Short answer
Google offers Local Services Ads only for certain service categories, and the list, the countries and even the cities change over time. Google's help pages list well over 200 categories, including plumbers, electricians, roofers and HVAC, but some are limited to certain states. The reliable check is Google's eligibility step in the sign-up flow, using your business type and address.
Before you gather insurance certificates and license numbers, find out whether Google offers Local Services Ads for your trade in your area. Many lists online are out of date or copied from each other. This guide uses Google's own Local Services Ads help pages, mainly "Getting started with Local Services Ads", "About Local Services" and "Business screening and verification requirements", and shows you how to check for yourself. We do not give a fixed list of categories, because Google changes them and we cannot confirm one for every place. Check the current rules for your state or province. For the basics, see the Local Services Ads guide.
Local Services Ads categories at a glance
People search for this as "local service ads categories", singular, but Google's program is named Local Services Ads, so that is the name to look for in Google's help pages. Below are categories named on Google's help page "Getting started with Local Services Ads" (United States version), as listed by Google on October 2026. Google changes this list, so check yours in the Local Services Ads dashboard. I copied the names as Google writes them and grouped them myself. The page also lists many restaurant, food, beauty and pet categories that I have left out of the table, so read Google's full list for the rest.
| Group (my wording) | Categories Google lists |
|---|---|
| Home and property services | Appliance repair services; Bathroom remodeling; Carpenters; Carpet cleaning services; Countertop services; Drain expert (California and Florida only); Electricians; Fencing services; Flooring services; Foundations services; Garage door services; General contractor; Handyman; Home inspector; Home insulation (California and Florida only); Home security; Home theater; House cleaning services; HVAC (heating or air conditioning); Junk removal services; Kitchen remodeling; Landscaping services; Lawn care services; Locksmiths; Moving services; Painter; Pest control services; Plumbers; Pool cleaner; Pool contractor; Roofers; Sewage system; Siding services; Snow removal; Solar energy contractor; Tree services; Water damage services; Window cleaning services; Window repair services |
| Auto services (examples) | Auto Body Shop; Auto Glass Repair Service; Auto Repair Shop; Car Detailing Service; Car Wash; Oil Change Service; Tire Shop; Towing; Transmission Shop |
| Legal (examples) | Lawyers; Bankruptcy lawyer services; Business lawyer services; Criminal lawyer services; DUI lawyer services; Family lawyer services; Immigration lawyer services; Personal injury lawyer services; Real estate lawyer |
| Health care (examples) | Chiropractor; Dentist; Dermatologist; Optometrist; Orthodontist; Physical therapist; Primary care physician; Veterinarian |
| Other business and personal services (examples) | Child care; Financial planning services; Real estate services; Storage; Tax services; Tutor |
Two cautions from reading that page. First, the list is for the United States, and Google publishes a separate page for each country. Second, a category being listed does not mean it is open in your town or that your account will be approved, so use the eligibility check in the sign-up flow. A drain cleaning company, for example, sees "Drain expert (California and Florida only)" on that list, and "Sewage system" is also listed without a state limit on that page.
What Google says about categories
- Categories are limited. Google's "Getting started" page says Local Services Ads are available only for certain service categories, and that it lists over 200, from restaurant types and lawyers to home services, health care, beauty, pet care and auto services.
- Home services are included. Google's "About Local Services" page names electricians, plumbers, roofers, HVAC, landscaping and house cleaning among provider types, along with dentists, lawyers, tutors, movers, towing, tax services and real estate services.
- Some are only in certain states. Both pages say some categories are offered only in California and Florida. Google's "Getting started" page names drain experts, home insulation, architects, interior designers and insurance agencies among these, and its verification requirements page lists them too. If you run a drain cleaning company outside those states, do not assume the same category exists for you.
- Country matters. Google lists Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. Which providers appear depends on your country and locality.
- Pilots exist. For example, Google's requirements page describes restaurants and coffee and dessert shops as a pilot limited to a few named US cities.
The pages we could read are the United States versions. Google's help pages say some features are "US and Canada only" and some requirements are marked for the US or UK only, but we found no Canada-specific category list. So Canadian owners should check in the sign-up flow rather than rely on any list, including ours. Our Local Services Ads in Canada guide covers the Canadian angle.
How to check your own business
- Start the sign-up flow. Google's pages point to g.co/localservices. Sign in with the Google account you will use for the business.
- Use the eligibility check. Google's "Getting started" page says to check business eligibility for your area. Enter your business type and the address or area you serve.
- Read which job types are offered. The sign-up flow lets you choose job types and service areas. Select every one you really offer. Google's "Improve your Local Services Ads performance" page suggests setting service areas broadly, such as a county, not individual postal codes. You can edit them later under "Edit your industries, service areas, and job types".
- Look at the requirements shown. Your account lists the screening steps for your category and location. Compare them with what you have.
- Check as a customer. Search for your service in your own town, such as "plumber near me", on a phone, and see whether Local Services Ads appear above the results. That shows whether the format is live where you work, though not whether you qualify.
- Ask Google. Google's "Contact Local Services Ads support" page lists support options by region for setup questions.
Have these ready before you start, because the sign-up flow asks for them: your legal business name and address, the exact services you offer, the areas you can reach in a reasonable drive, your hours, and the owner or manager login for your Google Business Profile. Write down what the eligibility check says, including the date and any wording about your category or area. If it says your trade is not available, that is a useful answer, and it saves you weeks of document gathering. If it says you can proceed, read the requirements list before you pay anyone to help.
Trades: what the pages say, and what they do not
| Trade | What the pages say | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Plumbers | Listed as a provider type. Plumbers face added screening, including service professional background checks. | Which job types your area offers; drain work may be a separate category |
| Drain cleaning | "Drain experts" is named among categories limited to California and Florida. | Whether plumber job types cover drain work for you |
| HVAC | Listed as a provider type, with added screening as for plumbers. | Job types and local licensing requirements |
| Electricians | Listed as a provider type, with added screening. | License verification rules for your state or province |
| Roofers | Listed as a provider type. | Licensing, where your area requires it |
| Septic | we did not find septic named on the pages we read. | Ask in the eligibility check. Do not assume |
| Locksmiths, garage door | Added screening, including Advanced Verification. | Pre-badge ads are not available for these, per Google |
| Lawyers | Listed. Google says lawyers need state bar license checks for each attorney. | Practice areas offered, and professional advertising rules |
| Real estate agents | Listed. Google says license checks apply to each professional. | State rules and the requirements shown in your account |
People also search for Local Services Ads for lawyers and for realtors. The same approach applies: Google lists them as categories, with license checks, and each country and state may differ. Professional advertising rules sit on top of Google's rules, so ask a lawyer or your regulator what applies to you.
Badge availability inside a category
Being a listed category does not mean every feature is available. Google's "Getting started" page says the Google Verified badge is not available for auto, beauty or dining verticals, pre-badge ads are not available for garage door services, health care verticals or locksmiths, and booking leads are not available for health care verticals. Call recordings and automatic credits also have exclusions, as set out in Google's "How leads work" page. If the feature you depend on is on the exclusion list, plan another route. Our badge guide explains the badge change.
If your trade or area is not covered
You still have good routes:
- Google Ads search works without Local Services eligibility. See Local Services Ads vs Google Ads.
- Your Google Business Profile and local reviews, which also feed Local Services ranking if you join later. See plumber Google Business Profile.
- Local SEO for the services and towns you cover.
- Look again later. Google's pages describe pilots and state-limited categories, so the picture can change. Recheck every few months.
Also be wary of anyone who promises to "get you into" a category that Google does not offer where you work. Only Google decides.
Mistakes to avoid
- Relying on a list from a blog, including this one, instead of the eligibility check.
- Assuming the same categories apply in the US and Canada, or in every state.
- Selecting job types you do not offer in the hope of more leads. You pay for valid leads, and Google no longer credits leads for job types you do not serve.
- Starting verification before checking whether your area and category exist.
- Putting a false category or service area on your profile. Google's requirements prohibit misrepresenting service areas.
- Treating a rejected eligibility check as final. Recheck later, and try the job types your area does offer.
Where LiveLeadsLane fits
LiveLeadsLane can run the eligibility check with you on a call, tell you what the sign-up flow shows for your trade and area, and set up the account if you qualify, as part of Local Services Ads management. Paid ads management starts at $375 a month for one platform, with ad spend paid directly to Google (see pricing). If Local Services Ads are not offered where you work, we will say so and suggest another route. You can book a call to start.
