The average cost of a marketing agency depends on what you are buying, not on what the agency calls itself.
What the Data Says
Databox surveyed marketing agencies and found that 38% price monthly retainers at $1,001–$2,500, and another 22% price them at $2,501–$5,000 (Databox). Those numbers are before ad spend. Sub-$500 retainers are usually directory listings or basic reporting, not programs that move rankings.
For local businesses that need SEO, content, paid ads, and reporting, realistic full-program retainers fall between $1,500 and $5,000 per month. Add media spend on top: $1,500–$5,000 per month for a single-location Google Ads campaign is common.
What You Are Actually Paying For
A low retainer that does not produce booked appointments is expensive. A higher retainer that delivers qualified consultations at a predictable cost per job is cheap.
The real question is not what the agency charges. It is what the agency delivers. Ask for cost per kept appointment over the last 90 days by channel, the definition of a qualified appointment, and what happens to the assets if you pause. If the agency owns your website or ad accounts, that is a red flag. If it cannot show tracked revenue, keep looking.
What Changes the Price
- Scope: SEO only is cheaper than SEO plus paid ads plus content.
- Industry specialization: A specialist agency usually costs more but skips the learning curve.
- Content volume: A blog post per week costs more than technical cleanup alone.
- Reporting depth: Dashboards that tie to booked jobs require more setup than impression reports.
Geography also matters: a metro with six competing showrooms requires more ad spend and content than a two-shop town.
- Market competitiveness: A metro with six competing showrooms requires more effort than a two-shop town.
Specialist vs. Generalist Pricing
Specialist agencies for remodeling and cabinet businesses often charge toward the higher end of the range. They bring industry context: they know the keywords that matter, the creative that converts, and the follow-up speed required. That context usually lowers cost per booked job over time.
If you want to see our pricing structure, visit the CabinetBoost pricing page. For a full breakdown of what cabinet marketing costs by channel, read how much does cabinet marketing cost.
This is not for a business owner who wants agency results without sharing margin, job value, or CRM data. A good agency needs that context to optimize.