"Qualified" is the most abused word in contractor marketing. Every lead vendor claims it. Very few define it. Here is what it actually means for a window company, and a straight answer on price.
The four filters that make a window appointment qualified
An appointment is only worth your rep's time if it clears all four of these before it is booked:
- Verified homeowner. They own the property. This is the first thing we check on every appointment, for every client.
- Confirmed project size. We ask the homeowner how many windows they are looking to replace, and we set the tiers around what you want to quote. If your minimum is 7-plus windows, we do not send you a two-window repair.
- Both decision-makers present. Window sales are almost always a joint decision. We put strict emphasis on both decision-makers being at the appointment, because a one-legged estimate rarely closes.
- Real intent and timeline. A high-friction confirmation process filters out the tire-kickers before they ever reach your schedule.
Miss any one of those and you do not have an appointment. You have a drive and a wasted evening.
Why the "cheap lead" is the expensive option
A $30 shared lead looks cheap until you count the real cost: the rep's salary, the fuel, the two hours of drive-and-quote, and the morale hit of a no-show or a one-legger. When you divide your ad and lead spend by the number of jobs you actually close, the "cheap" route is almost always the expensive one.
So what should a qualified window appointment cost?
Here is the honest answer: it is custom, and it should be. When we get on a call with a window contractor, we assess the market, how many appointments you can realistically take, and the value of the projects you are quoting. From that we agree on a fair per-appointment rate that works for both sides.
Where you land in that range depends on your market and volume. Put it against an $18,000 to $25,000 average window ticket and a 40% close rate, and the return does the talking. See the full model on the pricing page, or compare the options in pay-per-appointment vs. shared leads.