The contractor money toolkit
Lead list ROI calculator
To calculate lead list ROI, subtract list and outreach costs from the lifetime gross profit of accounts won, then divide by those costs.
See what it adds up to
- Accounts won
- 1
- Total cost, list plus rep time
- $2,600.00
- Cost per account won (CAC)
- $2,600.00
- Lifetime gross profit, all wins
- $60,000.00
- ROI multiple, net return
- 22.08x
- Payback from first revenue
- 2.6 months
Accounts won is an expected average and can be fractional. Net ROI subtracts your investment. Payback starts when revenue begins and assumes even monthly gross profit.
Show your work
How the math works
Use the same math on a spreadsheet or a sheet of paper. Percentage inputs become decimals in the formulas.
1. Work through the sales funnel
Multiply buildings by each stage's conversion rate. Each rate applies to the stage directly before it.
Accounts won = buildings × contact rate × meeting rate × proposal rate × win rate
2. Count the full acquisition cost
Add the price of the list and add-ons to the cost of all rep time. Divide by accounts won to find CAC.
Cost = buildings × (price + add-ons) + (buildings × rep minutes ÷ 60 × hourly cost); CAC = cost ÷ accounts won
3. Compare the account value with the investment
Multiply the wins by annual gross profit and years retained. Subtract acquisition cost, then divide by that cost for the net ROI multiple.
Lifetime gross profit = accounts won × annual gross profit × years; net ROI = (lifetime gross profit − cost) ÷ cost
4. Find payback in months
Divide cost by the monthly gross profit across all wins. If the accounts leave before recovering the cost, payback reads Not recovered.
Payback months = cost ÷ (accounts won × annual gross profit ÷ 12)
The numbers on paper
A worked example
The worked example holds first-year gross profit steady for five years, with no discounting or growth. The $5 add-on allowance is an input budget. Use actual outreach costs, including allocated tools and overhead, in your hourly cost. This is campaign CAC; company-wide CAC includes every acquisition expense.
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Buildings on the list | 100 buildings |
| Price per building | $15.00 |
| Add-on cost per building | $5.00 |
| Rep minutes per building | 12 minutes |
| Rep cost per hour | $30.00 |
| Contact rate | 50% |
| Meeting rate | 20% |
| Proposal rate | 50% |
| Win rate | 20% |
| First-year gross profit per account | $12,000.00 |
| Years an account stays | 5 years |
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Accounts won | 1 |
| Total cost, list plus rep time | $2,600.00 |
| Cost per account won (CAC) | $2,600.00 |
| Lifetime gross profit, all wins | $60,000.00 |
| ROI multiple, net return | 22.08x |
| Payback from first revenue | 2.6 months |
Use the result to make the next call
A positive net ROI means modeled lifetime gross profit exceeds acquisition cost. Compare payback with your cash runway, then test a small list using your own funnel rates.
Common questions
A few things to know
How do I calculate the ROI of a lead list?
Estimate accounts won by multiplying buildings by contact, meeting, proposal and win rates. Multiply wins by gross profit per account over its life. Subtract list and outreach costs, then divide by those costs. The result is net ROI as a multiple of the investment.
Is the ROI multiple based on revenue or profit?
It uses gross profit after direct job costs. A 2x net ROI means $2 of gross profit remains for every $1 spent on acquisition, after recovering that acquisition spend. It is 200% net ROI, with $3 of gross profit before subtracting the $1 cost.
Why is the default building price $15?
Ground Control's base 10+ roof age search at 100 buildings costs $15 per building with Subscribe & save. The $10 starting price is the bulk rate. Order size, funding choice, filters and add-ons change the quote, so enter the price for your list.
Why does the calculator show part of an account?
Funnel math describes an expected average across repeated campaigns. Half an account means roughly one win per two campaigns at those rates. Keep the fraction when calculating expected returns; rounding it up would overstate performance.
What happens if the list produces no wins?
Gross profit is zero and net ROI is negative 1x when there is acquisition spend. CAC has no denominator and is marked Not defined. Payback is marked Not recovered. With no acquisition spend, the ROI multiple is also Not defined.
Can I use this for a one-time project?
Yes. Set years to 1 and enter the gross profit from the project as first-year gross profit. For recurring service, use annual gross profit and expected years retained. Payback assumes even monthly earnings, so a project's actual invoice and collection dates still matter.
Start with buildings that fit your work
Ground Control by PorchRocket finds the commercial buildings and homes that match your trade and service area. Put the quoted list price into your plan.