- Boiler leads are high-value and heavily comparison-shopped — the sharing multiplier hurts more here than in any other plumbing work.
- Every source should be compared on cost per booked survey, not cost per lead.
- Speed and persistence of follow-up decide boiler jobs: the firm that calls first and keeps the conversation going usually books the survey.
Why boiler leads behave differently
A boiler replacement is one of the biggest distress-adjacent purchases a homeowner makes: urgent when the boiler dies, considered when it is planned, and almost always comparison-shopped. Homeowners get multiple quotes, and the first firm to a booked survey sets the benchmark everyone else quotes against.
That makes two things disproportionately valuable in this niche: exclusivity (not racing three other installers to the same homeowner) and follow-up (staying in the conversation across the days a decision takes).
Source 1: pay-per-lead marketplaces (Boiler Guide and similar)
Marketplaces sell boiler enquiries to installers, typically from a few pounds per lead upwards with no contract. They are the fastest way to buy volume, and for firms with spare capacity and a disciplined callback process they can work.
The economics depend entirely on sharing and conversion. A shared lead means racing other installers; a cheap lead that never answers the phone costs more than a dear one that books. Run the cost-per-booked-survey maths before judging any per-lead price.
Source 2: directories (Checkatrade, TrustATrader and similar)
Directory membership brings reviews, credibility, and a steady trickle of enquiries in proportion to your patch's search volume. For boiler work specifically, the same caveats apply as for marketplaces: enquiries are shared or contestable, and membership costs run whether or not surveys book.
We have covered the full arithmetic in our Checkatrade cost-per-booked-job guide — the short version is that headline lead prices understate true cost by the sharing multiplier.
Source 3: Google Local Services Ads and your own PPC
Local Services Ads put you at the very top of local results with pay-per-lead pricing from Google itself, and your own PPC or Meta campaigns generate demand only you receive. These are owned channels: exclusive by default and scalable with budget.
The catch is operational. Ads produce form fills and calls at all hours; without immediate response and structured follow-up, an exclusive click becomes a shared customer anyway — the homeowner just keeps searching. Whoever runs the ads, the answering and chasing determine the return.
Source 4: exclusive demand with the follow-up built in
MyTradeBuddy's model combines the exclusive-ads channel with the operations layer that makes it convert: targeted local ads for one business per area, every enquiry answered and qualified by AI on area, timing, job type and intent, then chased by phone, SMS and email until a boiler survey is booked and confirmed in the calendar — priced per booked survey.
The honest trade-offs: one business per area means availability is limited; it is a managed system rather than a self-serve lead tap; and it suits firms hungry for surveyable boiler and heating work more than firms wanting occasional top-ups.
How to compare any two sources this week
Take one month of any lead source and count four numbers: enquiries paid for, enquiries you actually spoke to, surveys booked, and jobs won. Divide total spend by surveys booked. That single figure — cost per booked survey — makes every source comparable, whatever its pricing model.
Then look at where the leaks were. If most loss happened between paying and speaking, the fix is answering and follow-up, not a different lead vendor. That is the cheapest improvement available to almost every installer.
Frequently asked questions
Marketplace boiler leads are advertised from a few pounds each, rising with exclusivity and job value; directory and LSA costs vary by area and trade. The advertised price is only the input — divide monthly spend by surveys actually booked to get the number that matters.
There is no universal best. Marketplaces buy volume fast but share it; directories add credibility with shared enquiries; your own ads are exclusive but demand instant response and follow-up; outcome-priced systems like MyTradeBuddy charge per booked survey and carry the follow-up for you. Compare them on cost per booked survey for your own numbers.
Mostly speed and persistence. Homeowners enquire with several firms and go quiet after one missed call. Leads answered within minutes and chased across several days book at a completely different rate to leads called back once, the next afternoon.
It helps everything else convert — homeowners check you out before booking — but a website alone rarely produces boiler volume. Pair it with reviews, a Google Business Profile, and at least one active demand channel.