"How much does SEO cost?" is the first question most contractors ask, and the answer is genuinely "it depends." But here is an honest breakdown of what local SEO actually costs in 2026 and what should drive the number.
Typical local SEO pricing
For a home service business, ongoing local SEO usually runs from about $500 to $3,000+ per month, with competitive metros and multi-location brands higher. Be wary of anything under a few hundred dollars: that is almost always automated, low-quality work that can do more harm than good.
What drives the price
- Market competition, ranking in Dallas costs more than ranking in a small town.
- Population and service area, more cities to cover means more pages and more work.
- Scope, profile-only is cheaper than a full program with content and link-building.
- Number of services and locations, each one is more to optimize.
What you should get for the money
Real local SEO includes an audit and competitor analysis, Google Business Profile optimization, on-page work and new service or location pages, citations and backlinks, and a clear monthly report tied to calls and leads. If a provider will not tell you what they did each month, that is a red flag.
SEO versus buying leads
Shared lead services (Angi, HomeAdvisor, Thumbtack) sell the same lead to several contractors at once and you pay per lead forever. SEO builds an asset you own: exclusive leads that chose you, at a cost per lead that drops as your rankings compound. It is the difference between renting and owning.
Is it worth it?
Do the math on cost per lead. Strong local SEO produces some of the cheapest leads available, and unlike ads, the channel keeps producing after the work is done. For most contractors it pays for itself many times over once rankings hit page one.
For reference, our own plans run from $749 to $2,499 USD per month, with custom plans up to $10,000, and every one starts with a free audit. See our pricing or read the full local SEO guide.