Google Local Services Ads Eligible Categories (2026)

Local Services Ads (often called LSAs) are Google ads built for local service businesses. They show at the top of Google Search and on Google Maps when someone nearby searches for what you do, like "plumber near me" or "house cleaning in Salisbury."

Three things make them different from regular Google Ads:

• You pay per lead, not per click. You're charged when a customer calls, messages, or books you through the ad. Someone who looks and leaves costs you nothing.
• There are no keywords to manage. Google matches your ad to searches based on your job types and service area.
• You have to be verified first. Google checks your business, and approved businesses get a green Google Verified badge next to their name.

These are all 116 job categories in Google's Local Services Ads sign-up tool for the United States, as of October 2026. I grouped them by industry to make them easier to scan. The names match what Google shows in its drop-down menu.

Here's what to do:

• Look for a close match. Google's names are broad. A gutter cleaner may fit under Window cleaning or Roofing, and a deck builder under Carpentry or General contracting. Pick the category that matches most of your jobs.
• Check again in a few months. Google adds new categories every so often, usually by testing them in a few markets first.
• Build your free visibility first. Your Google Business Profile, reviews, and website bring in calls whether or not you can run Local Services Ads. That's where I start every business in The Local Visibility Playbook.
• Use regular Google Ads or Facebook ads. These work for almost any business type. You pay per click instead of per lead, so they take more care to run well.

This 2-minute check tells you for sure.

1. Go to Google's Local Services Ads sign-up page and sign in with your Google account.
2. Choose United States as your country.
3. Pick your state and type your ZIP code.
4. Open the Job category menu and choose your business type.
5. Click Check Eligibility.

If your area is open, Google lets you continue to sign-up. If not, try a nearby ZIP code in your service area, or pick the next-closest category.

Here's what Google typically checks:

• Business registration or license. What's required depends on your trade and your state. Licensed trades like plumbing, electrical, and HVAC need an active license.
• Insurance. Some categories need proof of liability insurance. This also varies by state.
• Background checks. Google runs checks on the business and the owner. In some categories, the people who do the work are checked too.
• Reviews. Many categories need a minimum number of Google reviews and a solid star rating before your ad can show.
• A Google Business Profile. Your ad pulls your name, address, and hours from your profile, so it needs to be accurate and verified.

Google Guaranteed Is Now Google Verified

If you're searching for "Google Guaranteed," here's what changed. On October 20, 2025, Google retired the Google Guaranteed, Google Screened, and License Verified by Google badges. Every approved business now gets one badge: Google Verified.

The money-back guarantee that came with Google Guaranteed ended at the same time. If you were already verified, your badge switched over on its own. If your website, truck, or ads still say "Google Guaranteed," it's time to update them.

Google doesn't publish lead prices, but 2026 industry studies put the average home services lead at about $53 to $63. Most trades land somewhere between $25 and $130 per lead.

What changes your cost per lead:

• Your trade. Emergency and high-dollar jobs (HVAC, roofing, water damage) cost more per lead than lower-ticket services.
• Your location. Big-city leads usually cost more than small-town and rural leads.
• The season. Lead prices rise when demand spikes, like AC repair in July.
• The type of lead. Google charges message leads at half the price of a phone lead.
• Your profile. Google says stronger profiles may pay less per lead.

You set a budget, and Google won't go over your monthly cap. If you get a lead that's clearly not a real job, like a wrong number or spam, you can flag it and ask for a credit.

Your ads become a special Performance Max campaign built for pay-per-lead. Here's the short version.

When it happens

• August 2026: Select US home and storefront businesses, including plumbing, HVAC, electrical, roofing, pest control, and moving.
• Late 2026: More businesses, including service-area businesses without a storefront.
• 2027: Everyone else, plus accounts outside the US.

Google emails your account admin 14 days before your account moves. New advertisers still sign up through the regular Local Services sign-up page for now.

If your category is on the list, LSAs are one of the best ways to get hot leads. In The Local Visibility Playbook, paid leads are step 7, not step 1.