How to buy solar leads in Australia that turn into installs
What buying solar leads actually means
A solar lead is a homeowner who has put their hand up for a quote: name, mobile, postcode, and usually their bill size and roof type. When you buy one, a lead company has run the ads, captured the enquiry, and sold you the contact so your team can call and book a site visit.
The catch is what sits behind the word “lead”. One provider means a homeowner who confirmed their mobile with a code and asked to be called. Another means a name scraped off a competition entry who has no idea a solar company is about to ring. Same word, very different phone call.
The 3 ways to buy solar leads in Australia
Every option comes down to one of these 3 models. Pick the one that matches how you sell.
1. Exclusive, pay per lead
The lead is sold to you and nobody else. You pay per lead, usually with no retainer and no lock-in. It costs more up front and less per booked job, because you are not racing 4 other installers to the same roof. Best for installers who sell on value. This is how Capital Leads works. See our exclusive vs shared breakdown.
2. Shared marketplace
The same lead goes to 2 to 5 installers at once. Cheaper on the sticker, and you win it by being first to call and often by cutting your price. Fine for testing or for teams that can ring within 30 seconds. Your close rate sits lower, so watch the cost per job, not the cost per lead.
3. Agency retainer
An agency runs ads under your own brand for a monthly fee plus your ad spend. You own the funnel and the pixel data, which is worth a lot long term. But you carry the ad risk, and it takes 60 to 90 days to season. Best for established companies that want their own pipeline.
Work out what leads really cost you
Installers shop on price per lead. It is the wrong number, and it is why so many get burned. The figure that pays your wages is cost per install: what you spend on leads to sign one job. A $30 shared lead you close one time in ten costs you more per install than a $70 exclusive lead you close one in three.
Set the sliders to your own numbers and watch your cost per install move.
Cost per install is the number that pays your wages, not the price on the lead. Move the appointment and close sliders and watch it swing. A cheap lead you rarely close costs more per job than a dearer one you book and sign. Job values track 2026 Australian price guides; conversion ranges track real Capital Leads delivery data. Figures are your inputs, not a quote. Revenue shown is job value, not profit.
Two sliders decide everything: how often a lead books an appointment, and how often you close that appointment. Better leads lift both. That is the whole reason exclusive and verified costs more per lead and less per job. For the pricing behind the inputs, see how much solar leads cost in Australia.
What to check before you buy
Ask these before you pay. A serious provider answers all of them straight.
- Exclusive or shared? If they will not say, assume shared. Read exclusive vs shared first.
- How is the mobile verified? A number typed into a form is not verified. A number confirmed with a 2FA code the homeowner enters is. See how to spot a fake solar lead.
- What happens with fakes and wrong numbers? They should either block them with 2FA or replace them. No plan for duds is a red flag.
- Is there a lock-in? Pay per lead with no contract lets you stop the week the quality drops. Retainers and minimum terms do not.
- How fast is delivery? Speed to lead decides your close rate. A lead that lands in your CRM in seconds beats one emailed twice a day.
How to buy leads from Capital Leads
Three steps, no contract, and you see pricing before you commit.
- Tell us your territory. Your state, your postcodes, and how many jobs a week you want. We check availability, since exclusive leads are capped per area.
- We show you live pricing. Real numbers for your patch on exclusive, 2FA verified leads, plus a realistic cost per install. No spend yet.
- Your team calls and closes. Each lead hits your CRM in about 1.4 seconds with a personalised SMS in your name. Free daily coaching if you want it.
Frequently asked questions
How do I buy solar leads in Australia?
Pick one of 3 models: exclusive pay-per-lead (sold to you alone), a shared marketplace (the same lead split across 2 to 5 installers), or an agency retainer (they run ads under your brand for a monthly fee). Tell the provider your state and postcodes, agree a weekly volume, and check exclusivity and verification before you pay. Exclusive pay-per-lead is the cleanest start for most installers.
How much does it cost to buy solar leads?
Exclusive residential solar leads run about $50 to $80 each, shared leads $50 to $100 split several ways, and commercial $150 to $250. The price per lead is the wrong number to shop on. What matters is cost per install, which lands between $500 and $1,600 depending on your area, density and sales team, on jobs worth $12k to $18k.
Are bought solar leads worth it?
Yes, when the maths works. Exclusive leads convert to a sale at roughly 6 to 12%. So if a lead costs $60 and about 8% become a sale, your cost per install is around $750, inside the typical $500 to $1,600 range that moves with your area, density and sales team. Bought leads stop being worth it when they are shared, unverified, or aged, because your conversion falls and your real cost per job climbs.
What is the best way to buy solar leads?
For most installers, exclusive pay-per-lead with no lock-in. You get the homeowner to yourself, you pay only for what you take, and you can stop any week. Shared marketplaces suit installers who want cheap volume and can call in seconds. Agency retainers suit companies that want to own their own brand funnel and can wait 60 to 90 days.
Exclusive or shared solar leads, which should I buy?
Exclusive if you sell on value and want fewer, better calls. Shared if you compete on price and can ring within 30 seconds. Exclusive leads convert to a sale at roughly 6 to 12%, shared much lower, because a shared lead means racing 2 to 4 other installers to the same homeowner. See our exclusive vs shared breakdown for the full maths.
How do I know a solar lead company is legit?
Ask 4 questions: is the lead exclusive or shared, how is the mobile verified, what happens with fakes and wrong numbers, and is there a lock-in contract. A real provider answers all 4 without dodging. 2FA mobile verification, a refund or replacement policy, and no contract are the marks of a serious one.
Do I pay per lead or a monthly fee?
It depends on the model. Exclusive providers like Capital Leads are pay per lead with no retainer, no setup fee, and no lock-in. Marketplaces charge per shared lead. Agencies charge a monthly retainer plus your ad spend, so you carry the ad risk while the funnel seasons.
How fast can I start getting solar leads?
With an exclusive pay-per-lead provider you can usually start within a few days, once your territory is confirmed and there is availability in your postcodes. Capital Leads delivers each lead to your CRM in about 1.4 seconds and sends a personalised SMS in your name, so the homeowner knows you before you call.
See live pricing and your cost per install before you buy.
Tell us your state, your postcodes, and how many jobs a week you want. We will show you live pricing on exclusive, 2FA verified leads and what a realistic cost per install looks like for your patch. No lock-in, refund on your first pack if you close nothing.
Written by the Capital Leads team, who build exclusive lead flows for solar installers in every Australian state. Updated July 2026.