How to Follow Up on an Estimate

It's Thursday night at the kitchen table. You walked a bathroom on Monday, priced it Tuesday and sent it that evening. Since then, nothing. You wonder if one more text would help or just annoy them.

A quiet estimate is rarely a no. The customer got busy, is waiting on a second bid, or never saw your email. One lawn care owner said following up by hand "feels awkward", so it keeps getting skipped. A short, useful note, sent two days later, brings many of those jobs back.

Here's when to follow up, what to say, and when to stop.

Step 1 of 6 Set the follow-up before you leave the walkthrough

Ask the customer when they plan to decide. Then tell them when you'll check in: "I'll send the price tomorrow and text you Friday." Now your follow-up is expected, not a surprise.

Send the estimate within a day of the visit. A price that lands while the walkthrough is fresh gets read. One that shows up a week later competes with every other bid.

Step 2 of 6 Text two days after you send it

Two days gives the customer time to read it, but not time to forget you. Keep the first message short and ask one easy question:

"Hi [name], it's [your name] with [company]. Did the estimate for the [job] come through okay? Happy to talk through any of it."

Text gets a faster reply than email for most homeowners. Send it from your business number, so replies stay out of your personal texts. More on texting customers.

Step 3 of 6 Add something new at five days

The second message should give the customer a reason to answer. Offer a call, a start date, or a smaller version of the job:

"Hi [name], following up on the [job] estimate. I have an opening the week of [date]. Want me to hold it for you?"

Send this one by text and by email. Some people answer texts, others only read email.

JobsiteBooked sends the first two follow-ups for you: a text at 2 days, then a text and an email at 5. You also see when the customer opened the estimate. An opened estimate with no reply is a good moment to call. See how estimates work.

Step 4 of 6 Give options, not one number

A single price asks for a yes or a no. Three options ask which one. That's an easier question to answer.

Build a good, better and best version of the job. Good is the basic fix. Better is the one you'd pick for your own house. Best adds the upgrades. Add-ons, like gutter guards on a roof, let the customer add a little without a new estimate.

If you think price is the reason for the silence, name it in your follow-up:

"Hi [name], if the full job is more than you planned, I can price a smaller first phase. Want me to send that?"

Step 5 of 6 Follow up three or four times, then stop

Most jobs need three or four touches over two to three weeks. A simple rhythm:

• Day 2: the check-in text.

• Day 5: something new, by text and email.

• Day 10 to 14: a short call, or a note about your schedule.

• Day 21: the last message.

Stretch the gaps on big jobs. A kitchen remodel takes longer to decide than a water heater swap.

Put an expiry date on every estimate, like 30 days. It gives the customer a reason to decide. It also protects you when material prices move.

Step 6 of 6 Send a clear last message

The last note closes the loop politely. It often gets more replies than the first:

"Hi [name], I haven't heard back, so I'll close the [job] estimate for now. If you'd like to pick it up later, reply here and I'll update the price."

Then let it go. Mark the estimate lost and note the reason if you know it: price, timing, or another contractor. After a few months, those notes show you a pattern no single job can.

Set a reminder to check back in three to six months. Plans change, budgets come back, and the other contractor may not have called them.

The short version

Set the next step at the walkthrough, then text at two days. Add something new at five. Offer options instead of one number, send a clear last message, and move on. A painter sending ten bids a week uses the same rhythm as a roofer sending two. See how painters handle their bids.