Durham contractors live with a seasonal swing. Roofers, landscapers and deck builders are slammed from spring to autumn and quiet in January. Heating trades flip the other way. Renovators feel it less but still see patterns. A marketing calendar lets you get ahead of those swings instead of reacting to them, so your phone is ringing when you can take the work and your quiet months produce something useful.
The principle: spend where demand is, build where it isn't
Paid ads produce results quickly, so they belong in the weeks just before and during peak demand. SEO, content, website fixes and review building take months to pay off, so they belong in the quieter months.
Southern Ontario has cold winters, moderated somewhat near the Great Lakes, and Durham spans both the lakeshore and colder inland areas toward Lake Simcoe. For exterior trades, that means a real off-season. For heating trades, it means demand that can jump in a single cold week.
The month-by-month table
This is a general framework. Adjust for your trade using the notes below.
| Month | Exterior trades (roofing, landscaping, decks, fencing) | Interior and mechanical trades (HVAC, plumbing, renovation, electrical) |
|---|---|---|
| January | Website fixes, new project write-ups, plan spring offers | Heating ads active; reviews from winter jobs |
| February | Build spring landing pages; prepare ad campaigns | Basement and renovation content; heating ads continue |
| March | Launch early ads in lakeshore towns; review asks for any winter work | Plan spring tune-up offers; shift ads toward renovation |
| April | Full ad spend; spring offers; publish town pages | Air conditioning prep content; spring maintenance offers |
| May | Peak ads; daily call handling checks | Air conditioning ads begin; renovation peak |
| June | Peak; collect reviews from every finished job | Cooling demand; reviews from tune-ups |
| July | Peak; watch cost per lead closely | Cooling peak; heat-wave readiness |
| August | Begin autumn offers (fall clean-ups, late-season roofs) | Cooling continues; plan heating season content |
| September | Autumn ads; push to fill pre-winter schedule | Heating tune-up offers; build and pause heating campaigns |
| October | Last exterior jobs; ask for reviews | Heating ads start; first cold-snap readiness |
| November | Wind down ads; plan winter content | Heating peak begins; emergency campaigns live |
| December | Write guides and project stories; annual review | Heating peak; holiday coverage messaging |
Notes by trade
Roofers
Spring and autumn are your windows. Build campaigns in February and switch them on as soon as the weather turns. In winter, publish project write-ups with town names, such as a re-roof in Courtice or Brooklin, so your local SEO is stronger by spring.
Landscapers, deck and fence builders
Spring is everything. Many first-owner projects in newer communities start as soon as the ground thaws. See new-subdivision marketing for how to time offers to the age of a neighbourhood. Use winter to plan, quote early, and build a waiting list.
Heating and cooling contractors
Two peaks: winter heating and summer cooling. Build campaigns ahead and pause them, so you can switch them on in minutes when the first cold snap or heat wave arrives.
Programs can drive demand too. As of October 2026, the Home Renovation Savings Program, run by Save on Energy and Enbridge Gas with Ontario government support, lists rebates for upgrades such as cold-climate heat pumps and smart thermostats. Separately, the federal government announced a national heat pump rebate on 2026-10-08; at the time of writing, it is not yet open. Programs change, so confirm current details with the administrator before featuring any of them in your marketing, and never promise a customer a specific amount.
Plumbers
Steadier demand, with spikes in deep cold (frozen and burst pipes) and spring thaw (sump pumps, flooding). Keep emergency campaigns ready year-round and boost them during cold snaps and spring melt.
Renovators and basement finishers
Autumn and winter are often busy for interior work, as owners plan for the indoor months. Spring brings planning for larger projects. Content about costs, timelines and permits works well year-round; just link to your municipality for permit questions rather than giving advice.
The slow-season checklist
Whatever your trade, use your quiet months for work that pays off later:
- Fix the website. Speed, mobile layout, call and text buttons. See contractor websites.
- Write project stories from the busy season, each naming the town.
- Update your Google Business Profile with new photos, services and service areas.
- Review last season's numbers: leads, jobs and cost per job by town.
- Plan next season's offers and budgets using the ad budget worksheet.
- Ask past customers for referrals while they still remember the job.
The busy-season checklist
When the phone is ringing, the risks are different:
- Answer every call or text quickly. Missed calls are the most expensive leak in peak season.
- Ask for a review after every finished job. The routine is set out on the reviews and referrals page.
- Watch cost per lead weekly. If it climbs past your target, narrow targeting rather than raising the budget.
- Don't overbook. If you can't take more work, pause ads rather than disappointing customers.
Review and referral timing
Reviews follow job volume. The months with the most finished jobs are the months to ask hardest. For exterior trades, that's late spring through autumn; for heating, it's winter. Set a reminder so the ask doesn't fall away when you're busiest.
Weather-triggered campaigns
Some demand arrives with the weather rather than the calendar. A first hard frost, a heavy snow load on roofs, a spring thaw that floods basements, or a summer heat wave can each double calls within days. Build a short campaign for each trigger in advance, with ads and a landing page ready, and leave it paused. When the forecast turns, switch it on the same morning, then off again once the backlog fills.
Planning your own calendar
Copy the table, cross out what doesn't apply, and fill in your own peaks from last year's invoices. Then mark three things each month: one ad action, one content or website action, and one review or referral action.
If you'd like help building it, call, text or email. The pricing page covers plan costs, and the service area guide helps you decide which towns each season's budget should go to.
Frequently asked questions
Should I stop marketing in my slow season?
Stop or cut paid ads if you can't take the work, but keep SEO, content and reviews going. Work done in the quiet months is what ranks when the busy season starts.
When should a roofer start spring ads?
Usually a few weeks before the first warm stretch, so the campaign has data by the time demand peaks. Exact timing depends on the year's weather and your backlog.
Can I mention energy rebates in my ads?
You can mention programs that are open, with a link to the official page and a note to confirm eligibility. Don't promise customers a rebate amount; the administrator decides eligibility.
What if a cold snap hits early?
Heating trades should have campaigns built and paused before autumn, so they can be switched on the same day demand jumps.