How many homes should I mail around a jobsite?

How many homes should I mail around a jobsite? Start with the homes that can see the job, usually the same street and the nearby blocks, then widen in rings. Visible, high-ticket jobs like roofing and siding earn a wider ring. Hidden jobs like plumbing repairs need a tighter one. Track each ring and expand only where calls come back.

Want us to map the rings around your next job? Book a free demo.

The short version

• There is no magic number. The right count depends on how visible the job is, how big the ticket is, and how many nearby homes fit your work.
• Start small and close. The neighbors who watched your crew work are your warmest prospects.
• Expand in rings: the street, then the subdivision, then lookalike neighborhoods.
• Mail more than once. Before, during, and after the job beats a single card.
• Give each ring its own tracking so you know where to expand next time.

Why should you mail the homes around a jobsite?

Mailing around a jobsite works because the neighbors have already seen the proof. They saw your trucks, your crew, and the finished work. A card that says "we just finished a project on your street" turns that memory into a reason to call. Nearby homes also tend to be similar in age and style, so they often need the same work.

Familiarity matters in the mailbox. The USPS Household Mail Survey found that people read 64% of advertising mail from businesses they already use, compared with 36% from businesses they don't. A neighbor who watched your crew for a week isn't a customer yet, but they aren't a stranger either.

There's a route bonus too. More jobs on the same streets means less windshield time between appointments.

How many homes should you mail around a jobsite?

A good starting point is three rings: the 25 to 50 closest homes, then the 100 to 250 homes in the same subdivision or connecting streets, then 500 or more lookalike homes in nearby neighborhoods. Treat them as starting points to test, then adjust for your trade, your ticket size, and your results.

1. 1Ring 1, the street. Homes that can see the job. Start with about 25 to 50 homes. Message: "We're working on your street."
2. 2Ring 2, the neighborhood. The same subdivision and connecting streets. Start with about 100 to 250 homes. Message: "We just finished a project near you."
3. 3Ring 3, lookalikes. Similar homes in nearby neighborhoods. Start with 500 or more homes. Message: your offer, with proof from the area.

Ring 1 is your warmest group but your smallest sample. A handful of homes can't tell you much on its own, so judge it across several jobs. Ring 2 is where most of your learning happens. Ring 3 is where jobsite mail turns into a real neighborhood campaign.

Gorilla Works builds these rings with AI from more than 200 data variables plus statistical modeling. Our custom direct mail can target a radius around an address, a ZIP code, or a custom area, and then filter to the homes that fit your work. You don't need a list. We build it.

Does your trade change how many homes to mail?

Yes. Visible jobs earn wider rings, because neighbors can see the proof from the sidewalk. Hidden jobs need tighter rings and stronger offers, because nobody can see a new water line. Bigger tickets also justify more pieces, since one extra job can pay for the whole drop.

• Roofing, siding, painting (very visible): Ring 1 and Ring 2 on every job, plus Ring 3 for big projects.
• Fencing, decks, landscaping (visible from the street): Ring 1 and Ring 2.
• HVAC (truck and equipment visible): Ring 1, plus Ring 2 in older neighborhoods.
• Plumbing and electrical (mostly hidden): Ring 1 with a strong offer, and Ring 2 for big jobs like repipes or panel swaps.

Read more trade-specific advice in Does direct mail work for siding contractors? and Does direct mail work for roofing companies?

When should you mail around a jobsite?

Mail in a short sequence. Send the first card so it lands while your crew is on site, the second right after the job wraps, and a third a few weeks later. The first card explains the trucks. The second shows the finished work. The third catches neighbors who needed time to think.

A simple jobsite sequence:

1. 1During the job: "We're working on a home on your street." Apologize for the noise and introduce your offer.
2. 2Right after: "We just finished a project nearby." Show the finished work if the homeowner gave permission.
3. 3A few weeks later: A reminder with a deadline.

Plan the timing around how long your jobs take. A one-day plumbing repair may only need cards two and three. A two-week roof or siding job can use all three.

What should a jobsite postcard say?

A jobsite postcard should connect your company to the job the neighbor saw and give one clear next step. Lead with proximity, show proof, and make the offer simple. Never name the homeowner or print their exact address unless they give you permission.

✅ A headline about the nearby project, such as "We just finished a roof on your street"

✅ A real photo of your work, used with the homeowner's permission

✅ One offer and one deadline

✅ Your phone number, big, plus a QR code to a matching page

✅ License number, reviews, and years in business

Skip stock photos and anything scraped from the internet. Your own job photos, used with permission, are the proof.

Should you use EDDM or a targeted list around a jobsite?

A targeted list usually fits jobsite mail better. EDDM delivers to every address on a carrier route, and routes don't follow your job. They can run past the streets you care about and include homes that will never buy. A radius list mails only the nearby homes that fit your work.

EDDM can still work for Ring 3 when you want to blanket a whole neighborhood, and our Total Neighborhood Mail handles that. For Rings 1 and 2, custom direct mail gives you control over exactly which homes get the card. For a deeper comparison, read Should a fence company use EDDM or an addressed mailing list? The same logic applies to every trade.

How do you track which ring worked?

Give each ring its own phone number, QR code, or offer code, then log every call and booked job against the ring that produced it. After several jobs, compare cost per booked job by ring and by trade. Expand the rings that pay off and shrink the ones that don't.

Track for every ring:

• Pieces mailed
• Calls, scans, and form fills
• Booked estimates and signed jobs
• Revenue and cost per booked job

Some neighbors will keep the card and search your name later, which simple tracking misses. Our causal analytics estimate that lift. Learn the full setup in How do you track direct mail campaigns?

What are the most common jobsite mailing mistakes?

The biggest mistakes are mailing too wide too soon, sending one card and stopping, and skipping tracking. Others include using a generic card that never mentions the nearby job, mailing homes that don't fit your work, and waiting so long that neighbors forget the trucks.

Avoid:

• Mailing a whole ZIP code around one small job
• One card with no follow-up
• A card that could have been sent anywhere
• No tracking by ring
• Waiting weeks after the crew leaves to send the first card

FAQ

What radius should I mail around a job?

Think in homes, not miles. Start with the homes that can see the job, then the rest of the subdivision. A fixed mile radius can mean a dozen homes in the country or thousands in a city.

Can I mail around every job?

Yes, and that's the goal. A repeatable jobsite program turns each job into proof for the next one.

Do I need the homeowner's permission?

You don't need permission to mail the neighbors. Get permission before you use photos of their home or mention their address.

How much does jobsite mail cost?

Gorilla Works custom direct mail starts as low as $0.78 per piece, with targeting, design, printing, and mailing included. See pricing.

Does this work for HVAC and plumbing too?

Yes, with tighter rings and stronger offers. See our HVAC and plumbing pages.

Turn every job into the next one

Every finished job is a billboard parked in a neighborhood. Mail the homes that saw it, widen in rings, and track what comes back. Gorilla Works builds the rings, designs the cards, and times the sequence around your jobs. Book a free demo and we'll show you how many homes to mail around your next job.

Explore more practical marketing guidance: How many times should you send a postcard to the same household?.