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How to Create a Construction Dashboard in Google Analytics

Cody Schneider•

A generic website analytics report is almost useless for a construction company. You don't need to know every single metric, you need to see exactly which marketing efforts are generating quotes and new projects. This guide will walk you through creating a focused construction dashboard in Google Analytics 4 so you can track the data that actually grows your business.

Why a General Analytics Report Fails Construction Companies

Your business relies on attracting local customers and converting them into high-value leads. A standard GA4 report shows you overall traffic, but it won’t instantly tell you:

  • Which specific services (e.g., "Kitchen Remodeling," "Commercial Roofing") are getting the most attention?

  • Are visitors from your local service area submitting "Request a Quote" forms?

  • Is your investment in local search, Google Ads, or Facebook actually turning into prospects?

  • How many people are viewing your project portfolio before they contact you?

A custom construction dashboard solves this problem. It filters out the noise and puts your most important Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) front and center. It’s the difference between having a cluttered toolbox and having a perfectly organized tool belt with exactly what you need for the job at hand.

First, You Must Track What Matters: Setting Up Conversions

Your dashboard can only display what you tell Google Analytics to track. Before building anything, you need to define what a "lead" is on your website. For most construction companies, these are the two most important user actions:

  1. Filling out a contact or "Request a Quote" form.

  2. Clicking on your phone number to call.

Here’s how to set up the most common one - a form submission - as a conversion in GA4. The easiest way to do this is by tracking visits to your "Thank You" page (the page users see after they submit a form).

Step-by-Step: Tracking "Request a Quote" Forms

Let's turn thank-you-page visits into an official "Conversion" that we can add to our dashboard.

  1. Navigate to Events: In GA4, go to the Admin section (the gear icon in the bottom-left). Under the "Property" column, click on Events.

  2. Create a New Event: Click the "Create event" button. Then click "Create" again. This is where you'll tell GA4 what to look for.

  3. Define the Event: Now you’ll set the rules for your new event.

    • Custom event name: Give it a clear, simple name. "generate_lead" or "quote_form_submit" works perfectly. Avoid spaces.

    • Matching conditions: This is the logic. Set the first condition to:

      • Parameter: event_name

      • Operator: equals

      • Value: page_view

    • Click "Add condition" to add a second rule. This tells Google to only fire your new event when someone views your specific "Thank You" page.

      • Parameter: page_location

      • Operator: contains

      • Value: /thank-you (or whatever your thank-you page URL ending is)

  4. Save Your Event: Click "Create" in the top right. Now, every time someone lands on your thank-you page, GA4 will register it as a "generate_lead" event.

  5. Mark it as a Conversion: An event isn't an official conversion until you flip the switch. Wait a few hours (or up to 24) for your new event data to appear. Then, go back to Admin > Conversions. You should see your "generate_lead" event in the list. Just toggle the switch on the right to mark it as a conversion.

Once this is done, you're ready to build a dashboard that actually means something. All future form fills will now be counted as official conversions.

Building Your Construction Dashboard in GA4

GA4's reporting section is flexible, and the "Library" feature lets you create your own custom reports from scratch that will appear in your main navigation. This is where we’ll build our one-page overview.

Getting Started: The Report Library

  1. Navigate to the Reports section from the left-hand menu.

  2. At the very bottom of the report menu, click on Library.

  3. Click the + Create new report button and choose Create detail report. This gives you a blank canvas. Start with a blank template.

You are now in the report builder. On the right-hand side, you'll see options for "Dimensions" (the 'what' - like page titles or traffic sources) and "Metrics" (the 'how many' - like revenue, sessions, or conversions). You will also see chart types that you can customize. Here are the essential widgets, or 'cards,' you should create.

The 5 Must-Have Widgets for Your Construction Dashboard

A good dashboard has two summary cards at the top and three detailed tables below them. Let’s configure them to answer your most important business questions.

1. How Many Leads Are We Getting? (Leads Overview)

This is your big-picture number. You want to see the total number of qualified leads at a glance.

  • Summary Card #1: Use a Scorecard card.

  • Configuration: Find the first scorecard, click the pencil icon to customize it. Select the metric Conversions. If you have multiple conversion types, you can filter for just your "generate_lead" event. For the title, call it something simple like "Total Quote Requests."

  • Why it's important: This is your company's most important marketing metric. Is it going up or down? This card keeps it front and center.

2. Where Are These Leads Coming From? (Lead by Channel)

This widget tells you which marketing channels are actually worth your time and money.

  • Widget type: Use the detail table at the bottom of the template.

  • Configuration:

    • Dimension: Session default channel group. This automatically groups traffic into Organic Search, Direct, Paid Search, etc.

    • Metrics: Make sure the table includes Sessions or Users at a minimum. Then, click 'Metrics' and add Conversions to the table. Also add Engagement rate.

  • Why it's important: You might be getting tons of traffic from social media but zero conversions. At the same time, your traffic from organic search might be low, but highly converting. This table gives you that insight instantly, guiding your marketing strategy.

3. What Services Are Most Popular? (Engagement by Page)

This table shows which parts of your website - service pages, portfolio projects, about pages - are most compelling to potential clients.

  • Widget type: Add another detail table.

  • Configuration:

    • Dimension: Page title and screen name. This is usually more readable than the URL path.

    • Metrics: Add Views, Engaged sessions, and Conversions.

  • Why it's important: Are you seeing a lot of views on your "Commercial Projects" gallery but getting all your leads from your "Residential Remodeling" service page? This table reveals what content is drawing attention versus what content is driving action.

4. Are We Reaching Our Local Market? (Leads by City)

For a non-franchise construction business, a lead from across the country is useless. This report ensures you’re attracting customers in your service area.

  • Widget type: Create a new detail table.

  • Configuration:

    • Dimension: City. You can also use Region for states/provinces.

    • Metrics: Add Total users and Conversions.

  • Why it's important: Seeing all your top-converting cities reaffirms your local SEO and paid ad targeting is working. If you see conversions from locations you don’t serve, you might need to adjust your ad campaigns to stop wasting money.

5. How Effective is Our Site on Mobile? (Conversions by Device)

Contractors are often searched for on-the-go. Prospects are researching you from their phones, meaning your site experience needs to be seamless.

  • Widget type: Add a final new table chart.

  • Configuration:

    • Dimension: Device category. This groups users into Desktop, Mobile, and Tablet.

    • Metrics: Add Total users and Conversions.

  • Why it's important: If you see high mobile traffic but a very low conversion rate compared to desktop, it might be a signal that something is wrong. Perhaps your form is difficult to use on small screens, or your phone number isn't easily clickable - a simple fix that could significantly boost your leads.

Saving and Accessing Your New Dashboard

Once you are happy with your report widgets, press the blue "Save" button. Give your report a descriptive name, like "Construction KPIs," and an optional description. Now, you need to make it easily accessible.

  1. Go back to the Library main page. You'll see your newly created "Construction KPIs" report card.

  2. Find the "Life Cycle" Collection card (or whichever collection makes the most sense to you) and click Edit collection.

  3. On the right side, search for your "Construction KPIs" report and simply drag it over to the menu on the left.

  4. Click Save > Save changes to current collection.

Your new custom report will now appear permanently in the main navigation under the Reports tab. Check it at least once a week to monitor performance, identify trends, and make informed decisions on how to steer your marketing ship.

Final Thoughts

By building a dedicated construction dashboard in Google Analytics, you move beyond vanity metrics and focus on the data that directly translates to more jobs and a healthier business. It’s your control panel for understanding lead flow, customer interest, and marketing performance at a single glance.

Of course, your web traffic is only one piece of the puzzle. To get the full picture, you often need to combine your Google Analytics data with insights from your CRM, Google Ads, or Facebook Ads campaigns. We built Graphed to solve this challenge. Instead of wrestling with complex configurations, you connect your tools in a few clicks and then simply ask questions in plain English, like "show me our top ad campaigns from Facebook alongside the leads they generated from our website last month," and we will build a real-time dashboard for you instantly.