The word "lead" is one of the most abused terms in marketing. Many lead generation companies operate on a vague definition that benefits them, not you. This results in you paying for wrong numbers, solicitors, and calls from outside your service area. A true marketing partner, however, operates on a crystal-clear definition of what you're actually paying for. This guide provides the definitive checklist for what constitutes a real, billable, water restoration lead from Real Time Lead Gen.
The Problem with a Vague "Lead" Definition
If your lead provider can't give you a simple, multi-point checklist for what constitutes a billable lead, you are in a bad partnership. Vague definitions like "any call over 60 seconds" are designed to protect the lead seller, not the contractor. This ambiguity forces you to pay for unqualified inquiries and hurts your ROI.
This is a major reason why the conversation about the value of live restoration calls is so important; a live conversation allows for immediate, real-time qualification that a simple form submission cannot provide.
The 4-Point Qualified Lead Checklist
You should only ever pay for a lead that meets these four non-negotiable criteria. This is the playbook we use, and it's the standard you should demand from any marketing partner.
The Caller is in Your Specific Service Area. The lead must be for a property located in one of your pre-defined ZIP codes. You should not be paying for calls from 50 miles outside your territory.
The Caller Needs a Service You Provide. The inquiry must be for a core restoration service like water mitigation, fire cleanup, or mold remediation. You should not be paying for calls from people looking for a plumber to fix the leak or a roofer to fix the hole.
The Caller has Immediate, Verifiable Intent. The person must be the property owner or an authorized decision-maker (like a property manager) who has an active, current problem and is looking to hire a professional to begin work. Calls from "price shoppers" for a future project or tenants without authority are not qualified leads.
The Call is a Unique, Filtered Opportunity. It must be a new potential customer. You should never pay for calls from existing clients, wrong numbers, solicitors, or other contractors.
Why a Clear Definition is the Key to a Good Partnership
A transparent, rigorous qualification process is the foundation of a healthy and profitable partnership. When you know you are only paying for real, actionable opportunities, you can invest in marketing with confidence. It allows you to accurately track your true Cost Per Acquired Job and scale your business predictably.
Once this foundation of trust is established, it's easier to implement the next step: a system for high-converting phone conversations, which we cover in our contractor's playbook for lead intake.
Justin Hess - Founder of Real Time Lead Gen - We'll Make Your Phone Ring! - Generating exclusive restoration leads since 2015...lifelong internet marketer. I AM The Google Alchemist.
P.S. You now have the exact checklist to hold any marketing partner accountable. If you're tired of paying for junk leads and want to switch to a system where you only pay for real, qualified jobs, that's what we've perfected.
