Bark vs Facebook Ads for Home Improvement: Which Delivers Better Leads?
In this article
Bark is one of the most popular lead generation platforms for tradespeople in the UK. The premise is simple: homeowners post what they need, Bark matches them with professionals, and those professionals pay credits to contact the homeowner. It is straightforward, it is familiar, and it generates leads.
But is it the best use of your marketing budget? If you run a home improvement company - windows, doors, conservatories, extensions, garden rooms - there is an alternative that most Bark users have not properly considered: running your own Facebook ads.
This article compares both platforms honestly. Not to sell you on one or the other, but to give you the real numbers so you can decide for yourself. We have already compared Checkatrade vs Facebook Ads and Google Ads vs Facebook Ads. Now let us look at Bark.
Key takeaways:
- Bark leads cost £10-30 per contact but are shared with up to 5 other professionals
- Facebook leads cost £20-50 each but are 100% exclusive to you
- Bark close rates: 8-15%. Facebook close rates: 20-35%.
- Cost per actual sale is often lower on Facebook despite higher per-lead cost
- Facebook builds your brand. Bark builds Bark's brand.
How Bark actually works
The credit system
Bark uses a pay-per-lead credit system. You buy credits upfront (roughly £1.50 to £2 per credit) and spend them to contact leads. Each lead costs between 2 and 20 credits depending on the job type and estimated value. A conservatory installation lead might cost 10 to 15 credits (£15 to £30). A window repair might cost 3 to 5 credits (£5 to £10).
The appeal of this model is that you only pay for leads you choose to pursue. See a lead that looks promising? Spend credits to contact them. See one that looks like a time-waster? Skip it. This feels like control, and in some ways it is.
The sharing problem
Here is the catch. When you spend credits to contact a lead, so do other professionals. Bark typically shares each lead with 3 to 5 companies. The homeowner receives multiple responses simultaneously. From their perspective, this is great - they get to compare quotes. From yours, it means you are immediately in competition with multiple other companies before you have even had a conversation.
The response race
The first professional to respond on Bark typically has the best chance of winning the job. This creates a speed-driven dynamic where being at your phone constantly matters more than the quality of your work or your reputation. If you are on site when a lead comes in, you have already lost ground to someone who was sitting at their desk.
How Facebook ads work differently
Facebook ads for home improvement work on a completely different model. Instead of responding to leads from a marketplace, you create your own ads targeting homeowners in your area. When someone fills in a lead form on your Facebook ad, that enquiry goes to you and only you. There is no marketplace. There is no competition. The homeowner saw your work, liked it, and asked to hear from you specifically.
For a full guide on setting up Facebook campaigns for your trade, see our articles on garden room ads, conservatory ads, and window company ads.
Cost comparison: real numbers
| Bark | Facebook Ads | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost per lead | £10-30 (credits) | £20-50 (ad spend) |
| Lead exclusivity | Shared with 3-5 companies | 100% exclusive to you |
| Close rate | 8-15% | 20-35% |
| Cost per sale | £100-300 | £70-200 |
| Monthly commitment | Pay-as-you-go (credits) | Monthly ad spend (no lock-in) |
| Minimum spend | No minimum | ~£500/month for meaningful results |
| Brand building | None (builds Bark's brand) | Strong (builds your brand) |
| Control over targeting | Low (Bark chooses who sees your profile) | High (you choose exactly who sees your ads) |
| Creative control | Profile page only | Full control over ads, images, copy |
Lead quality and close rates
The most important number in this comparison is not cost per lead - it is cost per sale. A cheaper lead that never converts is more expensive than a pricier lead that turns into a £20,000 job.
Bark lead quality
Bark leads vary in quality. Some are genuine homeowners ready to get work done. Others are price-shopping across multiple platforms simultaneously. Some are unrealistic about budget. The shared nature of the leads means that even good leads become harder to close because the homeowner is comparing you with multiple other quotes.
Facebook lead quality
Facebook leads come from people who saw your specific work and wanted to learn more. They filled in a form on your ad, not on a general marketplace. The lead quality is typically higher because the homeowner has already seen your brand, your work, and your message before enquiring. They are not comparison shopping on a platform - they came to you specifically.
Speed of follow-up matters for both
Regardless of the platform, the speed of your follow-up is critical. Call within 30 minutes of receiving a lead - on both Bark and Facebook. The companies that follow up fastest close the most jobs. This is the one area where the advice is identical for both platforms.
Control and exclusivity
On Bark, you are one of many
Your Bark profile sits alongside every other professional in your category and area. You have limited control over how you are presented. The homeowner sees a list of options and picks based on reviews, price, and response time. You are a commodity in a marketplace.
On Facebook, you are the only one they see
Your Facebook ad shows your work, your brand, your message - and nobody else's. The homeowner's first impression of you is entirely in your control. Your best project photos. Your strongest selling points. Your most compelling copy. There are no competitor profiles alongside yours.
When Bark still makes sense
We are not going to pretend Bark is worthless. There are situations where it makes sense:
- Brand new business: If you have just started and have no leads, no website, and no portfolio, Bark can get enquiries flowing whilst you build your own marketing.
- Testing a new area: If you are expanding into a new location and want to test demand before committing ad spend, Bark's pay-per-lead model is low risk.
- Smaller jobs: For jobs under £1,000 where the ROI on Facebook ads might not justify the spend, Bark's lower per-lead cost makes more sense.
- Supplementary leads: Some companies use Bark to fill quiet spots whilst their Facebook campaigns handle the bulk of lead generation.
Making the switch
If you are currently relying on Bark and want to move to Facebook ads, here is the approach we recommend:
- Month 1: Start Facebook ads at £500-1,000/month alongside Bark. Track leads and conversions from both sources separately.
- Month 2: Compare cost per sale between Bark and Facebook. Usually, Facebook is already winning by this point.
- Month 3: If Facebook is delivering, increase the budget and reduce Bark credits. Do not cut Bark entirely until Facebook is consistently filling your diary.
- Month 4+: Most companies have fully transitioned by month four. Bark credits reduce to zero. Facebook generates all the leads they need.
The transition is not a cliff edge. You overlap both channels until the data tells you which one wins. In our experience, Facebook wins for every home improvement company with an average job value over £3,000.
Want to see what the numbers would look like for your specific business? Get your free ad audit and we will run the comparison for you.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Bark worth it for tradespeople?
Bark can be worth it for new businesses that need leads immediately and have no other lead source. The credit system means you only pay for leads you choose to contact, which gives you some control. However, those leads are shared with other Bark professionals, which drives close rates down to 10-15%. For established companies, Facebook ads typically deliver better value because every lead is exclusive.
How much do Bark leads cost?
Bark uses a credit system where each lead costs between 2 and 20 credits depending on the job type and value. Credits cost roughly £1.50 to £2 each. So a conservatory lead might cost £15 to £30 in credits. However, that lead is shared with up to 5 other professionals. When you factor in the reduced close rate, the true cost per sale is often higher than Facebook ads.
Can I use Bark and Facebook Ads together?
Yes, and many companies do during the transition from Bark to Facebook ads. The key is tracking where each lead comes from so you can compare cost per lead, close rate, and cost per sale for each channel. Most companies find that within three months, Facebook ads deliver better results and Bark becomes redundant. But there is no harm in overlapping whilst you test.
What close rate should I expect from Bark leads?
Close rates on Bark leads for home improvement companies typically range from 8 to 15 percent. This is lower than word-of-mouth referrals (40-60%) and lower than exclusive Facebook leads (20-35%). The lower close rate is because Bark leads are shared with multiple professionals, so the homeowner is comparing quotes and often choosing based on price and speed of response.