Home / Compare / Booked Contractor vs a marketing agency (retainer)
Booked Contractor vs a marketing agency: retainer or pay per sit-down?
A marketing agency on retainer charges a fixed monthly fee for its work, usually on top of ad spend, and you carry the risk of a slow month. Booked Contractor charges a setup fee and then a flat fee only when a homeowner sits down with your team, and it handles first contact, booking and reminders, not only the ads.
Disclosure: Booked Contractor is our company. Information about a marketing agency (retainer) comes from public sources listed at the bottom, as of 2026-10-16. Terms and prices change; always check the current offer.
| Factor | Booked Contractor | a marketing agency (retainer) |
|---|---|---|
| You pay for | Setup + a flat fee per sit-down | A monthly retainer, usually plus ad spend |
| If a month is slow | You pay less | You pay the same |
| Who calls the leads | We do, in under a minute, and book them | Usually your team |
| Scope | Ads, funnel, speed to lead, booking, reminders, tracking | Varies: ads, SEO, social, website, content |
| Exclusivity | One company per trade, per city | Many agencies work with competitors |
| Best for | Filling the sales calendar with sit-downs | Brand, SEO, content and broader marketing |
Who carries the risk
With a retainer you pay for effort. With pay per sit-down you pay for an outcome you can count: a homeowner at the kitchen table with your estimator. That's the main difference, and it changes how both sides behave.
When an agency is the better choice
- You need SEO, a website, social media and content, not only appointments.
- You have a fast inside sales team that already books most leads.
When Booked Contractor is the better choice
- Your problem is turning leads into sit-downs, not getting more clicks.
- You want pricing tied to your close rate with the 5x rule.
- You want exclusivity in your city.
Questions
Are marketing agencies a bad choice for contractors?
No. A good agency is the right partner for brand, SEO, website and content. The difference is the incentive: a retainer pays the same whether you get five sit-downs or fifty.
Can I keep my agency and use Booked Contractor?
Yes, as long as we are not running the same Meta campaigns for the same service. Many owners keep an agency for SEO and website while we handle booked appointments.
More comparisons: all comparisons · Angi alternatives · pay per lead vs pay per appointment
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