About these benchmarks: The data below is sourced from IBISWorld industry research, BrightLocal local business surveys, Angi Pro contractor data, and Salesforce SMB Research. Benchmarks represent independent operators (not franchise systems) in the US market. "Top performers" represents approximately the 80th percentile for each metric.
These are the same benchmarks used to calculate revenue gaps in RevAnalysis diagnostics — each trade uses its own specific benchmark set, not a generic small business average.
🎯Close Rate
Percentage of inbound leads that convert to a paid job. Calculated as: booked jobs ÷ total leads received × 100.
🔄Customer Retention
Percentage of customers who return for at least one additional job within 12 months of their first service.
🤝Referral Rate
Percentage of new customers who were referred by an existing customer. Higher = more free leads.
⭐Google Reviews
Total number of Google reviews for a typical business in this trade. Impacts local search visibility directly.
Close Rate
42%
Top performers: 65%
Retention (12mo)
31%
Top performers: 55%
Referral Rate
18%
Top performers: 35%
Google Reviews
42
Local leaders: 150+
HVAC has the highest average job value of any service trade ($2,800–$5,500). The close rate gap between average and top performers is 23 percentage points — at 72 leads/month, that gap is worth approximately $40k/year in unconverted revenue.
Close Rate
58%
Top performers: 75%
Retention (12mo)
28%
Top performers: 48%
Referral Rate
20%
Top performers: 38%
Google Reviews
42
Local leaders: 120+
Plumbing has a relatively high close rate because many inbound calls are emergency-driven — customers need someone now. The bigger gap is in retention and referrals, where most plumbers leave significant recurring revenue uncaptured.
Close Rate
48%
Top performers: 70%
Retention (12mo)
22%
Top performers: 38%
Referral Rate
25%
Top performers: 45%
Google Reviews
65
Local leaders: 200+
Roofing has the highest average job value in home services ($8,000–$25,000) and one of the lowest follow-up rates. The combination makes it the trade where improving close rate has the biggest single-year dollar impact.
Close Rate
52%
Top performers: 70%
Retention (12mo)
24%
Top performers: 44%
Referral Rate
28%
Top performers: 48%
Google Reviews
35
Local leaders: 100+
Electrical contractors have high word-of-mouth trust but low systematic referral asks. The retention gap is driven by the one-time project nature of most electrical work — contractors who build recurring service agreements dramatically outperform on retention.
Close Rate
62%
Top performers: 78%
Retention (12mo)
45%
Top performers: 68%
Referral Rate
22%
Top performers: 38%
Google Reviews
38
Local leaders: 120+
Landscaping has the highest retention potential of any non-recurring trade — ongoing maintenance contracts create natural repeat business. The biggest gap is in upselling project work (hardscape, irrigation) to maintenance clients who are already happy.
Close Rate
64%
Top performers: 80%
Retention (12mo)
52%
Top performers: 72%
Referral Rate
26%
Top performers: 44%
Google Reviews
55
Local leaders: 150+
Cleaning has the highest recurring revenue potential of any home service trade. The biggest gap for most cleaning businesses is converting one-time cleans to recurring service — businesses with a systematic conversion approach see 20–25% higher annual revenue from the same client base.
Close Rate
61%
Top performers: 76%
Contract Renewal
58%
Top performers: 78%
Referral Rate
22%
Top performers: 38%
Google Reviews
48
Local leaders: 180+
Annual contract renewal is the core business metric for pest control. The difference between a 58% and 78% renewal rate on a book of 200 customers is 40 additional recurring contracts per year — at $600/contract, that's $24,000 in annual recurring revenue from the same customer base.
Close Rate
55%
Top performers: 72%
Retention (12mo)
28%
Top performers: 48%
Referral Rate
24%
Top performers: 42%
Google Reviews
42
Local leaders: 130+
Painting contractors have the highest estimate abandonment rate in home services — most send quotes and never follow up. A systematic 5-touch follow-up sequence on unconverted estimates typically improves close rate by 8–12 percentage points.
Close Rate
68%
Top performers: 82%
Retention (12mo)
42%
Top performers: 62%
Referral Rate
30%
Top performers: 50%
Google Reviews
28
Local leaders: 80+
Handyman businesses have naturally high close rates because most inquiries are specific job requests rather than competitive estimates. The biggest opportunity is in pricing — transitioning from hourly billing to project pricing typically increases revenue 30–40% for the same work hours.
Close Rate
66%
Top performers: 80%
Contract Retention
62%
Top performers: 80%
Referral Rate
28%
Top performers: 46%
Google Reviews
38
Local leaders: 100+
Pool service businesses run almost entirely on recurring contracts. The most impactful benchmark to improve is seasonal contract renewal — locking in next season's contracts before fall reduces winter attrition by 30–40% compared to waiting for customers to renew in spring.
Sources: IBISWorld Industry Research (2024–2025), BrightLocal Local Business Survey (2024), Angi Pro Contractor Research (2024), Salesforce SMB Report (2024), trade-specific publications. "Top performers" represents approximately the 80th percentile. All data represents independent operators in the US market.
How does your business compare?
The free diagnostic shows you exactly where you stand against these benchmarks — and calculates what each gap is costing you annually.