How an ADU campaign generated approximately $145K in revenue from $9K in ad spend.
ADU marketing requires more than cheap leads because the sales cycle is longer and qualification matters. This campaign generated leads around $70 and design appointments around $250.
Quick answer
The ADU campaign spent about $9,000 and generated approximately $145,000 in revenue. Leads cost about $70 and qualified design appointments approximately $250, producing roughly 16.1× revenue-to-ad-spend.
The challenge
ADU projects require stronger qualification than many home-service offers. Interest alone is not enough; the campaign had to move prospects toward real design conversations with enough intent and project fit.
The strategy
Paid acquisition focused on homeowner interest in ADU construction and filtered prospects toward design consultations. Performance was evaluated around design-appointment cost and downstream revenue.
- Cost per lead: about $70
- Cost per design appointment: about $250
- Total ad spend: about $9,000
- Revenue generated: about $145,000
- Revenue-to-ad-spend: about 16.1×
Why design CPA mattered more than CPL
A lead can show curiosity without being ready for an ADU project. Tracking the cost of a qualified design appointment gives a much clearer picture of whether the campaign is creating commercially useful opportunities.
What ADU companies can learn from this
Higher-ticket services should be measured deeper in the funnel. Lead cost matters, but qualification, appointment quality and sales outcomes matter more.
How to interpret the results
Cost per lead represents ad spend divided by captured inquiries. Design appointment cost represents ad spend divided by the design appointments attributed during the reporting period. Compare this metric only when the qualification standard, booked-versus-attended definition and attribution window are consistent. The approximate revenue figure reflects revenue associated with the campaign; it is not gross profit and does not include every operating, fulfillment, software or agency cost. Revenue-to-ad-spend is therefore a directional ratio, not a complete profitability calculation.
What affects ADU campaign performance?
Results can change with local permitting conditions, project value, financing options, homeowner readiness, service area, creative, response speed and the sales process. Another ADU company should set targets from its own gross margin, appointment-to-design conversion and project close rate. This case study is a specific campaign example and does not guarantee the same outcome.
What should be tracked after the form?
Separate valid inquiries from duplicates, spam and out-of-area requests, then measure contact, qualification, booked and attended design appointments, proposals, signed design agreements and sold-project outcomes. Keep unresolved consultations and proposals in a mature sales cohort instead of counting them as losses too early, and apply the same attribution window across sources. For profitability analysis, compare fully loaded acquisition cost—including media, agency and software costs—with gross profit after cancellations and refunds. Use the lead qualification framework to keep stages consistent, the measurement framework to evaluate mature cohorts, and the benchmark calculator to model allowable acquisition cost. Review more examples in the contractor case studies hub.
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Related contractor marketing resources
ADU marketing agency · Contractor lead generation · Contractor marketing measurement framework · Contractor marketing agency
