Turn unsigned estimates into jobs with SMS and email follow-up

An unanswered estimate ties up the time you spent on travel, inspection, and pricing. Before you buy another lead, follow up with homeowners who already asked you to quote.

Use the sequence below as a starting point. It gives the homeowner room to ask questions and makes approval easy. Adapt the timing to your trade and send only through channels the customer agreed to use.

Start with an estimate they can act on

Your quote needs a scope, price, any genuine expiry date, and a review or approval link. Offer a reply route for questions. Don't add a deadline or pretend to reserve a crew unless that is true.

Record when the estimate was sent and which version the homeowner received. Trigger follow-up from that event, not from the inspection date: an inspection can finish before the quote is ready.

Three touches over 10 days

Day 1: text with the estimate link

Keep the first text short. The link lets the homeowner find the quote without searching their inbox, and the question gives them a reason to reply.

Day 4: email with the scope and next step

Email gives the homeowner space to review what you quoted. Keep the approval link near the scope and price. Check your email authentication and delivery before you rely on it.

Day 10: ask for a decision

A homeowner who needs a change can tell you. A homeowner who isn't ready can say so. End this sequence after the final touch rather than sending an open-ended stream of reminders.

Stop messages when the conversation changes

• Reply: pause the sequence and notify the person handling the estimate. Answer the question before scheduling another reminder.
• Approval: stop the reminders, verify the accepted quote, record the agreed job value, and arrange the work.
• Won or Lost: stop pending sends. Record a reason for lost work so you can improve your quoting or follow-up.
• Opt-out: suppress messages on that channel and retain the preference.
• Revised quote: cancel the old sequence. Review whether and when to start a new one with the current link.

Check these conditions before each message, not only when the sequence starts. Schedule sends in the customer's local business hours and keep one active follow-up sequence per estimate.

Track won work, not message volume

Measure how many estimates receive follow-up, how many homeowners reply, and how many accept. Record won contract value alongside the lead source and estimate. Count each job once.

Example: one additional $8,000 job at a 25% gross margin contributes $2,000 before fixed overhead and follow-up costs. Compare that contribution with your service and messaging fees. Revenue is the job price; it isn't profit or proof that the customer has paid.

A reply isn't a win, and a win doesn't prove the follow-up caused it. Compare results across similar quotes and time periods before claiming an uplift.

Test before turning it on

Send yourself a test quote. Confirm the day-one text and day-four email use the current link. Reply before the next touch and confirm it stops. Repeat for approval, Lost, opt-out, and a revised quote. Check that no reminder survives a closed job.

Pair estimate follow-up with missed-call recovery so you protect the work at both ends: the first conversation and the decision after the quote.