The Top Home Services Marketing Agencies in 2025

A few years ago I worked with a small plumbing contractor. He’d just fired his third marketing agency in two years.

“Isaac, they promised me the moon,” he said. “Now I’m spending $10,000 a month, and I can’t tell whether it’s working.”

He eventually fired that agency too.

Finding an effective marketing agency for home services is an age-old problem.

Today, I’m going to show you what the agency landscape looks like in 2025, how some of the big-name home services marketing agencies are designed to extract money rather than grow your business, and what you actually need to make agency partnerships work.

The Agency vs. Marketing Leader Distinction

Here’s the fundamental misunderstanding that costs contractors hundreds of thousands of dollars:

Agencies execute marketing strategies. They don’t create them for your specific business.

Think about it. An agency might work with 50+ clients across different trades, markets, and business models. Their job is to run campaigns, manage ad spend, and deliver leads. They can’t possibly understand the nuances of your pricing strategy, capacity constraints, or profit margins on different service lines.

You need someone who knows your business intimately – someone who can look at your P&L statement, understand your seasonal cash flow patterns, and connect marketing results to actual revenue. This person then provides direction to the agency on what tactics to execute.

This role is your marketing director. It could be an internal hire or a fractional CMO, but it can’t be the agency. The agency works for this person, not directly for you.

Most contractors skip this step. They hire an agency and expect them to figure out what’s best for the business. When results disappoint, they blame the agency. But the real problem is structural – they’re asking tactics people to do strategy work.

The Timing Matters

This distinction becomes critical as you grow. Small contractors (under $2M) should focus on building internal marketing capability first. Contractors in the $2-3M range need internal marketing leadership before they need agencies. Only larger contractors ($5M+) with proven marketing systems should consider agencies as their primary marketing solution.

The best marketing partnerships I’ve seen have three components: the business owner who understands operations and finances, a marketing leader who translates business goals into campaign strategy, and an agency that executes tactics efficiently.

Miss any one of these, and you’ll struggle.

Top Home Services Marketing Agencies in 2025

Let me walk you through the most well-known agencies serving home services contractors. If you have an experience to share or an agency to recommend, let me know!

Scorpion Internet Marketing

https://www.scorpion.co

My Perspective: Scorpion is the biggest name in home services marketing, and I’m including them in this list so that we can address the elephant in the room. Yes, Scorpion has a mixed reputation, and a lot of haters. Here’s the impression I have from my network of home service pros who have experiences with Scorpion.

The biggest complaint by far about Scorpion is a claim that you don’t own your website. The details here give a picture of what to expect: while Scorpion’s website states that “Yes, you own your website after the length of your contract with Scorpion is complete,” in reality this appears to cover “domains, content, and imagery”, and not the codebase. Scorpion uses their own proprietary CMS to build their websites, and contractors complain that you don’t get to keep it when you leave. This means that unhappy customers are provided with pieces of their website, and left to go rebuild it themselves or pay their next agency to rebuild it.

A common complaint I hear is about account management. With over 1,000 employees serving thousands of clients, you’re likely to get an overworked account manager handling dozens of accounts. At this scale, there’s really no room for proactive marketing or strategy: they’re running a playbook, checking the boxes, and it’s on you to determine whether something needs to change.

I heard from a contractor who said he got hit with a $24,000 buyout clause when he tried to leave. Another said Scorpion suggested he increase his budget by 8X compared to the initial amount they agreed to.

With that said, I know several successful contractors who swear by Scorpion and have gotten good results from working with them. I guess it just goes to show that, when it comes to marketing agencies, your results may vary.

Takeaway: Despite being the most visible name in the space, I don’t recommend Scorpion for home service companies.

Ryno Strategic Solutions

https://rynoss.com/

My Perspective: Ryno has been around longer than most home services agencies, but the recent acquisitions and merger have created instability. I’ve heard from multiple contractors about account manager turnover – one home service business owner told me he had four different account managers in 18 months.

Results seem highly variable. I’ve heard from some contractors who are really happy with their results from Ryno. I have heard a few stories about poor performance and communication issues. Ryno has their own proprietary reporting system which means you lose some analytics and tracking functionality if you leave.

Takeaway: For $10M+ companies who have a competent marketing leader on board, Ryno appears to be a one-stop shop that could serve you well. 

Hook Agency

https://hookagency.com

My Perspective: Hook represents a different approach – they deliberately limit their services to Google marketing to maintain depth of expertise. I consistently hear positive feedback about them, both from contractors and looking at employee reviews.

The yearly commitment requirement might concern some contractors, but they justify it as necessary for long-term strategy implementation. With only 30 employees, you’re more likely to get personalized attention and consistent account management.

Their focus on Google-only marketing is both a strength and limitation. If you want comprehensive marketing across all channels, you’ll need to work with other vendors. But if Google marketing is your priority, their specialized expertise appears valuable.

Takeaway: If you’re confident that a Google-only strategy is right for your business, Hook appears to be a strong and focused company.

Relentless Digital

https://www.relentless-digital.com

My Perspective: Relentless Digital stands out for two reasons: founder industry experience and performance accountability. Contractors I’ve spoken with consistently report feeling valued and seeing results-focused communication.

Takeaway: Many of the HVAC and plumbing contractors in my network recommend Relentless Digital, especially companies who use Housecall Pro software.

Key Questions to Ask Any Agency

1. Team Structure: Who will actually manage my account day-to-day? How many accounts do they handle?
2. Asset Ownership: What happens to my website, advertising accounts, and data if I leave?
3. Contract Terms: What are the minimum commitments, termination procedures, and associated costs?
4. Integration Capabilities: How does your reporting integrate with my CRM and business systems?
5. Performance Accountability: What guarantees or recourse do I have if results don’t meet expectations?
6. Communication Protocol: How often will we communicate, and what format will reporting take?
7. Strategic Input: Who provides strategic direction, and how do you adapt when market conditions change?
8. Experimentation Capacity: How do you test new approaches when current tactics plateau?

Remember: agencies are best suited for executing and scaling proven marketing systems, not for discovering what works for your unique business. Make sure you’re at the right stage and have the right internal support before committing to an agency partnership.

Agency Categories: Understanding Your Options

Beyond the big names, you’ll encounter several types of agencies. Understanding these categories helps you evaluate options more effectively.

Generalist Digital Agencies

Companies like WebFX, Thrive Internet Marketing, and hundreds of similar firms serve home services as one vertical among many. They’re digital marketing specialists who work across industries.

These agencies often provide good technical execution – solid website development, effective PPC campaigns, competent SEO work. But they lack industry depth. They don’t understand why a roofing lead in November is worth three times one in July. This means you need to educate and babysit them to make sure what they’re doing makes sense.

Home Services Marketing Agencies

Companies like Hook Agency, Ryno Strategic Solutions, and Relentless Digital focus specifically on serving the home services market. They’re experts in digital marketing applied to businesses like yours.

These agencies can be much easier to work with. They usually understand industry jargon and business models, and they have seen success growing businesses like yours. Generally, they’re a much better fit for most home service businesses than a generalist agency.

Lead Generation Mills

These companies promise specific lead volumes – “guaranteed 30 qualified leads monthly” or similar. They’re typically using cookie-cutter approaches across multiple markets and trades.

Lead mills make money on volume, not results. They’ll hit their lead targets, but lead quality varies dramatically. When you complain about poor conversions, they’ll blame your sales process.

If you’re looking for other ways to buy leads directly, check out my list of best websites for contractor leads.

AI-Powered Agencies

The newest category promises AI-driven optimization and automated campaign management. Some use legitimate AI tools for things like bid optimization and audience targeting. Others are using “AI” as a marketing term for basic automation.

Right now AI is the Wild West, and there are a lot of people seeing gold and jumping on the bandwagon. Don’t accept claims at face value, and certainly don’t go all in on a new, unproven solution to an age-old problem just because it has “AI” in the name.

Hyper-Specialized Home Service Marketing Agencies: Are They Worth It?

Should you choose an agency that specializes in your trade, or work with a generalist?

There are certain sub-sections of the industry, like roofing, HVAC, and plumbing, which have their own set of specialty agencies. These are home services marketing agencies that are targeted towards one particular trade.

This level of focus can be really appealing, especially if you’ve worked with other companies that didn’t understand your business.

The tradeoff with specialty agencies is that they might be too locked in to a specific plan and not be able to adapt it to the business you’re trying to build. Differences in market size, region, business scale and structure, pricing, and competition can really affect the results that you get from their plan.

Also, many of these agencies sell themselves as a complete marketing solution that eliminates the need for internal marketing knowledge. If you hire an agency like this, you need to be able to hold them accountable. If you’re not ready to monitor and assess the results you’re getting, you can spend time and money and still end up with no results.

Agencies generally will have limitations on how much experimentation they can do within their structure, and they’re not likely to fire themselves, so it’s going to be up to you to figure out when it’s time to try something else.

My recommendation? Focus on hiring an internal marketing leader. Then, when it’s time to bring in an agency, you’re prepared to hold them accountable.

My Agency Evaluation Framework

Here’s how to evaluate any agency you’re considering, regardless of their size or specialization:

The 10 Critical Questions

1. What’s your average client retention period, and can you show me retention data?
2. Can I speak directly with three clients similar to my business size and market?
3. Will I own all assets created during our partnership (website, social accounts, creative)?
4. What’s your account management structure, and who will I work with daily?
5. How do you integrate with my existing CRM and financial reporting systems?
6. What happens to my campaigns and data if I terminate the contract?
7. How do you measure success beyond lead volume?
8. What’s your process when campaigns underperform?
9. Can you provide transparent reporting with raw data access?
10. What are your contract terms, and what are the true costs of termination?

Contract Terms That Protect You

Insist on these contract provisions:

• Month-to-month agreements after an initial 90-day period. Long-term contracts only benefit the agency.
• Complete asset ownership. You own your website, social media accounts, campaign creative, and all data generated. If they won’t give this to you in writing, send them packing.
• Transparent reporting with raw data access. You should be able to export all campaign data and performance metrics. If they use a proprietary system and won’t give you direct access to your data, you’ll lose access if you leave.
• Clear termination procedures with asset transfer timelines. Know exactly what happens to your marketing assets if you leave.
• Performance metrics with consequences. The contract should specify what happens if agreed-upon metrics aren’t met.

When You Should (And Shouldn’t) Hire an Agency

Before we dive deeper into agency evaluation, let’s address a fundamental question: when does hiring an agency make sense for your business?

Owner-Operators and Small Contractors: Don’t Hire an Agency Yet

If you’re doing under about $2M annually, agencies aren’t the right solution. The baseline cost to properly test channels using an agency approach is typically $5,000+ monthly, which is too high relative to your revenue. Most small contractors end up canceling before the agency has enough time to figure out what works, wasting money and creating frustration for everyone.

The $2-3M Range: Hire a Person, Not an Agency

Many contractors at this revenue level hire agencies instead of internal marketing staff. I consider this a mistake. At this stage, you need someone who understands your business intimately and can make strategic decisions quickly.

My recommendation: hire a single marketer who reports directly to you or your sales leader. This person handles planning, reporting, and implementation for one or two marketing channels. As they reach capacity, they can find and manage outsourced specialists (web developers, PPC freelancers, content writers) to scale their work without the overhead of a full agency.

The Right Time to Hire an Agency

Only hire an agency once your company has:

1. Identified effective channels that consistently contribute significant revenue (my benchmark: 10%+ of total revenue or $1M annually from marketing-driven leads)
2. Proven systems that convert leads predictably
3. Operational capacity to handle increased lead volume
4. Clear attribution connecting marketing spend to actual revenue

This is what home services marketing agencies excel at: executing a proven plan, systematizing it, and scaling it. They’re not good at figuring out what works for your unique situation.

Regardless of when you hire an agency, you need someone internally who can provide strategic direction and hold them accountable. Agencies execute tactics; they don’t create business strategy.

The Marketing Leadership Solution

Here’s what most contractors actually need: a marketing leader who understands their business and can direct agency work effectively.

The In-House Marketing Director Option

If you’re doing $3M+ annually, consider hiring a marketing director before hiring an agency. This person becomes your internal marketing expert. They understand your business deeply and can either execute campaigns directly or manage agencies more effectively than you can.

If this is a full-time hire, look for someone who has proven success in one of the marketing channels that you want to test. For example, if you think Google Ads is going to be a strong source of leads, hire someone who has run Google Ads for a local service business before. Don’t worry about doing all of the things yet: just pick one or two and do them well.

I call this person a Marketing Director intentionally. Many companies will start by hiring a marketing intern or coordinator, which adds to your overhead without any chance of significantly affecting your growth. You need someone who understands marketing better than you, and who can back that up with experience. It’s might cost 50-75% more, but it’s no longer gamble.

The Fractional CMO + Specialist Agency Model

The most successful approach I’ve seen combines strategic oversight with tactical execution. Here’s how it works:

You hire a fractional Chief Marketing Officer or marketing director who works 10-20 hours monthly for $3,000-$8,000. This person becomes your strategic marketing partner. They understand your business model, profit margins, seasonal patterns, and operational constraints.

The fractional CMO then selects and manages smaller, specialized agencies that excel at tactical execution. Instead of one agency trying to do everything, you get:

• A PPC specialist who only manages Google Ads and knows your industry
• An SEO agency that focuses on local search optimization
• A web developer who builds fast, conversion-optimized sites
• A marketing automation specialist for lead nurturing

Each specialist costs less than big home services marketing agencies and delivers better results in their area of expertise. The fractional CMO coordinates everything and ensures all tactics support your business strategy.

Why This Approach Works Better

The fractional CMO or in-house director provides what agencies can’t: strategic thinking tailored to your specific business. They know your profit margins, understand your capacity constraints, and can connect marketing activities to actual revenue.

When you combine strategic oversight with specialized execution, you get better results at lower costs. The contractors I know who’ve made this switch typically see 30-50% better ROI from their marketing investments.

Finding the Right Marketing Leader

Look for someone with either direct home services experience or strong B2B marketing background. They should understand:

• Sales cycle management for high-ticket services
• Local market dynamics and seasonality
• Integration between marketing and operations
• CRM systems and marketing automation
• Performance measurement and financial analysis

Avoid former agency employees who only know tactics. You need someone who thinks strategically about business growth, not just lead generation.

Yes, adding a marketing leader increases your total marketing investment. But the improved efficiency and strategic direction typically pays for itself within 3-6 months.

Here’s What Happens Next

Most contractors will finish reading this and make the same mistake they’ve been making: they’ll look for the perfect agency that can do both strategy and execution.

That agency doesn’t exist.

Stop looking for an agency that understands your business better than you do. Start looking for execution partners who can implement strategies effectively.

The plumber I mentioned? He hired a full-time marketing director who identified a strategy that fit his business and goals, then brought in a smaller PPC consultant to execute campaigns. His monthly marketing costs are actually lower than what he was paying his agency, and his results are better.

Why? Because someone who understands his business is making the strategic decisions, and the agency is focused on what they do best – tactical execution.

If you’re currently working with a big-name agency and struggling with results, the problem probably isn’t the agency’s execution. It’s the lack of strategic oversight that connects their tactics to your business goals.

Consider adding that missing piece before you fire another agency.