Houston is not the hottest Texas metro on paper. It is the one where the air conditioner runs the longest with the least relief. The season starts in early May, ends in October, and the nights barely cool. That is hard on equipment and good for replacement demand. Here is how we would run it.
Why is HVAC marketing in Houston different from the rest of Texas?
Because the Houston season is about length and humidity, not peak heat. NWS figures for the City of Houston show about 95 days a year at 90°F or more, but only about 4 at 100°F. Systems run from May to October with warm, wet nights, so ads sell comfort and dehumidification over a long season rather than surviving a heat wave.
| NWS Houston/Galveston figure | Houston |
|---|---|
| Normal July high, Intercontinental (1991-2020) | 94.5°F |
| Normal July low, Intercontinental (1991-2020) | 75.7°F |
| Normal July high, Hobby (1991-2020) | 92.9°F |
| Average days a year at 90°F or more, City of Houston | about 95 |
| Average first and last 90°F day | May 6 and October 7 |
| Average days a year at 100°F or more | about 4 |
| Share of years that reach 100°F | 56% |
Sources: NWS Intercontinental July normals, NWS Hobby July normals and NWS Houston/Galveston heat stats.
Look at the nights. A July normal low of 75.7°F means the system never gets a break. That is why so many Houston calls are "it runs all day and the house is still sticky". An older, oversized or undersized system shows up here first, and that is a replacement conversation.
What housing do Houston contractors work in?
A sprawling metro where the owner-occupied homes sit in the suburbs. Census QuickFacts puts the owner-occupied rate at 42.1% inside the City of Houston, 54.7% across Harris County, 71.8% in Montgomery County and 77.0% in Fort Bend County. A renter cannot sign for a new system, so ownership is one of our six qualifier questions.
| Census QuickFacts, 2020-2024 | Owner-occupied rate | Median value of owner-occupied homes |
|---|---|---|
| Houston city | 42.1% | $277,800 |
| Harris County | 54.7% | $276,600 |
| Montgomery County | 71.8% | $346,200 |
| Fort Bend County | 77.0% | $374,500 |
Sources: Census QuickFacts for Houston city, Harris County, Montgomery County and Fort Bend County.
We do not have verified figures on Houston's mix of heat pumps against straight cool systems with gas furnaces, or on the age of the installed base. You know your replacement mix. We build the ads around it.
How does the Houston electricity market affect HVAC ads?
In most of the Houston area, CenterPoint Energy says it does not generate electricity; it transports it as a transmission and distribution utility, and customers choose their own retail electric provider. There is no single utility rebate to lead with, so Houston ads sell the replacement on comfort, humidity and a dated install slot.
We also keep claims about bills out of the ads. A homeowner's bill depends on their retail plan, their house and their system. What we can say honestly is what the new system does, and let your comfort advisor talk numbers in the home.
How would we run Meta and Google in Houston?
Google heavier from May to September, Meta the rest of the year. Google Search catches "AC not cooling" and "AC replacement" searches through the long summer. Meta reaches owners in Katy, Cypress or The Woodlands whose system is aging and whose house never quite dries out. Every enquiry goes through the six-question qualifier.
What changes in Houston:
- A long peak. The Texas peak flip, Google $2,500 and Meta $1,500, runs May to September. Houston's 90°F season often runs into October, so we watch search volume and may hold the flip longer, based on your data.
- Humidity as the hook. Meta creative shows the problem Houston owners feel: a house that is cool but damp. The offer is a free in-home replacement assessment that checks sizing and airflow, with a dated install slot.
- Targeting by band. West (Katy, Cypress), southwest (Sugar Land, Missouri City), north (The Woodlands, Spring, Tomball, Conroe, Humble, Kingwood), south and southeast (Pearland, Friendswood, League City, Pasadena). We start where your trucks already go.
- Tight search terms. Google bids on replacement and new-install terms with suburb names and excludes parts, DIY and job-seeker searches.
The channel logic is in Google Ads vs Facebook ads for HVAC. In a Houston summer, a homeowner with a dead system calls three companies. Whoever answers first usually books the visit, which is why speed to lead matters more here than almost anywhere.
Worked example: a Houston August at minimum spend (planning assumptions, not results)
Google $2,500 + Meta $1,500 = $4,000
$4,000 / $100 to $130 assumed blended cost per enquiry = about 35 enquiries
35 x 60% pass the qualifier = about 21. 21 x 60% book = about 12 to 13 booked quotes
12.5 x 30% close = about 3 to 4 replacements
Break-even = ($3,000 fee + $4,000 ads) / your gross profit per replacement
Every number above is a planning assumption carried over from how we plan in Australia. We have no Houston data yet. Your first month of results replaces it.
Is the Houston territory available?
Yes. Houston is open, with one HVAC client per service line in the metro. We have no US clients yet and no Houston results to show. We are based in Sydney and work Texas business hours remotely.
The fee is US$3,000 a month, and half of the first 90 days is paid only after 3 won jobs or day 60. See US pricing for the full maths, or the Texas overview for the other metros.
Sources
- Houston July Normals, Means and Extremes, NWS Houston/Galveston
- Houston Hobby July Normals, Means and Extremes, NWS Houston/Galveston
- Heat Stats, NWS Houston/Galveston
- QuickFacts: Houston city, Texas, US Census Bureau
- QuickFacts: Harris County, Texas, US Census Bureau
- QuickFacts: Fort Bend County, Texas, US Census Bureau
- QuickFacts: Montgomery County, Texas, US Census Bureau
- Electric utility service, CenterPoint Energy