A Johnson City plumber called us last week with a straightforward question. He had received an email from Google saying his ads were changing, and he wanted to know if he should be worried.
The short answer is no. But he does need to pay attention, and so do you.
Google is migrating Local Services Ads out of the standalone LSA dashboard and into the main Google Ads platform. The rollout begins in August 2026 for home and trade service businesses in the United States. If you run Local Services Ads for plumbing, HVAC, electrical, roofing, lawn care, pest control, appliance repair, or moving services, this transition is coming for your account.
Here is what is changing, what is staying the same, and the specific steps you need to take before your migration date.
What Is Actually Changing
The campaign type will be called a Performance Max campaign with pay-per-lead goals. That name sounds more complicated than it is.
Your ads will still appear on Google Search and Google Maps in the same positions they do now. You will still pay only when a customer contacts you through the ad, not for every click someone makes. Targeting still works based on your service categories and location, not keywords. Your Google Verified badge transfers automatically if you already have one.
The change is primarily about where you manage your campaigns. The separate Local Services Ads dashboard goes away. Everything moves into Google Ads.
Four Things That Are Different
A few specifics are worth understanding before migration day.
Manual bidding is being removed. If you set a maximum cost-per-lead manually, that option will no longer exist. Google will manage bidding automatically using a Target CPA model at the campaign level. If you want to maintain separate bid targets for different services, such as running plumbing and HVAC under different cost-per-lead goals, you will need to set up separate campaigns for each service category after migration.
Your historical reports will not transfer. Once your account migrates, the old LSA dashboard becomes inaccessible. That includes past spend totals, lead counts, and all prior performance reports. This data does not move to Google Ads automatically. You must download it from the LSA dashboard before your migration date or it is gone.
BBB callouts are going away. If your ads previously displayed a Better Business Bureau callout, that feature is not supported in the new system. Google recommends replacing it with at least six other structured callouts, such as your business hours, accepted payment methods, or service specialties.
Weekly budgets become daily budgets. Google will divide your average weekly budget by seven to calculate a daily average. Monthly spend stays capped at the same total. The math works out correctly, but you will want to log in after migration and confirm the daily number looks right.
The Timeline
Migration for home and trade service businesses in the United States begins in August 2026. That covers plumbing, HVAC, electrical, appliance repair, roofing, lawn care, house cleaning, pest control, and moving companies.
Google will send the account administrator an email 14 days before your specific migration date. A second reminder goes out seven days after that. On migration day, logging into the old LSA dashboard will automatically redirect you to Google Ads.
After migration, Google recommends allowing up to two weeks for campaign performance to return to stable levels. A brief adjustment period is normal.
What This Means for Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia Contractors
If you run Local Services Ads for a plumbing, HVAC, roofing, or electrical business in Johnson City, Kingsport, Bristol, or anywhere across Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia, this update applies to your account. Google automates the transfer of your service areas, business categories, location settings, budget structure, and business photos. Most of the heavy lifting is handled.
What Google cannot do is download your data for you. That is a manual step with a deadline attached.
Three Things to Do Before Migration Day
Check who holds administrator access on your Google Ads account. The migration notice goes to the account admin. If you are not sure who that is, log into Google Ads now and check user access under account settings.
Download your historical reports from the Local Services Ads dashboard before your migration date. Google’s support documentation walks through the steps. Once your account moves to Google Ads, the old dashboard closes and those reports are no longer accessible.
Make sure your Google Business Profile is accurate and current. After migration, your business name, address, and hours sync directly from your GBP into Google Ads. If your GBP has outdated information, that information will show up in your ads.
If you manage Google Ads or Local Services Ads for your trade or home services business in the Tri-Cities area and have questions about how this transition affects your campaigns, reach out to Main St Internet Marketing. We manage Google advertising for contractors and service businesses across Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia, and we are tracking this rollout closely.