AI Vault cost guides
Marketing Cost Guides for Service Businesses
Every price range in these guides links to where it came from. Where no reliable public number exists, we say so instead of guessing, and show you how to work out your own.
These cost guides show what service businesses pay for ads, agencies, appointment setting and leads. Each one gives published price ranges with a linked source, explains each pricing model, and converts the quote to cost per booked appointment, the number that tells you whether a price is fair.
Agency and service fees
What done-for-you help costs and how agencies bill for it. Each guide shows the common pricing models, published market ranges with their sources, and the contract terms that change the real price.
- How Much Does a Facebook Ads Agency Cost?How much does a Facebook ads agency cost? Sourced 2026 fee ranges, the four pricing models, hidden costs and how to compare quotes per booked call.Read the guide
- Appointment Setting Services Pricing: Models and RatesAppointment setting services pricing: retainer, pay per appointment, hybrid and hourly ranges from 2025-2026 guides, and how AI setters change the math.Read the guide
- How Much Does Lead Generation Cost?Retainer, per lead, per qualified lead, per appointment and revenue share compared. What each model costs, who carries the risk, and which one suits which business.Read the guide
Appointment setting and follow-up costs
The cost of turning leads into booked calls: AI setters, human setters, answering services and the per-appointment math that puts them on the same scale.
- AI Appointment Setter Cost: What You Actually PayAI appointment setter cost depends on how you buy it: DIY software, an agency, a human setter or a hybrid. Here is how to compare them per booked call.Read the guide
- How Much to Pay an Appointment SetterWhat to pay an appointment setter: base, per appointment, per show, commission and offshore rates, and what each structure does to the way they work your leads.Read the guide
- Answering Service Cost: Human, AI and Done-for-You ComparedAnswering service cost depends on how it bills and on call volume you do not control. Human, AI and done-for-you options compared, with the crossover points.Read the guide
- Cost Per Booked Appointment: Why It Beats Cost Per LeadCost per booked appointment shows what you pay for each real sales conversation. Formulas, a worked two-channel example and how to track it in your CRM.Read the guide
Costs by industry
Lead prices and ad budgets for specific trades and practices, worked back from what a job or a client is worth to you.
- How Much Do Insurance Leads Cost?How much do insurance leads cost: shared, exclusive, live transfer and aged prices for auto, home, life, final expense and Medicare, and the cost per policy.Read the guide
- Cost Per Lead for Real Estate AgentsCost per lead for real estate agents by source: Meta and Google ad benchmarks, Zillow and Redfin pay-at-close referral fees, and the math per closed deal.Read the guide
- How Much Do Roofers Pay Per Lead? How to Work Out YoursHow much do roofers pay per lead depends on the pricing model you buy under. Here is how each model works and the math for your real cost per signed job.Read the guide
- Med Spa Advertising Budget: What to Spend and How to Set ItHow much med spas spend on advertising, why the published benchmarks do not hold up, and how to set a budget backwards from what a treatment and a patient are worth.Read the guide
Keep exploring
Want the numbers for your business?
On a Stride Scaling Call we look at your cost per lead, cost per booked appointment and how fast your leads get a reply.