Kids Are Back in School—Time to Ramp Up Your Leads

By Dipa Gandhi

As the school buses roll out and families settle back into routine, contractors face one of the best opportunities of the year to grow their businesses. With summer vacations winding down and cooler weather around the corner, homeowners are shifting their focus back to projects that were put off during the busy summer months.

The Problem: Slowdowns After Summer

Many contractors experience a lull when summer ends. Families are busy with back-to-school schedules, sports, and planning for the holidays. That can mean fewer inbound calls and less predictable revenue. Contractors who don’t adjust their advertising strategy risk losing momentum just when homeowners are ready to get things done.

The Agitation: Missed Jobs = Missed Revenue

Every season brings a natural wave of demand. Fall is when:

• Homeowners realize they need repairs done before winter sets in (think roof leaks, HVAC tune-ups, gutter cleaning).

• Parents finally have free time to schedule interior projects like painting, flooring, or remodeling after the kids return to school.

• Yard work, landscaping, and cleanup become urgent before leaves pile up or snow arrives.

If your phone isn’t ringing now, those jobs are going to your competitors. And with fewer contractors ramping up ads in the fall compared to spring, you might actually be missing out on lower competition and cheaper clicks.

The Solution: Seasonal Advertising That Works

This fall, smart contractors are leaning into advertising to stay top-of-mind. A few strategies to consider:

• Google Ads & LSAs: Capture immediate leads when people search “roof repair near me” or “fall lawn cleanup.” Less competition can mean better ad placement for lower cost.

• SEO-Driven Websites: Invest in long-term traffic with content and pages that target seasonal searches like “heating maintenance before winter” or “fall painting specials.”

• Database Reactivation: Don’t forget past customers. A quick email or text reminder about seasonal services can re-engage people who already trust your work.

• Offer Fall Promotions: Incentives like “Book before October 15 for 10% off” create urgency and fill your calendar.

Real-Life Example

A roofing contractor in the Northeast ramped up ads last September with a “before winter hits” campaign. Within weeks, they booked 12 new roof repair jobs that otherwise would have been lost to emergency calls later in the season.