If you’ve ever run Google Local Services Ads (LSAs), you know the frustration. The phone rings, you answer, and it’s someone asking about roofing when you only remodel kitchens. Or maybe the caller is from two counties away, well outside your service area. A few days later, you check your LSA dashboard and see the charge: $80, $90, sometimes more.
The good news: you don’t always have to eat that cost. Google allows you to flag bad leads, and in many cases, you can get credit back. The key is knowing what counts, how the system works today, and how to set yourself up so you’re not throwing money away.
Not every call can be disputed. If a homeowner calls about a kitchen remodel but ultimately chooses not to hire you, that’s still considered a billable lead. Disputes are intended for leads that should never have counted in the first place.
Generally, you can dispute a lead when:
Important note: In recent updates, Google has begun using automation to review leads and apply credits automatically. This means you may see some credits appear without having to file a dispute. At the same time, certain categories that used to be disputable (like calls slightly outside your service area) may no longer qualify. That makes it more important than ever to set your profile accurately and give Google feedback on every lead.
The process is straightforward:
From there, Google will review the case. With automation in place, some credits are processed quickly, while others may take time.
Contractors who make this a process instead of an afterthought protect thousands in wasted spend. One remodeling firm we worked with saved over $1,200 in just a single quarter simply by tightening their lead management system.
Even with automation, disputes only fix part of the problem. They protect your budget after the fact, but they don’t stop mismatched calls from coming in. LSAs are designed to be broad, and Google ultimately decides who sees your ad.
That’s the trade-off. LSAs are excellent for capturing high-intent, ready-to-hire leads, but they’re limited in control and scale. If your goal is predictable growth, disputes alone won’t get you there. You need a system that lets you shape the flow of leads in advance, not just react after they happen. That’s where a holistic Google Ads strategy comes in.
For many remodeling companies and home service providers, LSAs are the first digital channel that feels like it works. The calls come in, the leads feel real, and the ROI looks strong. But businesses that want consistent growth quickly run into LSAs’ ceiling. Lead volume flattens, disputes pile up, and control is limited.
The most successful remodelers use LSAs as just one piece of their marketing system. They pair them with Google Ads, SEO, and growth strategies that create predictable, scalable pipelines.
At B&G Growth Marketing, we help contractors and builders do exactly that. We start with LSAs, but we don’t stop there. We build systems that scale. If you’re ready to go beyond disputing bad leads and start building a marketing engine for growth, we’d love to help.
Turn tactics into traction with a strategy built to perform, no guesswork, no fluff, just results.
