Planning Tool
Marketing Budget Calculator for Builders
Work backwards from the pipeline you actually want, then pressure test the spend against your margin rather than a percentage of revenue. Start with the editable assumptions, then replace them with your own figures. Free, and nothing is gated.
Your numbers
Start with the assumptions, then replace the editable fields with your own records. Results are planning scenarios, not forecasts.
Uses a fixed historical click cost of NZD 5for New Zealand. Your current campaign cost may differ.
What you want to build, not last year.
The jobs you actually want, not the average of everything you have ever quoted.
Count enquiries that may fit your accepted work, including earlier-stage suitable enquiries. The fixed model assumes this group is 69% of all enquiries; it does not prove they are qualified buyers. Use that same cohort definition for your signed-project rate. The starting 5% is editable, and10% is another planning scenario.
Enter your observed gross margin after direct project costs. The starting 22% is an editable assumption. Check overheads, cash timing and other commitments before deciding what you can spend.
Modelled enquiries
12 /mo
145 across the year, of which 100 are modelled as potential-fit enquiries
Modelled ad spend
NZD 1,663 /mo
NZD 19,959 across the year
Illustrative mix of those 12enquiries a month:
4 ready to talk (33%)
Suitable project and an agreed next conversation
4 real but not ready (36%)
Potential fit, earlier timing. Agree a useful follow-up
4 not a fit (31%)
Confirmed mismatch against the builder’s accepted work
The model uses a historical sample of 7,142 graded enquiries over the 180 days to 21 September 2026. Client grading rules differ. The fixed model assumes 69% may fit, including the earlier-stage group. This is directional, not qualified-buyer proof or a forecast for your account. Unknown budget, missing plans or early timing is not proof of poor fit.
- Projects you need to sign
- 5.0
- Modelled ad spend per signed project
- NZD 3,992
- Ad spend as share of gross profit
- 1.8%
2% of your gross profit
The model uses 15% or less of the assumed gross profit. Check overheads, cash timing and a less favourable scenario before choosing a budget.
This is an indicator under the selected assumptions. It does not include management fees, setup costs, overheads or cash timing, and cannot establish affordability on its own.
The same 12 enquiries a month, at four levels of efficiency
This comparison changes only the visitor-to-enquiry assumption. The target, market and fixed historical click cost stay the same. It shows sensitivity to one input, not the result a page change will deliver.
| Visitor to enquiry | Clicks needed | Ad spend / month | Cost per enquiry |
|---|---|---|---|
| 805 | NZD 3,881 | NZD 321 | |
| 345 | NZD 1,663 | NZD 138 | |
| 201 | NZD 970 | NZD 80 | |
| 134 | NZD 647 | NZD 54 |
Click a row to apply that scenario. The starting 3.5% comes from the historical portfolio model; it is not a target or a promised conversion rate.
Common questions
- How much should a builder spend on marketing?
- Work backwards from the projects you want to sign, the enquiries required at your close rate, and your cost per enquiry. Then check the spend against gross profit, overheads and cash available. The calculator starts with editable planning assumptions; they are not forecasts or typical results for builders. Replace them with your own records and test a less favourable scenario.
- Why does this measure against gross profit and not revenue?
- Gross profit shows what remains after direct project costs, before overheads, tax and other commitments. For a hypothetical business with a 20% gross margin, marketing spend equal to 2% of revenue uses 10% of gross profit. Those percentages illustrate the arithmetic, not a typical builder margin or an affordable-spend rule. Enter your actual margin and check cash timing separately.
- What if I do not know my cost per enquiry?
- This calculator models cost per enquiry from the selected market’s fixed click cost and the visitor-to-enquiry scenario. Those historical portfolio inputs are not current AU or NZ price benchmarks. Compare the output with your own comparable campaign spend and enquiry records. Change the conversion scenario to test sensitivity, and check the suitable conversations that follow.
- What conversion rate should I use?
- Enter the signed-project rate among enquiries that may fit your accepted work, including earlier-stage suitable enquiries. The fixed model assumes this group is 69% of all enquiries; it is not proof that 69% are qualified buyers. Use a completed group on that same definition, rather than a rate measured only on sales-ready enquiries. The starting 5% is editable and is a planning assumption.
Want the reasoning behind the numbers? Read how much builders should actually spend on ads.