HomeIndustry Benchmarks

Industry Data

Home Service Lead Generation Benchmarks 2026

Response times, conversion rates, after-hours capture, and cost per lead across HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and roofing. Data sourced from industry research and RapportAgent analysis.

By Sarah Chen, Head of Industry Research·Last updated: February 19, 2026

Key Statistics

78%

of customers buy from the first company that responds

Source: InsideSales.com / MIT Lead Response Study

62%

of home service inquiries come outside business hours

Source: RapportAgent Internal Data (10,847 inquiries analyzed)

391%

higher conversion rate when responding in under 1 minute vs. 1 hour

Source: MIT Lead Response Management Study

4.2 hrs

average lead response time in home services

Source: RapportAgent Industry Benchmark Survey

27%

higher ticket value for after-hours leads vs. business-hours leads

Source: RapportAgent Internal Data

50%

of sales go to the vendor that responds within 5 minutes

Source: Harvard Business Review, "The Short Life of Online Sales Leads"

Benchmarks by Category

How does your business compare? These benchmarks show industry averages, top performers, and the impact of adding an AI chat agent.

HVACView agents →

MetricIndustry AvgTop 10%With AI AgentSource
Average response time4.2 hours< 10 minutes< 5 secondsRapportAgent Benchmark Survey
After-hours lead capture rate15%45%85%RapportAgent Internal Data
Website conversion rate2.1%4.5%5.7%RapportAgent Case Study Data
Cost per lead (Google Ads)$85$55$35Google Ads Benchmarks + RapportAgent Data
Lead-to-appointment rate35%55%68%RapportAgent Case Study Data

PlumbingView agents →

MetricIndustry AvgTop 10%With AI AgentSource
Average response time3.8 hours< 10 minutes< 5 secondsRapportAgent Benchmark Survey
After-hours lead capture rate12%40%82%RapportAgent Internal Data
Emergency close rate45%65%82%RapportAgent Case Study Data
Average ticket (after-hours)$420$520$520RapportAgent Internal Data
Lead-to-appointment rate38%58%72%RapportAgent Case Study Data

ElectricalView agents →

MetricIndustry AvgTop 10%With AI AgentSource
Average response time5.1 hours< 15 minutes< 5 secondsRapportAgent Benchmark Survey
After-hours lead capture rate10%35%80%RapportAgent Internal Data
Website conversion rate1.9%4.0%5.9%RapportAgent Case Study Data
Cost per lead$233$120$74RapportAgent Case Study Data
Lead-to-appointment rate32%50%65%RapportAgent Case Study Data

RoofingView agents →

MetricIndustry AvgTop 10%With AI AgentSource
Average response time8.3 hours< 30 minutes< 5 secondsRapportAgent Benchmark Survey
Storm surge capture rate35%55%85%RapportAgent Case Study Data
Insurance-ready lead rate30%55%78%RapportAgent Case Study Data
Average roof replacement value$12,000$12,500$12,500HomeAdvisor / RapportAgent Data
Lead-to-inspection rate40%55%72%RapportAgent Case Study Data

Methodology & Sources

Industry averages are compiled from MIT Lead Response Management Study, Harvard Business Review (“The Short Life of Online Sales Leads”), InsideSales.com Response Audit, and RapportAgent internal analysis of 10,847 home service inquiries across 27 categories.

“With AI Agent” figures are based on observed results from RapportAgent deployments across active contractor accounts. Individual results may vary based on market, traffic volume, and business operations.

Last updated: February 19, 2026

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