Cost per lead describes acquisition efficiency at the top of the funnel. Cost per booked estimate includes the effect of contact, qualification and scheduling.
This comparison supports a fair evaluation of a roofing answering service versus AI lead recovery.
Define the units first
| Metric | Formula | Main question |
|---|---|---|
| Cost per raw inquiry | Channel cost ÷ unique inquiries | How much did initial demand cost? |
| Cost per legitimate opportunity | Channel cost ÷ relevant new roofing opportunities | How much did plausible work cost? |
| Cost per qualified opportunity | Channel cost ÷ service-area and job-fit opportunities | How much did usable pipeline cost? |
| Cost per booked estimate | Channel and handling cost ÷ confirmed estimates | How much did a calendar outcome cost? |
Why the numbers diverge
- Duplicate calls inflate raw inquiry volume.
- Spam, vendors and customers are counted as leads.
- Properties fall outside the service area.
- The company cannot make contact.
- Qualified callers do not receive a usable appointment path.
- Requested times are counted as booked before confirmation.
Include the right costs
For a channel-level view, include campaign and platform spend. For a full booked-estimate view, also decide whether to include call handling, lead services, recovery tools and attributable sales labor. State the definition so month-to-month comparisons remain consistent.
Example method using your data
- Choose one source and reporting period.
- Deduplicate inquiries tied to the same roofing need.
- Classify legitimate and qualified opportunities.
- Confirm which appointments reached the calendar.
- Divide the agreed cost pool by each stage.
- Compare stages to locate the largest drop.
Do not use an invented industry benchmark when your own service mix, territory and capacity determine the real economics.
Add downstream context
Booked estimates still need completion and close-rate data. A channel with a higher booked-estimate cost may produce better-fit projects or larger jobs. Keep signed contract value, gross profit and collected revenue distinct.
Use the full roofing marketing ROI measurement chain to connect these stages.
Do not reward unanswerable volume
A source can appear inexpensive at the raw-lead stage while overwhelming the office or producing poor fit. Evaluate whether the company can respond, qualify and schedule.
Model the potential missed-call gap
Estimate gross revenue associated with legitimate unanswered opportunities using your own close rate and average job value.