Buyers in most of the categories we rank ask the same question on the first call: "What should this actually cost?" Agencies dodge the answer because they want to quote against your business, not against a benchmark. Below are the benchmarks anyway.
A note on structure. Every number below is monthly retainer (management fee + strategy). Media spend — the dollars that buy clicks, impressions, LSA leads, or direct mail — is almost always separate and should flow from your account directly, not through the agency. Be cautious of any agency that insists on taking media spend through their books.
Home services (plumbing, HVAC, roofing, electrical, landscape)
| Shop size | Retainer | Media floor | | :-- | :-- | :-- | | Sub-$1M owner-operated | $1,500–$3,000/mo | $1,000–$2,500/mo | | $1M–$5M growth-stage | $3,000–$7,000/mo | $2,500–$6,000/mo | | $5M–$25M regional | $7,000–$15,000/mo | $5,000–$15,000/mo | | $25M+ multi-location | $15,000–$35,000/mo | $15,000–$50,000/mo |
At the low end, you're getting LSA management, a clean Google Business Profile, basic paid search, and light SEO. At the mid-range, add service-area page SEO, CRM integration (ServiceTitan, Housecall Pro, Jobber), and meaningful performance review cadence. At the top, dedicated strategist, in-house creative, and aggressive multi-channel including Meta and YouTube.
Below $1,500/mo: you're paying for a template and ten minutes of attention. The math doesn't work for the agency to do real account management at that price point, so they don't.
Dental and ortho
| Practice size | Retainer | Media floor | | :-- | :-- | :-- | | Solo practice | $2,500–$6,000/mo | $2,000–$5,000/mo | | 2–5 location group | $6,000–$15,000/mo | $5,000–$15,000/mo | | DSO / 10+ location | $15,000–$50,000+/mo | $15,000–$60,000+/mo |
Dental retainers run higher than home services at similar revenue levels because the category has higher ad-auction prices, more regulatory complexity (HIPAA, BAAs), and longer sales cycles. Cosmetic and implant-forward practices pay at the upper end of their tier because the case value supports it.
Watch for pay-per-new-patient pricing. Sounds buyer-friendly; usually isn't. Quality variance on "new patient" leads is high and the definition is often vague in the contract.
Law firms (all practice areas)
| Firm size | Retainer | Media floor | | :-- | :-- | :-- | | Solo / boutique | $5,000–$12,000/mo | $3,000–$10,000/mo | | Mid-size (10–50 attorneys) | $10,000–$30,000/mo | $10,000–$40,000/mo | | Large PI / mid-to-regional | $30,000–$100,000+/mo | $50,000–$250,000+/mo |
Law firm marketing is the most expensive category we rank, full stop. Paid search CPCs on personal-injury terms in competitive metros run $200–$800 per click. Every bad-intent click is $400 of wasted spend, so campaign structure and negative-keyword hygiene matter enormously — and good agencies charge accordingly.
Pay-per-lead in law is a trap. A $150 "qualified lead" where the definition isn't spelled out in the contract usually means you're paying for form fills that don't convert to signed cases. Ask specifically what percentage of delivered leads sign retainers.
Med spa / cosmetic
| Practice size | Retainer | Media floor | | :-- | :-- | :-- | | Single location | $3,500–$8,000/mo | $3,000–$10,000/mo | | Multi-location | $8,000–$20,000/mo | $8,000–$30,000/mo |
Med spa is a visual-acquisition category — Meta and Instagram often outperform Google for cosmetic procedures with visible before/afters. Budget accordingly. Creative production is often a separate line item ($2,000–$8,000/mo) because the content burn rate is high.
Ecommerce, real estate, and professional services
These categories have more variance because they're less homogenous than home services or dental. Ecommerce retainers can run anywhere from $2,500/mo (small DTC brand, one channel) to $40,000+/mo (multi-brand, multi-channel with creative production). Real estate is heavily dependent on market and agent structure.
We're less confident publishing benchmarks here because the category's agency ecosystem is less mature. If you're in one of these, demand that the agency show pricing for specifically comparable clients, not category averages.
What the number should buy you
At any retainer tier, a real engagement produces:
- Monthly reporting with revenue attribution, not just traffic. Cost per booked job, cost per signed case, cost per new patient — whichever your business actually runs on.
- A named strategist you can email. Not "[email protected]." A person.
- Ownership of your accounts. Google Ads, LSA, GBP, website, CRM — all in your name, with the agency as users.
- Quarterly performance review against pre-agreed KPIs. If the program misses targets for two quarters, you should have a no-penalty exit.
- Transparent media spend. You should be able to log into your accounts and see exactly what's being spent where.
If a proposal at any tier doesn't include the above, the number is misleading regardless of how small it looks.
The prices that should make you walk away
Retainers below $1,500/mo for any serious program. The math doesn't pencil for the agency to do real work. They're either losing money (unsustainable) or running a template (worthless).
Retainers above the mid-range without a specialist claim. A $20,000/mo generalist agency will lose to a $12,000/mo specialist in your vertical. Price does not equal quality.
"Media spend included" where the breakdown isn't specified. This hides markup. Ask what percentage of the retainer is actual media vs. fees. If the agency won't tell you, that's the answer.
Pay-per-lead or pay-per-appointment where "lead" isn't defined in the contract. You're paying the agency to grow lead volume on their definition, which is often looser than yours.
"Performance pricing" that's tied to rankings, not revenue. Page-one rankings for queries nobody searches are easy to guarantee and worthless to deliver.
The short version
Price in this category is bounded by math on both sides. Below a floor, the agency can't afford to do the work. Above a ceiling, you're paying for branding (theirs, not yours). The right number for your business sits in the middle, matches a specialist roster in your niche, and produces reports that lead with revenue.
If you can get those three things, the price is probably fair.