Search for free HVAC leads and almost everything returned is a paid product with a free component attached. That is not automatically a trick, but the free part is always doing work for somebody, and it is worth knowing what before you take it. Two channels in this trade genuinely cost nothing per lead, and neither of them is sold by a lead company.
What a free batch usually is
The commonest offer is a handful of leads at no charge attached to a term contract, which prices the free batch as a customer acquisition cost for the seller rather than a gift. The second commonest is aged records bundled with a paid order, and those are worth what aged records are worth: the general aged home service band is published at $.10 to $1.50 a lead, so a hundred free aged records is a gesture worth about the price of lunch. Neither is dishonest and neither is free in any sense that matters to your cost per job.
The two channels that really are free per lead
Maintenance agreements and referrals cost nothing per lead and are the only HVAC channels whose cost falls over time rather than rising. A customer on a service plan generates two visits a year, calls you first when the system fails and is the natural buyer when it needs replacing. A past customer who recommends you costs a thank-you. Both are slow to build and neither fills a gap this month, which is exactly why paid leads exist alongside them rather than instead of them.
What to check before accepting a free batch
Ask three questions. What is the minimum term the free leads commit you to, because a fortnight of free leads attached to a twelve-month contract is not a trial. Are they fresh or aged, because those differ in price by a factor of a hundred and in value by more. And what happens to your rate at renewal, since an introductory price that resets is the standard shape of this offer and the reset is where the seller makes its money back.
Questions people ask about free hvac leads
Are free HVAC leads real?
Genuinely free per-lead HVAC work comes from maintenance agreements and referrals. Offers labelled free from lead companies are normally an introductory batch attached to a term contract, or aged records bundled with a paid order.
What are free aged HVAC leads worth?
The general aged home service band is published at $.10 to $1.50 a lead, so a batch of free aged records is worth a few dollars. That is not nothing, and it is not a substitute for a fresh enquiry.
Should I take a free trial of a lead service?
Often yes, provided you know the minimum term, whether the leads are fresh or aged, and what your rate becomes at renewal. Those three answers turn a trial into a measurement.
How do I get HVAC leads free of charge long term?
Maintenance plans and referrals are the only channels whose per-lead cost falls over time. They will not fill next week's diary, which is why most contractors run them alongside paid leads rather than instead.