It is the first question every contractor asks, and the honest answer is the one nobody wants to give: it depends. Not as a dodge, but because the same service costs very different amounts depending on what you actually need. Anyone who quotes you a price before understanding your business is selling a package, not a strategy.
So instead of a number, here is what actually determines the cost, how to think about whether it is worth it, and how to spot a bad deal. By the end you will be able to evaluate any quote you get, including ours.
What actually drives the cost
Content production is the biggest variable
There is a real difference between an agency that reposts your phone photos with captions and one that shows up at your job sites with professional cameras and a drone. The first is cheap and looks it. The second costs more and wins jobs. For contractors specifically, production quality matters more than in almost any other industry, because your work is physical and visual. A cinematic aerial shot of a finished roof or a paver patio does selling that words cannot.
Organic, paid, or both
Posting content builds your reputation over months. Running ads puts your work in front of homeowners this week. They cost differently and do different jobs: organic content is an asset that compounds, paid advertising is fuel you burn for immediate visibility. Most contractors who grow use both, with ads amplifying the content that already proved itself organically. A quote that only includes one should say so clearly.
How much of it you want handled
Some contractors want everything done for them: strategy, filming, editing, posting, replying to comments, running ads, and reporting. Others have someone in the office who can post if the content is provided. The scope you hand off is the scope you pay for, and there is no wrong answer. There is only a mismatch between what you bought and what you assumed was included.
Platform count
Being everywhere sounds good and costs accordingly. For most contractors, dominating two platforms where homeowners actually look beats being mediocre on five. If a proposal includes platforms you cannot name a customer from, ask why.
The right way to judge the price
Do not compare a marketing quote to other marketing quotes. Compare it to the value of one job.
You know your average job value and your margin. Whatever a monthly retainer costs, ask one question: how many extra jobs per quarter does this need to produce to pay for itself? For most established contractors, the answer is one, sometimes less. Then ask the agency how they plan to get you there and how they will prove it. If they talk about likes and followers instead of calls and booked estimates, keep looking.
This is also why the cheapest option is usually the most expensive one. A bargain package that produces nothing does not cost a little. It costs everything you paid plus the months you lost.
Red flags in any quote
- A price before they have seen your business. If the quote arrives before the questions, it is a package, not a plan.
- Long-term contracts on day one. Confident agencies earn renewals monthly. Twelve-month lock-ins protect the agency, not you.
- Stock footage and generic graphics. If the content could belong to any contractor in America, homeowners can tell. Your jobs are your proof. They should be on camera.
- Reporting that hides the numbers that matter. Reach is nice. Calls, form fills, and booked estimates pay for trucks.
- No mention of who does the work. Ask who is actually shooting, editing, and managing your account. The answer changes the value of every dollar.
When you are ready for a real answer
The honest way to price social media marketing for a contractor is to look at the business first: your trade, your average job, your service area, your current online presence, and what capacity you have to take on more work. Then the number stops being a guess.
That is exactly what our free audit does. We review your social accounts, your content, and your competition, and come back with a specific plan and a fixed monthly price. You will know what it costs, what it includes, and what it needs to produce to be worth it, before you commit to anything.