Facebook Ads vs Google Ads for Bathroom Fitters

Last updated: April 2026.

Demand creation vs demand capture

Last updated: April 2026.

Two completely different tools. Understanding the difference saves you from wasting money on the wrong one.

Google Ads catches people who are already looking. Someone types "bathroom fitter near me." They have decided. They want quotes. Your ad appears, they click, and you have a lead who is ready to book a home visit. Fast, high-intent, expensive per click.

Facebook Ads reaches people who are not looking yet. A homeowner sees a photo of a dated bathroom stripped back to bare plaster, then rebuilt with herringbone floor tiles, a walk-in shower, and a freestanding bath. They were not planning a renovation five seconds ago. Now they are thinking about their own bathroom. Cheaper per lead, higher volume, but they need a conversation before they commit.

For bathrooms specifically, Facebook has one major advantage: bathrooms are aspirational. People save bathroom photos on Instagram and Pinterest for months before they act. Your ad plants the seed. Google catches them when they are ready to buy - but by then, three other companies are already quoting.

What each platform costs

Facebook Ads (Meta)

Bathroom fitters in the UK typically pay £25 to £55 per lead on Facebook and Instagram. The variation depends on your location, your targeting, and the quality of your creative. Companies with strong before-and-after photography and video walkthroughs tend to sit at the lower end. Companies running generic stock imagery pay more.

A monthly budget of £750 to £1,500 is enough to generate a consistent flow of leads. You can start with as little as £500 per month to test the waters.

Google Ads

Bathroom-related keywords are competitive on Google. Cost per click ranges from £4 to £15, and not every click becomes a lead. With a typical conversion rate of 5 to 12 percent, you need 7 to 20 clicks per lead. That puts the cost per lead at £45 to £100.

You need a minimum budget of around £1,200 per month to be competitive on Google for bathroom keywords. Anything less and you will not get enough clicks to learn what works.

Use the ad budget calculator to see what a realistic monthly spend looks like for your area.

Lead quality differences

This is where the conversation gets interesting - because cheaper leads are not always better leads.

Google leads convert at higher rates. Typically 15 to 25 percent of Google leads will go on to place an order. These people were actively searching, so they are further along in their decision. They have often already measured their bathroom, set a rough budget, and are comparing companies.

Facebook leads convert at 8 to 15 percent. They cost less per lead, but a smaller percentage will buy. However, because you generate more of them for the same budget, the maths often works out in Facebook's favour when you look at total cost per sale.

Here is an example. Suppose you spend £1,500 per month:

• Google: £1,500 / £70 average CPL = 21 leads. At 20% conversion = roughly 4 sales.
• Facebook: £1,500 / £38 average CPL = 39 leads. At 11% conversion = roughly 4 sales.

Similar number of sales - but Facebook gives you 39 people in your pipeline instead of 21. Those extra people who did not buy today might buy in three months. Bathroom renovations have consideration periods of two to four months, and staying in touch with a larger pipeline pays off over time.

The visual advantage on Meta

Bathrooms are one of the most visual home improvement categories. People spend hours browsing bathroom inspiration on Pinterest and Instagram before they ever pick up the phone. They save images of tiling patterns, walk-in showers, freestanding baths, and vanity units.

This is where Facebook and Instagram ads have a massive advantage over Google. On Google, you are limited to text ads. On Meta, you can show:

• Before-and-after transformations that make people stop scrolling - a tired 1990s bathroom turned into a modern spa
• Video walkthroughs of completed bathrooms, showing off the tiling, lighting, and finishes
• Carousel ads showing multiple angles of the same bathroom renovation
• Reels with time-lapse installations - watching a bathroom come together in 30 seconds
• Customer testimonial videos filmed in their new bathroom

A beautiful bathroom photograph does something that a Google text ad simply cannot - it makes someone imagine that bathroom in their own home. That emotional connection is what drives enquiries. When someone sees a cramped, dated bathroom transformed into something they would see in a boutique hotel, they start thinking about their own bathroom differently.

Side-by-side comparison

When to use Facebook Ads

Facebook is the right starting point if:

• You are new to online advertising and want to test with a smaller budget
• You have strong photography or video of completed bathrooms
• You want to build your brand in a specific area
• You have a showroom and want to drive visits
• You want to reach homeowners who have not started searching yet
• You offer design-led or premium bathroom installations

Facebook is particularly effective for bathroom companies because the product is so visual. A single before-and-after image - showing a dated avocado suite replaced with a sleek walk-in shower - can generate dozens of enquiries.

When to use Google Ads

Google is the right choice when:

• You want to catch people who are actively searching for a bathroom fitter
• You have a bigger budget (£1,200+ per month) and want high-intent leads
• You have a strong website with good conversion rates
• You are in an area with high search volume for bathroom keywords
• You want leads who are ready to book a consultation now

When to use both together

The most successful bathroom companies use both platforms as part of a complete marketing system.

Facebook handles the top of the funnel. It reaches homeowners in your area, shows them your work, and plants the seed. Some will enquire immediately. Others will remember your name and come back later.

Google handles the bottom of the funnel. When that homeowner who saw your Facebook ad two months ago finally decides to get quotes, they search "bathroom fitter near me" on Google. Your ad appears at the top. They recognise your name. They click. They become a customer.

This is not theoretical - it is how the buying journey actually works for bathroom renovations. The consideration period is typically two to four months. During that time, a homeowner might see your Facebook ads four or five times before they are ready to act. When they finally search on Google, you are already familiar. That familiarity is what tips the decision in your favour.

Recommended budget split

• Starting out: 100% Facebook. Get consistent leads flowing first.
• Growing: 70% Facebook, 30% Google. Add Google to capture high-intent searches.
• Established: 60% Facebook, 40% Google. Your brand awareness makes Google more efficient.

Remarketing: the secret weapon

Remarketing means showing ads to people who have already visited your website or engaged with your content. Both platforms offer it, but Facebook does it better for bathroom companies.

On Facebook, you can show a carousel of your best bathroom transformations to someone who visited your website but did not enquire. That visual reminder - appearing in their feed alongside posts from friends and family - feels natural rather than intrusive. It keeps you top of mind during the consideration period.

Google's remarketing works through the display network - banner ads on other websites. These can feel more intrusive and typically get lower engagement. However, they are still worth running if you are already on Google, as the cost is minimal.

The real power comes from combining both. Someone visits your website from a Google search, does not enquire, and then sees your Facebook remarketing ad the next day showing the exact style of bathroom they were browsing. That multi-platform presence builds trust and accelerates the decision.

Why Meta works best for showroom-based businesses

If you run a bathroom showroom, Meta advertising is especially powerful. Here is why.

Showrooms are about experience. You want people to walk in, see the displays, touch the tiles, and sit in the baths. But getting people through the door is the hard part. Google can capture someone searching "bathroom showroom near me" - but those searches are limited in volume.

Facebook lets you create the desire to visit. You can show video walkthroughs of your showroom displays. You can run carousel ads featuring your best bathroom setups. You can target homeowners within a 15-mile radius who own their home and are interested in home improvement. Most importantly, you can show them something they did not know existed - a showroom near them with exactly the kind of bathroom they have been dreaming about.

Showroom-based businesses also benefit from Facebook's event and offer formats. Running a bathroom design consultation event? A spring sale on bathroom suites? Facebook lets you promote these to a precisely targeted local audience in a way that Google simply cannot match.

The data backs this up. Showroom-based bathroom companies we have worked with consistently see their lowest cost per showroom visit from Meta campaigns, not Google.

The verdict

Facebook Ads and Google Ads are not competitors - they are complementary. They serve different purposes at different stages of the buying journey.

But if you are a bathroom fitter choosing just one platform to start with, Facebook is the better choice for most businesses. Here is why:

• Lower cost per lead (£25-55 vs £45-100)
• Lower barrier to entry (£500/month vs £1,200/month)
• Visual format that showcases bathroom transformations naturally
• Faster results (days, not weeks)
• Brand building that makes future Google campaigns more effective
• Showroom footfall - Meta is unmatched for driving local visits

With an average bathroom renovation value of £8,500, even at the higher end of Facebook's lead costs (£55), you only need a small percentage of leads to convert to see a significant return. A single sale from a £55 lead is a 154x return on that lead cost.

Start with Facebook. Get it working. Then add Google to capture the high-intent searches your brand awareness creates. That is the formula that works for bathroom companies across the UK.