How to follow up on an estimate: day-by-day texts and call scripts
Follow up on an estimate the same day: book the next call before you leave, text that evening, then run a 30-day plan. Every text and script to copy.
The short version
- Follow up the same day: book the next call before the rep leaves the house, then text that evening to confirm it.
- Run a set 30-day plan: a call on day 1 or 2, a text on day 5, a call from a second person on day 10, an email on day 14 and a close-the-loop text on day 30.
- Bring something new each time: an answer, a second option, the payment options or photos of a job like theirs. Leave out fake deadlines and discounts.
- The rep owns the first 48 hours. After that, one person in the office owns every open estimate, and the owner checks the list every week.
- Stop when the homeowner buys, says no or asks you to stop. Silence is not a no.
On this page
- Why do so many estimates go quiet instead of getting a yes or a no?
- What should your rep do before leaving the house?
- What do you send in the first week after the estimate?
- What do you send after the first week?
- What do you say when they "need to think about it" or "got other quotes"?
- Who should do the follow-up, the rep or the office?
- When should you stop following up on an estimate?
Follow up on an estimate the same day. Before your rep leaves the house, book a day and time for the next call, then send a short text that evening that names the job and confirms that time. After that, keep a set schedule of calls, texts and one email for 30 days, bring something new each time, and check in once a month until the homeowner says yes, says no or asks you to stop.
Below is the whole plan, day by day, with every text, call script, voicemail and email written out to copy.
Why do so many estimates go quiet instead of getting a yes or a no?
Most estimates go quiet because the homeowner hasn't decided yet, and few companies keep talking to them while they decide. A homeowner who doesn't sign at the table usually hasn't said no. In ServiceTitan's 2026 survey, only 16% of roofing contractors followed up the same day on an unsold estimate.
16%
26.9%
The same survey found that 67% of roofing contractors reply to a new lead within four hours. Many companies work hard on answering fast and booking more of the calls they get. The days after the estimate get far less care.
Siro, a company that records in-home sales appointments, analyzed 53,389 of them from April to August 2026. About 1 in 4 ended with a commitment, judged from the recordings. When homeowners stalled, 69% of the time it was one of seven reasons: the price surprised them, they can't afford it now, they aren't ready to commit, they want to read the proposal, they're waiting on insurance, a spouse has to see it, or they want to compare quotes.
Each of those is a question the next call can answer. A homeowner who went quiet is usually still deciding.
What sits in your open estimates
Say your reps run 60 appointments a month and sell 15 at the table. That leaves 45 open estimates every month.
If steady follow-up turns 5 of them into jobs, at $10,000 a job, that's $50,000 a month from appointments you already paid for.
Those 5 jobs come from leads you already bought, so they bring down what each sold job really costs you.
What should your rep do before leaving the house?
Before leaving the house after an estimate, your rep should book the next conversation with the homeowner: a day, a time and everyone who decides on the job. The rep should also ask whether it's OK to text, write down why the homeowner didn't sign, and promise one thing to send.
Siro's recordings show why. When a homeowner stalls, setting a concrete next step gets the fewest commitments on the appointment itself (17.7%). But it wins back stalled homeowners more often than any other move. Creating urgency and offering discounts is the most common move, and Siro ranks it one of the weakest. So your rep sets a date instead of offering a tonight-only price.
Who is in the room matters too. In 30.9% of the appointments Siro recorded, the rep never confirmed who was actually in the room. Those appointments ended with a commitment 23.0% of the time, against 36.7% when every decision maker was confirmed present. If a spouse is missing, book the next call for a time when both can be on it.
No problem, it's a big decision. Which part do you want to think over: the price, the timing, or whether we're the right company?
[Listen.]
Got it. When can I call you both to go over it? Would Thursday at 6 work? And is it OK if I text you at this number about the quote?
Before the rep leaves the house
- The next call is booked: a day, a time, and everyone who decides on it.
- The rep asked if it's OK to text, and wrote down the answer.
- The rep wrote down why they didn't sign: price, timing, spouse, financing, other quotes or insurance.
- The rep promised one thing to send: a second option, the payment options or photos of a job like theirs.
- The quote goes out the same day, with the photos the rep took.
What do you send in the first week after the estimate?
In the first week after an estimate, follow up three times. That evening, send a short text that thanks the homeowner and confirms the next call, and email the quote. On day 1 or 2, make the call you booked. On day 5, send one text with something new, like photos of a job like theirs.
Here is the whole 30-day plan on one screen.
| Day | Who | How | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0, that evening | Rep | Text, plus the quote by email | Thanks them, names the job, confirms the next call |
| 1 or 2 | Rep | Call at the booked time; voicemail and a text if no answer | Answers questions, finds the real reason |
| 5 | Rep or office | Text | Brings something new: a job like theirs, or the answer to their stall |
| 10 | Office manager or sales manager | Call | A second voice: "Did you get everything you need?" |
| 14 | Office | The quote again, with the usual questions answered | |
| 30 | Office | Text | Closes the loop: keep the file open or close it? |
| Then monthly | Office | Text | A short check-in tied to the season, until yes, no or stop |
Day 0: the text that evening
Hi [first name], [rep name] from [company]. Thanks for having me out today. Your [job] quote is in your email. I'll call [day] at [time] like we planned. Questions before then? Just text me here.
Day 1 or 2: the call you booked
Call at the time you agreed on. The goal is to find the one part they're still weighing.
Hi [first name], it's [rep name] from [company], calling like we planned. Did you both get a chance to look at the quote?
[Listen.] What questions came up? [Answer.]
What's the part you're still weighing? [Listen.]
If that answers it, want me to get you on the schedule? If not, I'll send you [the second option / the payment options / photos of a job like yours] today. Can I call you [day] to go over it?
Hi [first name], it's [rep name] from [company], calling about your [job] quote like we planned. I'll send you a quick text too. You can reach me at [number]. Talk soon.
Hi [first name], [rep name] from [company]. Just left you a voicemail about your [job] quote. When's a good time for a 5-minute call today or tomorrow?
Day 5: one text with something new
Send a job like theirs, or the stall text further down that matches what you heard on the call.
Hi [first name], [rep name] here. We just finished a [job] in [town]. Here's the before and after: [photo]. Happy to answer anything on your quote.
Send the "job like theirs" text only for a real, recent job, with a photo of the work and never the customer.
What do you send after the first week?
After the first week, keep following up on the estimate with three more touches. The office manager or sales manager calls on day 10, the quote goes out again by email on day 14, and a close-the-loop text on day 30 asks whether to keep the file open.
A second voice on day 10 shows the company cares about the job, and it gives the homeowner an easy way to say what they didn't want to tell the rep.
Hi [first name], this is [name], the [office manager] at [company]. [Rep name] came out about your [job] on [date]. I'm calling to make sure you got everything you need from us. Did anything in the quote not make sense?
[Listen.]
Is the project still on your list, or did you decide to go another way?
If they went another way: Thanks for telling me. Can I ask what made the difference? It helps us get better.
Hi [first name],
Here's your [job] quote again so it's easy to find: [link].
The questions people usually ask at this point:
- What's included: [one line]
- How long the work takes: [one line]
- Payment: [your options, if you offer financing]
If the timing is what's holding you up, tell us when works better and we'll check back then.
[Your name], [company], [phone]
Hi [first name], [name] from [company]. I don't want to keep bugging you about the [job]. Should I close your file, or keep it open for later?
If your crews are booking into [month], say so. Never invent a deadline: a made-up "price good until Friday" is the urgency move that comes out weak in Siro's data.
A quote with no next date on it is a quote nobody is working.
What do you say when they "need to think about it" or "got other quotes"?
When a homeowner says they need to think about it or got other quotes, find out which part they're weighing: the price, the timing, a spouse, or how your quote compares. Then send the one thing that answers it, like a second option, the payment options or a short list of what to compare.
"Other quotes" is the stall where follow-up matters most. In Siro's recordings, homeowners who wanted to compare quotes committed least often at the appointment: 15.1% of the time. The field is usually small. In Mantel's survey of 422 homeowners who shopped for heating and cooling in 2025, they contacted 2.1 contractors on average. So there's usually one other company in the running.
Pressure is the wrong tool here too. In Siro's data, talking through payment options and lowering the risk of saying yes both led to a commitment more than 32% of the time, against 21.7% for urgency and discounts.
Send the one that fits as the rep's day 5 text.
Hi [first name], [rep name] here. You said you wanted to think over [the timing]. One thing that may help: [one fact, for example the install takes one day and we work around your schedule]. I'll call [day] like we said.
Hi [first name], [rep name] here. When you put the quotes side by side, check these three things: [1], [2], [3]. That's where [job] quotes differ most. Happy to walk you through ours on a quick call.
Hi [first name], [rep name] here. Would it help if I went over the quote with you and [partner's name] together? 15 minutes on the phone, or I can stop by. What evening works?
Hi [first name], [rep name] here. I looked at your [job] again. If we [change, for example keep the existing tub], the price comes down. We also have monthly payment options. Want me to send both?
Mention payment options only if you offer financing. For the "other quotes" text, pick two or three things to check from your trade:
| Trade | What to compare |
|---|---|
| Roofing | Tear-off or a layer over; new underlayment and flashing; the labor warranty |
| HVAC replacement | How the system size was worked out; what the install includes (line set, pad, thermostat, permit); the labor warranty |
| Bath remodel | What's in the price (removal, plumbing, damage behind the wall); how long the bathroom is out of use |
| Window replacement | Full-frame or insert install; the outside trim; the labor warranty |
Compare the work, never the company. Point to what's in each quote and let the homeowner do the comparing.
Who should do the follow-up, the rep or the office?
Both the sales rep and the office should follow up on an estimate, with a clear handoff. The rep owns the first 48 hours, because the homeowner knows the rep's name and face. After that, one person in the office owns every open estimate, and the owner looks at the list once a week.
| Who | When | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Rep | Day 0 to 2 | The homeowner knows the rep's name and face |
| One office person | Day 5 on | Reps are out running new appointments, and the list needs one owner |
| Owner or sales manager | Every week | To see that it happens, without asking anyone |
ServiceTitan's contractor playbook calls this office role a follow-up coordinator, in charge of every unsold estimate at least 48 hours old.
Matt Michel, writing in Contracting Business, says an owner who also sells should hand sales management to someone else, "such as the dispatcher," and review the open quote list every week, line by line. His case for calling: "Emails are easy to delete. People are not."
Most job software has an open or unsold estimates list you can sort by rep and date. Your weekly look at it is how you know the follow-up happened without asking anyone.
Your weekly look at open estimates
- Every open estimate has a next follow-up date.
- No estimate has gone a week without a call or text.
- Every no-sale has a reason written down.
- You can see which rep's estimates go quiet most often.
- Every lost job has the reason the homeowner gave.
When should you stop following up on an estimate?
Stop following up on an estimate only when the homeowner buys, says no or asks you to stop. Silence is not one of those. After day 30 with no answer, send one short check-in a month for about six months, timed to the season. Then send the day 30 text one last time.
"Don't give up on a customer until you have a definite yes or no from them regarding a contract."
That's from JLC's "Don't Pass Up the Follow-Up". Time each monthly check-in to the season: storm season for a roof, the first heat wave for an AC, tax refund time for a bath.
Hi [first name], [name] from [company]. [Storm season / The first heat wave] is coming up. Is the [job] still on your list? Happy to update your quote.
When they went with someone else, thank them and ask what made the difference. JLC says asking is fair. Write the reason down so your weekly look shows a pattern.
Thanks for letting us know, [first name]. Can I ask what made you go with them? It helps us get better. If anything changes, we're here.
If a homeowner replies "stop" (or quit, end, revoke, opt out, cancel or unsubscribe), stop texting and mark it so nobody on your team texts them again. The FCC rule counts those words as taking back consent.
Speed counts before the appointment too: see how fast to call back a new lead. If you'd rather have someone run your open estimates every day, that's our no-sale follow-up: we find out why each homeowner didn't buy and keep the follow-up going until they buy or tell you no.
Questions owners ask
How soon should you follow up after giving an estimate?
The same day. Before the rep leaves the house, book the next call with a day and a time. That evening, send a short text that names the job and confirms the time, and email the quote. Then call when you said you would, usually a day or two later. In ServiceTitan's 2026 survey, only 16% of roofing contractors followed up the same day on an unsold estimate, so a same-day text already sets you apart.
How many times should you follow up on an estimate?
Plan on about seven touches in the first 30 days: a text and the quote by email on the day of the appointment, a call on day 1 or 2, a text on day 5, a call on day 10, an email on day 14 and a text on day 30. After that, send one short check-in a month. Each touch should bring something new: an answer, an option or a photo of a job like theirs.
Is it pushy to keep following up on an estimate?
Not when the homeowner agreed to the next call and each touch helps them decide. Pushy is pressure: a discount that ends tonight, or a call with nothing new to say. In Siro's 2026 study of 53,389 recorded in-home sales appointments, urgency and discounts were the most common move and one of the weakest, while setting a real next step won back stalled homeowners more often than any other move.
Who should follow up on estimates, the sales rep or the office?
Both, with a clear handoff. The rep owns the first 48 hours, because the homeowner knows the rep's name and face. After that, one person in the office owns every open estimate and makes sure each touch happens, since reps are out running new appointments. The owner or sales manager looks at the whole list once a week: each open estimate, its next date and why it hasn't sold.
Can you text a homeowner about their estimate?
Ask at the appointment: "Is it OK if I text you at this number about the quote?" Write the answer down. Put your name and company in every text, keep it short and send it during normal business hours. If they reply "stop" (or quit, end, revoke, opt out, cancel or unsubscribe), stop texting and mark it so nobody on your team texts them again. FCC rules count those words as taking back consent.
What do you text a homeowner who stopped answering?
Send the day 30 text: "I don't want to keep bugging you about the [job]. Should I close your file, or keep it open for later?" It's easy to answer either way, so it gives a quiet homeowner a simple way to reply. Write down what they say. "Close it" means you stop. "Keep it open" tells you when to check back.
Sources
- ServiceTitan 2026 Roofing and Exterior Market Report (press release)ServiceTitan, 2026
- 2026 Roofing and Exteriors Market ReportServiceTitan, 2026
- In-Home Insider: Home Improvement Close Rate BenchmarksSiro, 2026
- In-Home Insider, chapter 2: The Kitchen TableSiro, 2026
- HVAC estimate follow-up response ratesHatch, 2024
- Homeowner Shopping Attitudes Report 2025Mantel, 2025
- 8 Practices to Include in Your HVAC Sales Follow UpContracting Business (Matt Michel), 2020
- Contractor Playbook, chapter 11: Field and Office Best PracticesServiceTitan
- Don't Pass Up the Follow-UpJLC (Journal of Light Construction), 2014
- 47 CFR 64.1200, the FCC rule on revoking consent to texts and callsLegal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
