How DFW Contractors Can Get More Leads This Winter

Q: What’s the fastest way to get winter leads if I’m slow right now?

Summary Answer: Update your Google Business Profile (GMB) and send a simple email offer to your past customer list. Expanded Answer: Log in to your GMB profile right now. Go to the “Services” section and add “Furnace Maintenance,” “Winter Prep,” or “Pipe Insulation.” Then, send a plain-text email to your old customers. A simple note offering a “Winter Safety Check” can fill your schedule faster than any other type of marketing. Key Takeaway: Your best new jobs this winter will often come from your old customers.

Q: Should I run Google Ads for “frozen pipe repair” in DFW?

Summary Answer: Yes, but only if you send those clicks to a specific webpage, not your homepage. Expanded Answer: A homeowner searching for “frozen pipe repair” is in a panic. Do not send them to your homepage where they have to hunt for information. Ads for emergency keywords should go to a special page that says “Frozen Pipe Repair” at the top and has your phone number in big letters. Otherwise, you are just paying for clicks that leave in three seconds. Key Takeaway: Do not waste money on ads until your website is ready to handle that emergency traffic.

Q: What’s the point of a blog for a roofing company in winter?

Summary Answer: A blog shows homeowners and Google that you are the DFW expert for winter roof problems. Expanded Answer: You can write simple articles that get you leads. For example: “How to Spot a Roof Leak After a DFW Ice Storm” or “Do I Need a Roof Inspection After a Hail Storm?” At the end of each post, you add a link to your “Free Roof Inspection” page. This proves your expertise and gives you a direct way to get a lead. Key Takeaway: A simple blog post builds trust and gives you a perfect reason to offer an inspection.

Q: How do I get HVAC leads when it’s just ‘cool’ out, not ‘cold’?

Summary Answer: Stop selling “furnace repair” and start selling “furnace safety checks” or “tune-ups.” Expanded Answer: Most people wait until their heat breaks to call. You need to give them a reason to call you before it breaks. The best way is to focus on safety and savings. Your offer should be “Get Our $99 Furnace Safety Check” or “Lower Your Heating Bill This Winter.” This gets you in the door and often leads to bigger repair jobs or new unit sales. Key Takeaway: Sell peace of mind and energy savings, not just repairs.

Q: What’s the biggest mistake contractors make on their Google profile in winter?

Summary Answer: They forget to list their emergency hours, so Google shows them as “Closed.” Expanded Answer: Many contractors set their GMB hours to 9-to-5. When a homeowner searches for “emergency plumber” at 8 PM, your profile says “Closed,” and they call the next person. You must log in and add “24/7 Emergency Hours” so your profile stays “Open” for those profitable after-hours calls. Key Takeaway: If your Google profile is not set for 24/7, you are invisible to emergency customers at night.

Q: How can a roofer get leads in DFW when it’s too cold to install shingles?

Summary Answer: You should shift your marketing to focus on inspections, temporary repairs, and gutter cleaning. Expanded Answer: Your customers may not know you do more than just full installs. Use your website to promote your “Winter Roof Inspection” service. Talk about “Emergency Tarping Services” or “Ice Dam Removal.” These are high-need, high-profit jobs that can keep your crews busy until the weather warms up for bigger projects. Key Takeaway: Stop marketing for jobs you cannot do, and start marketing for the jobs you can do right now.

Q: What is better for emergency leads: Google Ads or Local Services Ads?

Summary Answer: For emergency services like plumbing or HVAC, Google’s Local Services Ads (LSA) are almost always better. Expanded Answer: LSA puts you at the very top of Google, above the regular ads. More importantly, it shows you as “Google Guaranteed.” This gives a panicked homeowner instant trust. You also pay per lead (a phone call), not per click, so it can be much more cost-effective. Key Takeaway: The “Google Guaranteed” badge builds trust, which is the most important thing in an emergency.

Q: What’s one thing I can add to my website today to get winter leads?

Summary Answer: Add a simple “banner” or “pop-up” to your homepage with your main winter offer. Expanded Answer: As soon as someone lands on your site, they should see your offer. This could be a “click here for $50 off a furnace tune-up” or “Schedule your free pre-winter roof inspection.” This simple visual makes your offer impossible to miss and guides the customer to the exact action you want them to take. Key Takeaway: Make your most important winter offer the first thing your website visitors see.

Q: How can I market “attic insulation” to DFW homeowners?

Summary Answer: Connect your insulation service directly to the high heating bills they just received. Expanded Answer: Do not just sell “insulation.” Sell “Lower Heating Bills.” Your marketing message should be: “Shocked by your last electric bill? Your attic might be the problem.” This speaks to a pain point they are feeling right now. Then, you can offer a “Free Attic Insulation Inspection” to show them how much money they are losing. Key Takeaway: Sell the solution (lower bills), not the product (insulation).

Q: Should my website mention specific DFW neighborhoods or just “DFW”?

Summary Answer: Yes, you should absolutely mention specific cities and even neighborhoods. Expanded Answer: Homeowners want a local contractor. A person in Frisco wants to see the word “Frisco” on your site, not just “DFW.” It makes them feel like you are their neighbor and can get to them quickly. We build pages for our clients like “Plano Furnace Repair” and “Fort Worth Roof Leaks” because they rank better and get more calls. Key Takeaway: Being hyper-local builds trust and helps you rank higher in the specific areas you service.

Key Takeaways:

Be Ready for Emergencies: Prepare your website and Google profile for winter before storms hit.

Create Your Own Work: Use the slow season to sell “winter prep” and “safety check” jobs.

Email Your Past Customers: Use your existing customer list to book maintenance jobs. It is your cheapest and fastest source of leads.

Sell Safety, Not Discounts: A specific offer like a “$99 Furnace Safety Check” works better than a generic “10% Off” coupon.

Update Your Google Hours: List “24/7 Emergency Service” on your Google profile, or you will be invisible to homeowners with after-hours emergencies.

Table of Contents

The Dallas/DFW Contractor’s Complete Winter Plan

For DFW contractors, winter often feels like one of two extremes. You are either dead slow, or you are getting frantic calls at 10 PM.

One week, your crews are sitting around, and you are worried about cash flow. The next, a big ice storm hits, and every phone in the metroplex starts ringing for pipe repairs or roof leaks.

It feels like you cannot plan for anything.

This guide gives you a simple plan to fix both problems. We have been building websites for DFW home service companies for over 10 years. We have seen exactly what the most successful HVAC, plumbing, and roofing companies do to turn the slow months into their most profitable time of year.

They do more than just wait for emergencies. They prepare for them. And they use that quiet time to create their own work by booking high-profit maintenance jobs.

This is the two-part playbook they use.

Part 1: The Emergency Plan:

This is how you make sure you are the first company homeowners call when things go wrong.

Part 2: The Scheduling Plan:

This is how you fill your schedule with good maintenance jobs so you are not just waiting for the phone to ring.

Part 1: The Emergency Plan — How to Capture High-Profit Winter Leads

When a pipe freezes in a Plano home or a roof leaks in Fort Worth, homeowners do not shop around. They do not ask for three quotes.

They grab their phone and search for “frozen pipe repair Dallas” or “emergency roofer near me.” They call the first company that looks like it can solve their problem right now.

If your website and Google profile are not ready for these exact searches, you will not get the call. Those high-profit emergency jobs will go straight to your competitors.

Here is how you get to the top of that list.

Tweak Your Website’s Words

Google is a robot. It needs to see the exact words a homeowner is searching for. If your website only says “Plumbing Services,” Google may not show you to a person searching for “frozen pipe repair.”

You need to add your specific winter emergency services to your website.

On your homepage: Right near the top, add a short list of your top emergency services. For example: “Our 24/7 Emergency Services Include: Frozen Pipe Repair, Furnace Repair, and Storm Damage.”

In your service list: Make sure these are listed as main services, not hidden on another page.

This small change tells Google and the homeowner that you are the right person for the job.

Make Your Google Profile Your 911

For emergency calls, your Google Business Profile (GMB) is more important than your website. This is the little box that shows up in Google Maps. When a homeowner is panicking, this is what they look at first.

You need to set it up for emergencies before they happen.

List 24/7 Emergency Service: Log in to your GMB profile and make sure you have “24/7 emergency service” or “emergency hours” listed. If a homeowner searches at 9 PM, you want your profile to show that you are “Open Now.”

Add Your Services: In your GMB “Services” tab, add “Frozen Pipe Repair,” “Furnace Repair,” “Roof Leak Repair,” and “Storm Damage Repair.”

Use GMB Posts: When you know a storm is coming, make a GMB Post. It is like a small social media post for Google. Post a picture and write, “A winter storm is headed for DFW. Our crews are ready for any emergency roof or plumbing repairs. Call us 24/7.”

Create Specific “Emergency” Service Pages

This is the most important step. Do not lump all your work onto one “Services” page. You need to create a separate page on your website for each main emergency service.

Why? Two reasons.

1. It helps you rank on Google – A page titled “Emergency Roof Leak Repair in Dallas, TX” has a much better chance of ranking than a generic “Roofing” page. It tells Google exactly what the page is about.

2. It builds trust with the homeowner – When a person with a leaking roof lands on a page that says “We Fix Roof Leaks Fast,” they feel relief. They know they are in the right place. If they land on a generic page, they might get confused and click the “back” button.

You need a separate page for:

Frozen Pipe Repair
Furnace Repair
Emergency Roof Leak Repair
Storm Damage Repair

Each page should have a clear headline, a short description of how you solve the problem, and your phone number in big, easy-to-see numbers.

Quick Stat & Visual

We found a real-world example from a North Texas plumbing company. During the 2021 winter freeze, they told CBS News that they saw a 248% spike in emergency calls.

When an emergency hits, thousands of DFW homeowners are all searching for help at the same time. This is not a guess; it is a fact.

The only question is, will they find you?

They will, if your website looks like the “After” example below. A homeowner who is panicking will not read your “About Us” page. They will scan your site for about three seconds.

You must show them you can solve their problem now.

❌ BEFORE: A Confusing Homepage

Just a logo and a generic “Welcome” message.
The phone number is small and in the footer.
Services are in a dropdown menu, listed as “Plumbing” and “Heating.”
No mention of emergency, storm, or 24/7.

✅ AFTER: A Clear Emergency-Ready Homepage

A big, bold headline: “24/7 Emergency Repairs in DFW.”
A large, easy-to-see “Click to Call Now” button right at the top.
A clear, simple list of services: “Frozen Pipe Repair,” “Furnace Repair,” “Roof Leaks.”

The homeowner knows in one second that this company can help them.

Part 2: The Scheduling Plan — How to Create Your Own Work

Waiting for emergencies is not a business plan. It is a gamble.

Successful DFW contractors use the winter to create their own work. They fill their schedules with profitable maintenance and prep jobs. This keeps their crews busy and their cash flow steady, so the emergency calls are just extra profit.

This plan is about making your phone ring before the problem starts. Here is how you do it.

Use Your Website to “Remind” Customers

Homeowners are busy. They are not thinking about their gutters or their furnace. You need to remind them. Your website is the perfect tool for this.

Stop hiding your maintenance services. Make them a clear offer.

❌ Bad Offer: “We offer maintenance.”

✅ Good Offer: “Get Our $99 Furnace Tune-Up Before the First Freeze.”

✅ Good Offer: “Free Gutter & Roof Inspection for DFW Homes.”

✅ Good Offer: “Schedule Your Winter Pipe Insulation Check.”

Put this offer on the homepage of your website. When a past customer visits your site, they should see this clear, simple next step.

Email Your Old Customer List

This is the easiest and cheapest lead you will ever get. You are sitting on a list of people who already know and trust you: your past customers.

Do not let that list go to waste.

You do not need a fancy design. A simple, plain-text email works best.

Subject: A quick note before winter

Body: “Hi [Customer Name], it’s [Your Name] from [Your Company]. It’s starting to get cold in DFW. We’re doing $99 furnace safety checks for all our past customers to make sure you’re ready for winter. Just click here to book a time. Stay warm.”

That is it. This simple email can fill your schedule for two weeks.

Write a Simple Blog Post That Sells

A blog is not just for “SEO.” It is a tool to prove you are an expert and to sell your services.

Write one simple article on your website and share it. This article will attract homeowners who are thinking about winter problems.

Good Blog Post Ideas for Contractors:

“3 Ways to Prep Your DFW Home for a Freeze” (In this post, you tell them to check their furnace… and plug your “furnace tune-up” service).
“How to Spot a Roof Leak After a DFW Ice Storm” (In this post, you tell them what to look for… and plug your “free roof inspection” service).
“Why Gutter Cleaning is a Must-Do Before Winter in North Texas” (Here, you plug your “gutter cleaning” service).

This one post makes you the helpful expert. You are not just selling; you are helping. And it gives you something to send to your email list and post on your company’s Facebook page.

A DFW Contractor’s Winter-Ready Website Checklist

Use this simple checklist to see if your digital marketing is ready for a DFW winter.

Does your homepage clearly mention “emergency,” “winter,” or “storm” services?
Is your main phone number at the very top of your website and easy to click?
Have you listed “24/7 Emergency Service” on your Google Business Profile?
Have you added your top winter services (like “Frozen Pipe Repair”) to your Google Business Profile?
Do you have a separate website page for each of your top 2-3 winter emergency services?
Do you have a clear “Book a Tune-Up” or “Schedule Inspection” offer on your site?
Have you emailed your past customer list in the last 6 months?

If you checked “no” on two or more of these, you are losing leads to your competition.

FAQs

Here are common questions we hear from DFW contractors about getting more winter work.

What’s the fastest way to get winter leads if I’m slow right now?

Summary Answer: Update your Google Business Profile (GMB) and send a simple email offer to your past customer list.
Expanded Answer: Log in to your GMB profile right now. Go to the “Services” section and add “Furnace Maintenance,” “Winter Prep,” or “Pipe Insulation.” Then, send a plain-text email to your old customers. A simple note offering a “Winter Safety Check” can fill your schedule faster than any other type of marketing.
Key Takeaway: Your best new jobs this winter will often come from your old customers.

Should I run Google Ads for “frozen pipe repair” in DFW?

Summary Answer: Yes, but only if you send those clicks to a specific webpage, not your homepage.
Expanded Answer: A homeowner searching for “frozen pipe repair” is in a panic. Do not send them to your homepage where they have to hunt for information. Ads for emergency keywords should go to a special page that says “Frozen Pipe Repair” at the top and has your phone number in big letters. Otherwise, you are just paying for clicks that leave in three seconds.
Key Takeaway: Do not waste money on ads until your website is ready to handle that emergency traffic.

What’s the point of a blog for a roofing company in winter?

Summary Answer: A blog shows homeowners and Google that you are the DFW expert for winter roof problems.
Expanded Answer: You can write simple articles that get you leads. For example: “How to Spot a Roof Leak After a DFW Ice Storm” or “Do I Need a Roof Inspection After a Hail Storm?” At the end of each post, you add a link to your “Free Roof
Inspection” page. This proves your expertise and gives you a direct way to get a lead.
Key Takeaway: A simple blog post builds trust and gives you a perfect reason to offer an inspection.

How do I get HVAC leads when it’s just ‘cool’ out, not ‘cold’?

Summary Answer: Stop selling “furnace repair” and start selling “furnace safety checks” or “tune-ups.”
Expanded Answer: Most people wait until their heat breaks to call. You need to give them a reason to call you before it breaks. The best way is to focus on safety and savings. Your offer should be “Get Our $99 Furnace Safety Check” or “Lower Your Heating Bill This Winter.” This gets you in the door and often leads to bigger repair jobs or new unit sales.
Key Takeaway: Sell peace of mind and energy savings, not just repairs.

What’s the biggest mistake contractors make on their Google profile in winter?

Summary Answer: They forget to list their emergency hours, so Google shows them as “Closed.”
Expanded Answer: Many contractors set their GMB hours to 9-to-5. When a homeowner searches for “emergency plumber” at 8 PM, your profile says “Closed,” and they call the next person. You must log in and add “24/7 Emergency Hours” so your profile stays “Open” for those profitable after-hours calls.
Key Takeaway: If your Google profile is not set for 24/7, you are invisible to emergency customers at night.

How can a roofer get leads in DFW when it’s too cold to install shingles?

Summary Answer: You should shift your marketing to focus on inspections, temporary repairs, and gutter cleaning.
Expanded Answer: Your customers may not know you do more than just full installs. Use your website to promote your “Winter Roof Inspection” service. Talk about “Emergency Tarping Services” or “Ice Dam Removal.” These are high-need, high-profit jobs that can keep your crews busy until the weather warms up for bigger projects.
Key Takeaway: Stop marketing for jobs you cannot do, and start marketing for the jobs you can do right now.

What is better for emergency leads: Google Ads or Local Services Ads?

Summary Answer: For emergency services like plumbing or HVAC, Google’s Local Services Ads (LSA) are almost always better.
Expanded Answer: LSA puts you at the very top of Google, above the regular Google ads. More importantly, it shows you as “Google Guaranteed.” This gives a panicked homeowner instant trust. You also pay per lead (a phone call), not per click, so it can be much more cost-effective.
Key Takeaway: The “Google Guaranteed” badge builds trust, which is the most important thing in an emergency.

What’s one thing I can add to my website today to get winter leads?

Summary Answer: Add a simple “banner” or “pop-up” to your homepage with your main winter offer.
Expanded Answer: As soon as someone lands on your site, they should see your offer. This could be a “click here for $50 off a furnace tune-up” or “Schedule your free pre-winter roof inspection.” This simple visual makes your offer impossible to miss and guides the customer to the exact action you want them to take.
Key Takeaway: Make your most important winter offer the first thing your website visitors see.

How can I market “attic insulation” to DFW homeowners?

Summary Answer: Connect your insulation service directly to the high heating bills they just received.
Expanded Answer: Do not just sell “insulation.” Sell “Lower Heating Bills.” Your marketing message should be: “Shocked by your last electric bill? Your attic might be the problem.” This speaks to a pain point they are feeling right now. Then, you can offer a “Free Attic Insulation Inspection” to show them how much money they are losing.
Key Takeaway: Sell the solution (lower bills), not the product (insulation).

Should my website mention specific DFW neighborhoods or just “DFW”?

Summary Answer: Yes, you should absolutely mention specific cities and even neighborhoods.
Expanded Answer: Homeowners want a local contractor. A person in Frisco wants to see the word “Frisco” on your site, not just “DFW.” It makes them feel like you are their neighbor and can get to them quickly. We build pages for our clients like “Plano Furnace Repair” and “Fort Worth Roof Leaks” because they rank better and get more calls.
Key Takeaway: Being hyper-local builds trust and helps you rank higher in the specific areas you service.

A Local DFW Example

How a Plano HVAC Company Doubled Their November Bookings

This local Plano HVAC company had a slow schedule heading into winter. We helped them fill it by swapping their “10% Off” ads for a simple “safety” offer.

The Situation:

We work with an HVAC company in Plano. Every October, they would hit a wall. It was too cool for AC calls but not cold enough for furnace repairs. Their schedule was empty, and they were spending money on “10% Off” ads that were not working.

The Solution:

We told them to stop selling “discounts” and start selling “safety.” We built one new page on their website called “The $99 Winter Furnace Safety Check.”

Then, we helped them send one simple email to their past customer list. The email did not have fancy pictures. It just said, “We’re offering a $99 safety check to make sure your furnace is safe and ready before the first freeze. Click here to book.”

The Outcome:

They booked 45 “Safety Check” jobs in the first week.

That one email filled their schedule. But it got better. Those “safety checks” led to their techs finding 12 old, inefficient units that needed to be replaced. They got 12 new furnace replacement quotes (a much bigger job) before the real cold even hit. They stopped worrying about the slow season and started managing a busy schedule.

Conclusion: Stop Gambling on the Weather

You cannot control when a winter storm hits DFW. But you can control whether your business is ready for it.

A slow winter season is not something you have to accept. And you should not have to gamble on emergencies to keep your crews busy.

With a simple, two-part plan, you can take control of your schedule.

Part 1: Get Ready for Emergencies. Set up your website and Google profile to capture those high-profit panic calls.

Part 2: Create Your Own Work. Use your website and email list to book profitable maintenance jobs.

This plan turns winter from your slowest season into one of your best.

Your Website Should Be Your Best Salesperson

If your website is not helping you get leads, it is just a cost. It should be an asset.

We help DFW contractors turn their websites into lead-generation tools that work 24/7. If you are tired of a slow schedule and want to be ready for both the emergencies and the quiet weeks, we can help.

Call us for a simple, no-fluff talk about your website.

How to Get More Contractor Leads This Winter in DFW