Most trades marketing advice treats a roofer, a locksmith and a landscaper as the same business with a different logo. They aren't. Each trade has its own season, its own drivers of job value and its own way customers search. This playbook sets out all 18 trades we work with in one table, then gives specific notes on each, so you can see where your own marketing money should go first. Seasonal timing varies across Canada; check the region pages for your province's climate.
The 18 trades at a glance
| Trade | Busiest period | What drives job value | How customers search | Fund first |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plumbers | Year-round; winter freeze-ups, spring thaw | Replacements (water heaters, sump pumps, repiping) over small repairs | Urgent, "near me", on a phone | Google Business Profile, local SEO |
| Electricians | Year-round; renovation season | Panel upgrades, EV chargers, renovations | Mix of urgent and planned | Profile, service pages, licence visibility |
| HVAC and heating | Winter and summer peaks | Equipment replacement and maintenance plans | Urgent in extremes, researched otherwise | Profile, paid search in peaks |
| Locksmiths | Year-round, evenings and weekends | Commercial and access-control work over lockouts | Urgent, very local | Profile, reviews, phone answering |
| Garage door technicians | Year-round; cold snaps | New door installs over spring repairs | Urgent for repairs, planned for doors | Profile, service pages |
| Roofers | Spring to autumn; after storms | Full replacements over patch repairs | Urgent after damage, researched for replacement | Website with project photos, reviews |
| Eavestrough and siding | Autumn and spring | Full-house exterior packages | Seasonal, often after a visible problem | Website portfolio, seasonal ads |
| Foundations and waterproofing | Spring thaw, heavy rain | Excavation and full waterproofing | Anxious research after water appears | Explainer content, website |
| Masonry and chimneys | Late summer to autumn | Rebuilds and restorations | Planned, often before heating season | Website portfolio, local SEO |
| Renovators and general contractors | Planned year-round; spring decisions | Kitchens, basements, additions | Weeks of research and comparison | Portfolio website, reviews |
| Carpenters and cabinetmakers | Year-round; spring and pre-holiday | Custom built-ins and kitchens | Visual, slow, referral-heavy | Portfolio, social and video |
| Flooring installers | Year-round; before holidays and moves | Whole-floor installs | Comparison shopping, often with retailers | Website, reviews, local SEO |
| Windows and doors | Spring and autumn | Whole-house replacements | Researched; rebate-sensitive | Website, program content |
| Drywall and insulation | Year-round; pre-winter for insulation | Basements, whole-home insulation | Planned; rebate-sensitive for insulation | Service pages, program content |
| Painters | Spring to early autumn outside, winter inside | Full exteriors and whole interiors | Visual comparison, quotes from several | Portfolio, seasonal ads |
| Landscapers and lawn care | Spring booking, summer work | Design-build projects and recurring maintenance | Planned in late winter and spring | Portfolio, seasonal ads, video |
| Fencing and decks | Spring and early summer | Full decks, privacy fencing | Planned, visual | Portfolio, seasonal ads |
| Concrete and paving | Spring to autumn | Driveways, patios, interlock | Planned, visual, price-sensitive | Portfolio, seasonal ads |
Urgent trades: be found, be answered
Plumbers. The highest-value call is often the emergency that turns into a replacement: a failed water heater, a dead sump pump, a burst line that reveals old pipe. Separate your emergency, repair and replacement pages, and make sure each replacement page explains the options in plain words. Your Google Business Profile and phone answering decide most jobs.
Electricians. Panel upgrades, EV charger installs and renovation wiring are the valuable work. Licensing is a selling point: in Ontario, for example, only ESA-licensed electrical contractors may advertise electrical work, as our Ontario page explains. Put the licence number on every page. Electrical contractors can also find trade-specific ideas at ElectricalTeam.ca.
HVAC and heating. Two peaks, winter and summer, with replacements and maintenance plans in between. This is the trade our method was built in; the results page shows our HVAC work, and HVAC.Agency is the group's specialist brand.
Locksmiths. Customers search in a hurry, often at night, and the category is crowded with poor-quality listings. A genuine, complete Google profile with real photos and recent reviews stands out. Commercial and access-control work is where the value lies, so give it its own pages.
Garage door technicians. Broken springs and openers bring urgent calls, especially in cold weather. New doors are a planned purchase that benefits from a photo gallery and a clear explanation of options.
Planned repair trades: show the work, explain the process
Roofers. Storm damage creates urgent searches; replacements are researched for weeks. Real photos of your own jobs, a clear explanation of how you inspect and quote, and strong reviews matter more than ad volume. Have storm-response ads ready to switch on.
Eavestrough and siding. Problems are visible (overflowing gutters, damaged panels), so customers often search after noticing them in autumn or spring. Before-and-after photos and seasonal campaigns work well.
Foundations and waterproofing. Customers arrive anxious, often with water already in the basement. Calm, clear explainer pages ("why is water coming through my basement wall?") build trust, and a well-made video of the process helps close expensive jobs.
Masonry and chimneys. Demand often builds before heating season. A portfolio of restorations and a page explaining inspection and repair options are the core.
Project trades: earn trust over weeks
Renovators and general contractors. Customers compare several companies over weeks. A portfolio organised by project type, a clear explanation of your process from first visit to completion, and recent reviews do the selling. Quote follow-up is where many jobs are lost.
Carpenters and cabinetmakers. The work is visual and personal. Good photos and short videos of finished pieces, plus referral relationships with designers and renovators, carry the business.
Flooring installers. You often compete with retailers. Explain what professional installation includes, show finished rooms, and make it easy to request a measure.
Windows and doors. A researched purchase, often tied to energy savings and sometimes to rebates. Program content must be accurate and dated; see your region page for current programs.
Drywall and insulation. Basement finishing and insulation upgrades are planned. Insulation in particular responds to energy programs where they exist, so explain them carefully and link to the source.
Painters. Exterior work is seasonal; interior work can fill the winter. A portfolio, clear quoting process and seasonal ads before spring are the core. For more on this trade, Painting.Marketing goes deeper.
Landscapers and lawn care. Design-build projects are decided in late winter and spring; maintenance contracts renew in early spring. Start marketing before the snow melts, and use video of finished yards.
Fencing and decks. Planned and visual. Show finished projects with materials named, explain timelines honestly, and book quotes early in spring.
Concrete and paving. Driveways, patios and interlock are high-value, price-sensitive purchases. Show finished work in different styles and explain what affects the price, so customers arrive with realistic expectations.
Putting it to work
- Find your row in the table and check that your current spending matches the "fund first" column.
- Check the season against your region's climate on its area page and our seasonal marketing calendar.
- Run the numbers with the budget guide before increasing spend.
- Fix the order. If you're funding the third step before the first, swap them.
If you want a second opinion on your trade's plan, see our services or contact us.
Frequently asked questions
Why does marketing need to differ by trade?
Because customers buy differently. A burst pipe is solved within the hour by whoever answers; a new deck is chosen over weeks after comparing portfolios. The channel, message and budget that win one would waste money on the other.
My business covers several trades. Which row do I follow?
Follow the row for the work you most want more of, then give each other trade its own page and, if needed, its own campaign. Mixing emergency and project work in one campaign usually starves the higher-value one.
Is this table a set of benchmarks?
No. It describes buying patterns, not numbers. Seasonality also varies by region, so check your province's page on this site for climate notes before relying on the timing columns.