Where to advertise a trades business
Homeowners find trades in a lot of places: a neighbour's recommendation, a Facebook group, a Kijiji search, a review site. The trick is to be where your kind of customer actually looks, and not waste money on the rest.
Facebook and Instagram
Best for jobs people plan and dream about first: decks, kitchens, landscaping, painting, basements. Post before-and-after photos every week. Paid ads let you show those photos only to homeowners in the towns you serve, and you control the daily budget.
Local Facebook groups
Many towns have “recommend a contractor” or community groups where people ask for trades every day. Join them as your business page, answer questions helpfully, and don't spam.
Kijiji
Still one of the first places many Canadians look for smaller jobs and good prices. Services is a paid category on Kijiji since May 2026, but a well-written ad can still bring in steady calls. See how to write a Kijiji services ad that gets calls.
HomeStars
A Canadian review site where homeowners compare trades before hiring. The profile is free. Ask happy customers to review you there, so your profile looks active.
Nextdoor
Neighbours ask each other “who do you use for…?” all the time. Claim a free business page so people can recommend you by name.
Houzz and Yelp
Worth it for renovation, design and finishing trades. Houzz in particular is built around photos of finished projects.
Short videos
A 20-second clip of a finished job on Instagram Reels, TikTok or YouTube Shorts can reach thousands of local people for free. Show the before, the after, and a quick tip.
Map and search listings
Free business listings on Google, Bing and Apple Maps take about 20 minutes each. Set them up once, keep them accurate, and add photos now and then.
How to keep it all under control
- Use the same name, phone number and service area everywhere. Matching details make you look established and trustworthy.
- Ask every caller where they found you, and keep a tally. After three months, put more time and money into what works.
- Reply fast. On Kijiji and Facebook, the first trade to reply usually gets the job.
- Don't try everything at once. Start with two or three places that fit your trade.
The short versionFacebook and Instagram for planned jobs, Kijiji for local and smaller work, HomeStars and Nextdoor for trust, and free listings everywhere else.