Quote follow-up email templates for contractors

It is Thursday night and you sent six quotes this week. Two people wrote back. The other four are sitting in your sent folder, and you are not sure whether they went with someone cheaper, got busy, or are waiting for you to say something. Tomorrow you will be on a job all day, so the follow-up waits until next week, and by then two of those four have hired somebody else.

Following up is where a lot of those jobs get won or lost. The customer already asked for the work, and often all they need is a reason to decide. Below are twelve you can copy: eight emails and four texts, in the order they go out. Swap the parts in brackets for your own details.

When to follow up on a quote

Each touch should add something: an answer, a date, an option. A follow-up that only asks "any update?" gives the customer nothing to reply to.

Quote follow-up email templates

1. The quote is on its way

Subject: Your quote for [job] from [Business]

Hi [Name],

Thanks for having me out today. Your quote for [job] is attached. It covers [scope in one line], and the price is good for [30] days.

If anything in it doesn't match what we talked about, reply here and I'll fix it. I'll check in on [Day] in case questions come up.

[Your name], [Business], [Phone]

2. First check-in, two days later

Subject: Any questions on the [job] quote?

Hi [Name],

Checking in on the quote I sent [Day]. The question I get most on jobs like this is [common question, e.g. how long the work takes]. The answer is [short answer].

Anything else I can clear up before you decide?

[Your name]

3. Scheduling nudge, about a week later

Subject: Holding a spot for [job]

Hi [Name],

My schedule for [month] is filling up. If you want the work done before [date or season], I can hold [week] for you. If the timing is different, tell me and I'll plan around it.

[Your name]

Only send this one if it is true. A made-up deadline gets noticed, and it costs you the trust the quote was built on.

4. Options, about two weeks later

Subject: Another way to do [job]

Hi [Name],

If the number on the quote was more than you planned for, there are a couple of ways to bring it down: [option 1, e.g. phase the work], or [option 2, e.g. a different material]. Either one keeps the part that matters most, which is [key outcome].

Happy to send a revised quote if one of those fits.

[Your name]

5. When they say it's too expensive

Subject: Re: [job] quote

Hi [Name],

Thanks for telling me, that helps. Can I ask what you were comparing it to? If another quote left something out, like [common gap, e.g. permits or haul-away], I'd rather you know before you choose. If it's just the budget, I can look at what to cut.

[Your name]

6. Follow-up after an estimate visit, before the quote is ready

Subject: Your [job] estimate is almost ready

Hi [Name],

Thanks for walking me through the job today. I'm pricing the materials now and you'll have the quote by [Day]. If you think of anything we didn't cover, reply here and I'll include it.

[Your name]

7. Close the loop, about a month later

Subject: Should I close out your [job] quote?

Hi [Name],

I haven't heard back on the [job] quote, so I'm guessing the timing or the fit wasn't right. I'll close it out on my end. If anything changes, reply to this email and I'll pick it back up.

[Your name]

It gives people an easy way to answer without committing to anything.

8. After a no

Subject: Thanks for considering us

Hi [Name],

Thanks for letting me know. If you have a second, what tipped the decision? Price, timing, something in the quote? It helps me write better ones. And if the job ever comes back around, I'm a reply away.

[Your name]

Quote follow-up texts

Texts work for the short nudges. Keep them to one message and put your business name first.

9. Quote sent. Hi [Name], [Business] here. Your quote for [job] is in your email. Reply here with any questions.

10. Check-in. Hi [Name], it's [Your name] from [Business]. Did the quote make sense? Happy to go over it on a quick call.

11. Spot to hold. Hi [Name], I can still fit your [job] in the week of [date]. Want me to hold it?

12. Close the loop. Hi [Name], [Business] here. Should I close out your [job] quote, or is it still in the works?

Only text people who gave you their number for it, and stop if they reply STOP. The appointment reminder templates post has the texting rules and the sources behind them.

What not to write

• "Just checking in." It asks the customer to do the work of remembering why you are writing.
• A discount in the first follow-up. It tells them the first number was padded.
• A deadline that isn't real.
• A follow-up that restates the whole quote. Link it or attach it and say one new thing.

Sending them by hand, or on a schedule

When you send a handful of quotes a month, a calendar reminder and these templates are enough. Once the quotes pile up, follow-up is the first thing to slip on a busy week, which is exactly when the quotes are worth the most. An automated setup reads the quotes from your estimating software, sends each follow-up on schedule, stops the moment the customer replies or accepts, and tells you when a big job has gone quiet so you can call.

The price conversation stays with you. So does the call on a large job, and the judgment about when a customer needs a phone call instead of a fourth email. If you run an HVAC business, there is a worked example in why replacement quotes go quiet after the visit, and the trade pages for HVAC and plumbing cover the rest of the work around a job.

Questions

How soon should I follow up after sending a quote?

Send the first follow-up two days after the quote. The same-day email that delivers the quote counts as a touch too, as long as it says when you will check in, because then your next message is expected.

How many times should I follow up on a quote?

Four or five touches over about a month covers most jobs: the quote email, a check-in, a scheduling nudge, an options email and a close-the-loop email. After that, stop. The close-the-loop email leaves the door open without chasing.

Should I follow up by email or text?

Use email for anything with detail, like revised options or a price question, and text for short nudges. A common split is the quote by email and the check-ins by text, since a text is easy to answer from a job site.

What do I say when a customer says the quote is too expensive?

Ask what they are comparing it to before you touch the price. Sometimes another quote left something out. If it really is the budget, offer a smaller scope or a phased plan before you offer a discount.

When should I stop following up?

After the close-the-loop email, or as soon as they tell you no. A clear no is useful information. Ask what tipped it, then move on.

If you would rather the follow-ups went out on their own and stopped the moment someone replied, that is the kind of system I build. Start with the free 20 minute process audit.