How Much Should a Solar Company Spend on Marketing?
By Solar Cost Predictor Team · March 3, 2026 · 7 min read
Marketing spend for solar installers varies enormously — from a few hundred dollars a month on local SEO basics to tens of thousands on paid lead platforms for a large regional company. Here's a practical way to think about the right number for your business.
A Starting Framework: % of Revenue
A common starting point is 5–10% of projected annual revenue for an established installer with a steady pipeline, and higher — sometimes 15%+ — for a newer company still building its reputation and review base, since early growth requires more spend per job booked.
Splitting the Budget Across Channels
A reasonable mix for most installers: a baseline investment in local SEO and Google Business Profile (low ongoing cost, compounds over time), a fixed or flat-rate cost for tools like an embedded quote calculator or exclusive local placement, and a flexible paid-lead or paid-search budget you can scale up or down month to month based on crew capacity.
Measure Cost Per Booked Job, Not Cost Per Lead
The channel with the cheapest cost-per-lead isn't always the most profitable — if those leads close at half the rate of a more expensive channel, it costs more per actual installed job. Track cost per booked job by channel and shift budget toward whichever one actually produces that most cheaply.
Frequently Asked Questions
What percent of revenue should a solar company spend on marketing?
A common range is 5–10% of annual revenue for an established business, and 10–15%+ for a newer company still building a review base and reputation.
Is cost-per-lead or cost-per-booked-job the better metric?
Cost per booked job, not just cost per lead — the channel with the lowest cost per closed job, not the lowest cost per lead, is where more budget should go.
How quickly should I expect results from a new marketing channel?
Paid channels can produce leads within days to weeks. Organic channels like local SEO and reviews typically take 3–6 months to show meaningful, compounding results.