Most contractors send a quote and wait. The ones who win more jobs follow up. Studies consistently show that 80% of sales require at least 5 follow-up contacts — yet most contractors make one follow-up call at most, and many make none. Here's exactly when to follow up, what to say, and how to do it without being pushy.
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A client who doesn't respond to your quote isn't necessarily uninterested. They're often:
- Waiting for other quotes to compare - Busy and haven't had time to review yours - Not sure how to decide between options - Waiting for a spouse or partner to weigh in - Slightly confused by something in the quote and embarrassed to ask
A follow-up resolves most of these situations. It gives the client permission to re-engage, clears up confusion, and puts you back at the top of their mind at the moment they're ready to decide.
The contractor who follows up professionally is almost always chosen over the one who doesn't, even if they're not the lowest price.
Timing matters. Follow up too soon and you seem desperate. Follow up too late and they've already chosen someone else.
The ideal follow-up schedule:
Day 1 — Same day or next day after sending the quote: Send a brief message confirming they received it and offering to answer any questions. This isn't a chase — it's a courtesy.
Day 4–5 — First real follow-up: A short, warm message checking in and reiterating your availability. Most clients will respond at this point if they're interested.
Day 10–12 — Second follow-up: A brief final check-in. Keep this light — you're giving them a last chance to engage before you move on. Don't be needy.
After day 14: If no response, put the quote in your "cold" pile. You can reach back out if you have a slow period or a good reason (price drop, availability opening up), but don't continue actively chasing.
If you set an expiry date on your quote (which you always should), your final follow-up is a natural prompt: "Just wanted to let you know the quote expires at the end of this week — happy to extend if you need more time."
Follow-up messages should be short, warm, and give the client an easy reason to respond. Here are real-world templates:
Day 1 — Confirmation message: "Hi [Name], just checking in to make sure the quote came through OK. Happy to answer any questions or walk you through anything. Looking forward to the project."
Day 4–5 — First follow-up: "Hi [Name], I wanted to follow up on the quote I sent over [X days] ago for [brief description of job]. Has it come at a good time to chat through it? No rush — just want to make sure you have everything you need to make a decision."
Day 10–12 — Second follow-up: "Hi [Name], I'll keep this brief — just wanted to check in one more time on the quote for [job]. If the timing isn't right or you've gone in a different direction, no problem at all — just let me know. If you do want to move forward, I have [date] available and can confirm the start date for you."
Expiry reminder: "Hi [Name], just a quick note that the quote I sent expires [date]. Happy to extend it if you need more time, or if you have any questions I can clear up. Just give me a call or reply here."
Different clients prefer different channels. Here's how to choose:
Phone call: Most effective for high-value jobs and older clients. A phone call signals that the job matters to you. Keep it brief: "I sent over the quote last week and wanted to check if you had any questions." Don't leave a long voicemail.
Text message: Works well for residential clients, especially for smaller jobs. Texts have a much higher open rate than emails and feel more personal. Keep it to 2–3 sentences.
Email: Better for commercial clients and larger projects where a paper trail is appropriate. More formal — suits the professional relationship you're building.
Rule of thumb: Match the channel the client used to contact you originally. If they texted you for the quote, text them the follow-up. If they emailed, email back.
Some follow-up mistakes that lose jobs:
Following up daily: Nothing signals desperation like a daily message. Space out your follow-ups as described above.
Being passive-aggressive: "I haven't heard back from you" is guilt-inducing and off-putting. Keep every message warm and professional.
Lowering your price unprompted: Don't reduce your price just because someone hasn't responded. They may be on vacation, talking to their partner, or simply busy. Lowering your price unprompted signals that your original price wasn't your best price — now they'll always negotiate.
Asking too many questions: Keep follow-ups simple. One clear message, one question if any. Don't send a list of questions that requires a lengthy response.
Giving up after one attempt: Most contractors follow up once, hear nothing, and assume the client isn't interested. Often they just needed a second nudge.
You can't follow up consistently if you don't know which quotes are outstanding. Tracking your quote pipeline takes a few minutes a day and pays off in jobs won.
At minimum, keep a list of: - Every quote sent, to whom, and on what date - The expiry date - Whether you've followed up and when - The outcome (won, lost, or still pending)
TaskArc shows all your outstanding quotes in one view, with dates sent and status. You can see at a glance which quotes are awaiting response and when you last contacted the client — so nothing falls through the cracks.
The follow-up is where most jobs are actually won or lost — not the quote itself. Be persistent, be professional, and be patient. A three-touch follow-up sequence over two weeks is all you need to convert a significantly higher percentage of your quotes into jobs.
Send a confirmation the same day or next day. Your first real follow-up should be 4–5 days after sending the quote. A second follow-up around day 10–12 is appropriate if there's been no response.
Two to three times is appropriate. One follow-up after 4–5 days, a second around day 10–12, and possibly a third tied to the quote expiry. After that, move on — if they come back later, great.
No. An unanswered quote doesn't mean the price is wrong — the client may be busy, comparing options, or waiting to discuss with a partner. Lowering your price unprompted signals that your original quote wasn't your best price.
Match the channel the client used to contact you. If they texted, text the follow-up. If they emailed, email back. Phone works well for high-value jobs. Keep follow-up messages short — 2–3 sentences maximum.
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