nothing.
- How do you handle strategy? 30. How do you measure lead quality vs. quantity? You don’t want 100 junk leads; you want 20 high-quality leads that close. If they can’t explain how they distinguish between the two, they aren’t looking out for your bottom line.
Final Thoughts
Most contractors never ask these questions. They trust the wrong people, sign contracts they don’t understand, and lose money they can’t afford to lose. By asking these 30 questions, you protect your business and ensure you are working with a partner who is actually invested in your growth.
