Should I Hire an In-House Marketing Person or Consultant?

A Contractor University Member recently utilized the Ask-The-Expert Q&A feature within the member dashboard by submitting the following question and received the response below.

Contractor Question:

“Do larger HVAC or home service companies have an in-house marketing person who oversees all advertising and manages outside agencies like Google Ads, SEO, LSA and Angi?”

Contractor University Expert Response:

“Yes. As companies grow (especially past $5 million in annual revenue) it becomes increasingly common to bring marketing leadership in-house.

Mid-size and larger HVAC companies typically have a Marketing Manager or Marketing Director who owns strategy, budget and performance. Outside agencies (PPC, SEO, LSAs, Angi, direct mail, etc.) are treated as vendors — not decision-makers. The internal marketing lead sets goals, manages spend, tracks cost per lead and holds agencies accountable for ROI.

In smaller companies ($1–$2 million), marketing is often handled by the owner or a salesperson, with agencies running most campaigns. As revenue approaches $3.5 million and ad spend reaches 7% or more of revenue, it becomes valuable to designate a marketing “owner” internally. Once a company reaches $5 million+ with significant ad spend and lead volume, a dedicated Marketing Manager or Director typically becomes essential.

The key distinction isn’t whether you use agencies — it’s whether someone inside your organization owns the strategy, tracks performance and makes data-driven decisions. That shift is often what supports sustainable scaling.”

Contractor University members can click here to log in to their member dashboard and submit a question through the Ask the Expert portal.

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