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6 Ways Contractors Can Remove The Slow Months In Their Business

The slow season is contractors’ biggest and oldest problem in the winter. But, there are things you can do to make it go easier.

Some of the best, most straightforward ways to do that are…

  • Capturing all existing demand even in the winter months
  • Creating demand even in the winter so they still get some work in
  • Or booking jobs in advance for the winter so they get some predictability

But how does a remodeler, landscaper, deck builder, painter, or home builder creates demand?

I’ll share with you 6 ways we’ve been doing it for our clients that helped them get a steady, predictable intake of leads and jobs.

What Exactly Are The Slow Months?

The slow months are just the natural way the demand and supply in the construction world works.

We’re noticing all Google searches related to remodeling and home upgrades picks up in spring, so homeowners are ready to start their projects…

Remains somewhat stable during the summer and fall when homeowners are still doing projects…

And then drops in the winter.

This is caused by:

  • The holidays make people think about vacations and gifts, not home projects
  • In the winter, people usually cozy up and don't want a job-site in their home
  • They simply 'follow the trend' of homeowners starting their projects in spring

One thing is certain, starting November, Google searches for ‘deck replacement near me’, ‘kitchen remodeler near me’, ‘landscaping contractors’ or other, take a severe blow because homeowners are not looking for these services anymore.

However, it’s important to note that this is the slow season for construction, but not pre-construction. You can still bid a ton of projects in the winter, and may even close some.

You can check your services seasonality with this free keyword research tool.

6 Ways To Remove The Slow Months For Contractors

So, if people are not searching online for home improvement services in the winter, how do you make them consider an upgrade?

This is what worked for many of our clients…

#1. Capture Immediate Demand With Google Ads

Most contractors will stop all ads when they see everything slows down.

You shouldn’t.

Some of the benefits of doing this are…

  • You'll only pay for clicks (interested users), and if there's no click, Google won't spend your money
  • You still get some leads, even if not as many as you had in spring or summer
  • Because most contractors back down and stop all ads, you'll have no competition
  • Google Ads leads are still some of the most qualified leads you can get, so they're easier to sell

Important: you’ll have to find the right budget to capture the existing demand without overextending and paying too much for a lead. You can also try Local Service Ads, and you can check our article on that right here.

#2. Create More Demand With Facebook Ads

Facebook ads are much more different than Google. If you’re not sure about the differences between the two, check out our Facebook ads vs Google ads article.

Having a solid Facebook ads strategy is key in making it profitable. You need what marketers call ‘a funnel’.

Here’s one tactic you can use to generate demand:

  • Step 1: Create a very broad, informational ad that gets people to interact. Tell them about rot signs, bad layouts, best materials, etc. Get them curious and then get them to click on your website.
  • Step 2: You got all the users on step 1 interested, now you have to warm them up. Present yourself, show some of your work, show the benefits of the upgrade.
  • Step 3: After the first 2 steps, you should have a pretty good audience. Now, you can create an ad to present your solution (your services.) Show how you make the process easy and fast.
  • Step 4: And as a final step, give those really interested a great deal to move them forward. Maybe a discount or a free upgrade to get them to take action.

Your funnel can be different. But it’s important to train the algorithm into finding the right type of leads for you without paying a fortune for them.

#3. Book Jobs In The Winter Ahead Of Time

If you’ve been in business for enough time, you already know when are your best and worst months.

So what if in your best month, you give homeowners the opportunity to get their job in winter for a 10, 15, or 20% discount?

This creates jobs for your slow months, and allows you to do other, bigger projects in the season.

Sometimes you don’t even need a discount, just the right messaging. Talk about how you pull permits faster in the winter, you get plenty of time to plan and choose materials, and the whole process is much smoother.

#4. Create An Offer To Get More Jobs In Winter

Everyone says they’d do anything to remove the slow months from their construction business.

And this is one of the best things you can do.

Throughout the year, run a promotion that helps homeowners start their projects in the winter.

You can offer them a discount or something else for free, as long as it makes sense financially.

Here are some of the most popular offers for our contractors:

  • For deck builders: 50% off labor, free railing upgrade, free decking upgrade
  • For remodelers: 20% off a second project, free quartz upgrade, up to X feet of free LVP
  • For landscapers: 20% off all patios, free plant package, free 3D design
  • For painters: up to X linear feet of cabinets painted for free, 1 room painted for free, etc.
There’s a HUGE stigma about ‘discounting your services’, but the most popular objection of homeowners looking into home upgrades is the price. If you do these offers correctly, without lowering your profit margins, you’ll 100% win over your competitors who just underbid you without giving anything extra.

#5. Get In Front Of As Many People As Possible

Another great way to create demand and fill out your calendar every winter is to get your brand out there!

  • Your trucks and trailers are cruising the city day in and day out, so wrap them nicely and let homeowners know you exist.
  • Ask your clients if you can put a yard sign on their property while you're working there.
  • Leave door hangers around the neighborhood where you're currently doing a job.
  • Have everyone in your crew dress in branded workwear.

The more people see your brand, the more you’ll stay top of mind for them when it comes to a project.

#6. Look For Jobs Through Home Insurance

The slow season is usually from November to February (with some exceptions), which usually translates into heavy rain and strong winds.

Because of that, a lot of homeowners are fixing up their homes through their home insurance.

You can capture some of these leads to keep your crew busy during the slow winter months.

However, to make insurance jobs worthwhile, you need to understand a few things.

Learn more about getting construction jobs through home insurance from this article.

Bonus: Adapt And Offer Winter-Related Services

If you can’t make it work and get the jobs you want during the winter, you’ll have to adapt.

Just enough to keep the lights on and keep you busy.

Remodelers start doing small handyman jobs…

Deck builders start doing small repairs or inspections…

Landscapers do snow removal and Christmas lights installation…

And so on.

It’s not ideal, but adapting is part of the game, and it’s still a great opportunity to network and make contact with prospects.

But The Best Way To Remove The Slow Months...

… is to simply become the best remodeler, landscaper, painter, or builder in town.

This is something you do after years in the industry, when you have everything dialed-in, you know your way around, and you’ve spent some money on marketing.

It means being the first result on Google when they look for the services you offer.

It means having a fast website that’s easy to navigate and gets you leads.

It means having a strong online presence on all search engines and platforms.

And it means running Google and Facebook ads with a solid plan.

Contracting Empire offers a complete marketing plan with SEO, PPC, ads, branding, social media, and more! We’re a premiere marketing partner for deck builders, remodelers, landscapers, and other contractors serving the US.

See what CompanyCam also suggests contractors to do in the slow season.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the slow season always in the winter?
Late fall and winter is when all your clients are preparing for Thanksgiving, Christmas, paying their taxes, and vacations. A lot of people also just want to wait for the cold to pass. Spring is when everyone starts they home improvement projects, but you can change that for your prospects.
You need to be several steps ahead of the slow months so it never catches you off guard. Have savings for worst-case scenarios. Mind your expenses if you know the slow months are coming and you have nothing saved. Or you can adapt during winter and offer another service that’s more sought-after in the winter.

From what we’ve seen in this industry, construction is definitely slow, but pre-construction is not.

Go bid on all the jobs you possibly can and stack up for spring. Schedule meetings with subs to discuss strategy, feedback, pricing, offers, etc. Plan your next year and strategize with your marketing team. And just go out there and stay busy.

Yes. Regardless if you’re doing landscaping, remodeling, outdoor spaces, or new homes, everyone is experiencing the slow season. Things always get better in February and March, you just need to be there and capitalize on every chance you get.
Don’t cut down on your marketing, as that’s only going to make it worse come spring. Don’t hurry to let people go. Don’t do any crazy business acquisitions. Don’t panic, the slow months will pass just like they did in the past. And don’t just sit there waiting. Now you know what to do.

So, Ready To Remove The Slow Months?

The slow season is what makes unprepared contractors reconsider the business they’re in.

But that’s only because they’re not prepared and they have no predictability in their business.

With a solid plan that brings you clarity, you can see what’s around the corner so you can continue growing regardless of the economy.

So let’s start creating a plan that makes going through the slow months much easier.

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