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LSA Budgets: Weekly Caps, Bids and Lead Costs
Quick answer
LSA budgets run as an average weekly amount with a monthly cap until the account moves into Google Ads. Since August 2026, moved accounts use a daily average instead, and manual maximum-per-lead bidding goes away. Size the budget from the jobs you need and your booking rate. Judge results on cost per booked job.
Local Services Ads charge per lead, not per click, which makes budgeting feel simple. Owners still ask how much to spend, why some weeks go over and which bidding to pick. And in 2026, Google began moving Local Services Ads into Google Ads, which changes how budgets and bids work.
Key Takeaways
- Accounts not yet moved use an average weekly budget with a monthly cap.
- Since August 2026, accounts are moving into Google Ads with daily budgets.
- After the move, the weekly budget becomes a daily average: weekly divided by seven.
- Manual maximum-per-lead bidding goes away after the move.
- Size the budget from the jobs you need and your booking rate.
- Judge results on cost per booked job, after credits.
Published: October 16, 2026 | Reading Time: ~9 minutes | Category: Google Ads & LSA
This guide covers budgets and monthly caps, the move into Google Ads, bidding choices, sizing a budget, lead costs, credits, pacing and what to measure. Put plainly: set the budget from the jobs you need, let bidding settle and judge it on booked jobs, not lead counts.
In This Playbook
- How budgets work before the move
- The move into Google Ads
- Bidding choices
- Set the budget from the jobs you need
- What affects lead costs
- Credits and missed calls
- How long should bidding run before you judge a change?
- What to measure
- The first three months
How budgets work before the move
An average weekly budget. Spending can go over in a busy week.
A monthly cap. Spend won't exceed the weekly budget times 30.4, divided by 7.
Billed per valid lead. Calls, messages and booking requests.
The move into Google Ads
Started in August 2026. Google is moving accounts in phases through 2027.
A special campaign type. Local Services Ads become Performance Max campaigns with pay-per-lead goals, still on Search and Maps.
Weekly becomes daily. The weekly budget is divided by seven into a daily average.
Monthly cap. The daily average times 30.4.
Past data doesn't move. Save your lead history before the switch.
Managing both channels together is covered in running Google Ads and LSA together.
Bidding choices
Maximize leads. Google sets bids automatically and recommends it for most accounts.
A target cost per lead. Available as a campaign-level goal.
Manual maximum per lead. Available only before the move; removed afterward.
Different services, different targets. After the move, separate campaigns may be needed for services with very different lead values.
Set the budget from the jobs you need
Start with jobs. How many new jobs you want each month.
Use your booking rate. If half of leads book, you need twice as many leads.
Multiply by cost per lead. Use your own history or recent results.
Enough volume to learn. Google suggests a budget for at least about 10 leads a week with Maximize leads.
What affects lead costs
Your trade and market. Busy metros cost more than small towns.
Season. Demand spikes raise costs.
Ranking signals. Reviews, responsiveness and hours, as covered in LSA rankings.
Service areas and job types. Tight settings avoid off-target leads.
Credits and missed calls
Credits lower the real cost. Google reviews leads and may credit poor ones, as covered in LSA lead credits.
Missed calls can cost money. Since October 2026, some unanswered calls can be charged.
Answer fast. As covered in the intake gap.
How long should bidding run before you judge a change?
Give bidding time. About two weeks before judging a change.
Watch busy weeks. Spending can run ahead in high-demand periods.
Adjust for capacity. Lower the budget when crews are fully booked.
What to measure
Cost per lead. After credits.
Booking rate. Leads that become jobs.
Cost per booked job. The deciding number.
Answer rate. Calls answered live.
Spend against cap. Weekly or daily, depending on your setup.
The first three months
Days 1–30: check your setup
Find out whether your account has moved into Google Ads, save lead history and set the budget from the jobs you need and your booking rate.
Days 31–60: let bidding settle
Use Maximize leads or a target cost per lead, keep settings steady for two weeks at a time and answer every call.
Days 61–90: adjust on results
Compare cost per booked job after credits, adjust budget for capacity and season and split services into separate campaigns if lead values differ widely.
How Astra manages LSA budgets
Astra Results Marketing manages Local Services Ads budgets around the jobs you need. We set budgets from booking rates, choose bidding for your setup, guide the move into Google Ads and judge results on cost per booked job.
Engagements begin with an account review through our Google Ads and LSA team.
Related reading
Frequently asked questions
How do Local Services Ads budgets work?
Accounts not yet moved use an average weekly budget, with monthly spend capped at the weekly budget times 30.4, divided by 7. Moved accounts use a daily average budget.
What changes when an account moves into Google Ads?
It becomes a Performance Max campaign with a pay-per-lead goal, the weekly budget becomes a daily average and manual maximum-per-lead bidding is removed.
Which bidding option should we use?
Google recommends Maximize leads for most accounts. A campaign-level target cost per lead is another option.
How much should we budget?
Start with the jobs you need, divide by your booking rate to get leads, and multiply by your cost per lead. Allow at least about 10 leads a week for automated bidding.
Why did we spend more than our weekly budget?
The weekly budget is an average. Busy weeks can run over, but monthly spend stays within the cap.
Will our past data move into Google Ads?
No. Google says past Local Services Ads performance data won't migrate, so save your lead history first.
Ready to set LSA budgets around the jobs you need? Astra Results Marketing sizes Local Services Ads budgets from booking rates, picks the right bidding, guides the move into Google Ads and judges results on cost per booked job. ▸ CALL (786) 321-2866 · ▸ REQUEST YOUR CONSULTATION
