Solve for any paid-ads metric in seconds. CPM, CPC, CTR, conversion rate, CPA, and ROAS, with the formula shown and real contractor benchmarks for context. Works for Google Ads, Meta, and any channel.
CPM (cost per mille) is what you pay for every 1,000 ad impressions. It is the headline metric for awareness and display campaigns. The formula is simple:
CPM = (ad spend ÷ impressions) × 1,000
Spend $500 to earn 200,000 impressions and your CPM is $2.50. The calculator above also runs it backward: enter a target CPM and your budget to see how many impressions you should expect, or a target CPM and impressions to see what it will cost. Typical CPM ranges vary widely by channel, audience, and season, but as a rough 2026 reference:
| Channel | Typical CPM range |
|---|---|
| Google Display Network | $1 to $4 |
| YouTube | $4 to $10 |
| Meta (Facebook / Instagram) | $7 to $14 |
| TikTok | $3 to $9 |
| $6 to $14+ |
These are general industry ranges to sanity-check your number, not guarantees. Actual CPM depends on targeting, competition, ad quality, and time of year.
CPC is the average price you pay each time someone clicks your ad. CPC = ad spend ÷ clicks. It is the metric that drives search-campaign budgets, because in pay-per-click you only pay on the click. For home service contractors, search CPCs run higher than most industries because the intent (and the job value) is high. Rough Google Ads CPC benchmarks by trade:
| Trade | Typical CPC |
|---|---|
| Roofing | ~$35 |
| Water damage / restoration | ~$25 |
| Plumbing | ~$22 |
| Electrician | ~$20 |
| HVAC | ~$18 |
| Locksmith | ~$18 |
| Pest control | ~$12 |
| Landscaping | ~$10 |
If your CPCs are well above these, the usual culprits are broad keywords without negatives, a low Quality Score, or sending traffic to a weak landing page. Want a full budget forecast instead of a single metric? Use the Google Ads cost calculator.
CTR measures how often people who see your ad actually click it. CTR = (clicks ÷ impressions) × 100. On Google Search a CTR of 4% to 6%+ is healthy for contractor keywords; on display and social it is far lower (often under 1%) and that is normal. A rising CTR usually signals better ad relevance, which also tends to lower your CPC over time.
Conversion rate is the share of clicks that turn into a lead or sale. Conversion rate = (conversions ÷ clicks) × 100. For service businesses, a landing-page conversion rate of 8% to 15% is solid for high-intent search traffic. This is usually the cheapest lever you have: doubling conversion rate halves your cost per lead without touching ad spend.
CPA (sometimes cost per lead or cost per action) is what you pay for each conversion. CPA = ad spend ÷ conversions. It ties the funnel together: CPA is roughly your CPC divided by your conversion rate. The number that matters most, though, is cost per booked job, your CPA divided by your booking rate, measured against your average ticket.
ROAS (return on ad spend) is revenue divided by ad spend, shown as a ratio. ROAS = revenue ÷ ad spend. A 4x ROAS means $4 back for every $1 spent. But "good" ROAS is not a fixed number, it depends on your margin. The real target is your break-even ROAS:
Break-even ROAS = 1 ÷ profit margin
If your profit margin is 25%, you break even at 4x ROAS, so anything above 4x is profit. A 20% margin needs 5x to break even; a 50% margin only needs 2x. Switch the calculator to ROAS mode and you can solve for ROAS, revenue, or the spend that hits a target return.
Most CPM and ROAS calculators give you a single number and nothing else. This one shows the formula for what you just calculated, lets you solve for any variable (not just the headline metric), and gives you real benchmark ranges so you know whether your number is good, average, or a red flag. We run Google Ads and Local Services Ads for contractors every day, so the benchmarks come from the kind of campaigns these numbers actually describe.
CPM means cost per mille, or cost per 1,000 impressions. The formula is CPM = (ad spend / impressions) x 1,000. So $500 spent for 200,000 impressions is a $2.50 CPM. This calculator also solves it in reverse: enter a target CPM and impressions to get the spend, or spend and CPM to get the impressions you can expect.
ROAS is revenue divided by ad spend, shown as a ratio like 4x. A workable target for most businesses is 3x to 5x, but the number that actually matters is your break-even ROAS, which is 1 divided by your profit margin. If your margin is 25%, you break even at 4x ROAS, so anything above 4x is profit.
CPC (cost per click) = ad spend / clicks. CTR (click-through rate) = (clicks / impressions) x 100. Conversion rate = (conversions / clicks) x 100. CPA (cost per acquisition) = ad spend / conversions. This tool solves for any variable in each formula, not just the headline metric.
Yes. The math is the same everywhere, so you can use it for Google Ads, Meta (Facebook and Instagram), Microsoft Ads, programmatic display, TikTok, or any paid channel. The benchmark ranges note which channel they apply to.
Yes. Every calculator runs entirely in your browser with no signup and no data sent anywhere.
We run Google Ads and Local Services Ads for home service contractors, so your CPM, CPC, and ROAS are our job, not your spreadsheet. Book a free 30-minute consultation.