AI-coded Website Rebuilds Plus Local SEO Retainers for Contractors, Pitched With Owned Lead Sites
Originally published Sep 23, 2026 — Jesse Cunningham
Jesse Cunningham · You Should Try The LAZIEST Way to Make Money With AI ↗
One of 3 ideas covered in this video
You rebuild a local contractor's website with an AI-coded (non-WordPress) structure and do their local SEO, profiles, and citations, charging a setup fee plus a monthly retainer, or offering the site 'free' for a monthly lease fee. The selling angle is that you already own ranking lead sites and a directory in their trade and area, so you can show call numbers and offer a featured listing and overflow leads as part of the deal.
The presenter says most local businesses structure their websites poorly, which is the main reason they rank badly, and that a site that looks better than most WordPress builds costs under $15 to make with AI, while contractors will still pay hundreds per month. He expects websites to be commoditized so clients will not pay tens of thousands, but monthly fees still leave a large margin. A beginner might take eight hours on the first build. His sample pitch is 'one of our pool sites around Austin gets 40 calls a month, want to see the numbers?', arguing that bringing real leads earns attention. He frames retainers and per-lead deals as the fastest cash, while noting clients eventually leave once their business is doing well.
People who can sell to local business owners and handle ongoing client work, especially those willing to build some proof sites first.
Selling websites and local SEO to small contractors is a proven service business, and leading with real call data is a strong pitch if you actually have it. The pitch as described depends on first owning ranking sites in the client's area, which takes months and is not guaranteed. The $15 build cost excludes your time, hosting, and ongoing maintenance, and a non-WordPress build can make clients dependent on you for every edit, which the presenter partly acknowledges. The '40 calls a month' figure is an illustrative script, not a verified result. He promotes his paid SEO academy, including an Upwork module he says helped a member make $60,000 this year, an unaudited claim.