Estimate follow up email template: 7 messages to copy
To follow up on an estimate, send four short messages over three weeks: a check-in on day 2, a single question on day 5, options on day 10, and a last note on day 21 that closes the file politely. Each one names the job and the price, asks one thing, and stops the moment the customer answers. The seven templates below are ready to copy, and Alvin can find the stale estimates in your CRM each morning and draft the right one for a person to approve.
On this page
How to follow up on an estimate: the timing
Count days from when the estimate was sent. The schedule below suits most residential work from a few hundred dollars to a full replacement.
Scroll sideways to see every column.
| Day | Channel | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Email, plus a text saying it was sent | Deliver the estimate and say when you will check in |
| 2 | Confirm they received it, invite questions | |
| 5 | Email or text | Ask one question to find what is in the way |
| 10 | Offer options: scope, timing, payment | |
| 21 | Last note. Close the file and leave the door open | |
| 90 to 180 | Reactivation, once |
Shorten it for urgent work. A failed water heater or a no-cool call is decided in a day or two, so the day 2 and day 5 messages become the same afternoon and the next morning. Stretch it for large projects where a customer is collecting several bids or waiting on an insurer or a lender.
The four estimate follow up email templates
The customers and jobs are fictional. Replace the brackets and keep the length.
Scroll sideways to see every column.
| When | Subject | Body |
|---|---|---|
| Day 2: check-in | Your estimate for the panel upgrade | Hi Mr. Patel, I wanted to make sure the estimate for the 200 amp panel upgrade ($3,850) came through. Any questions on what is included? I can also walk you through it by phone, whichever is easier. Thanks, Dave |
| Day 5: one question | Quick question on your estimate | Hi Mr. Patel, one question on the panel upgrade estimate: is there anything in it that you would like changed or explained? If the timing is the issue and not the work, tell me what month you have in mind and I will hold a spot. Dave |
| Day 10: options | A few options for the panel upgrade | Hi Mr. Patel, in case it helps you decide, here are three ways we can do this: (1) the full upgrade as quoted at $3,850, (2) the panel now and the two added circuits later, which brings it to $3,200, or (3) the full job scheduled next month. Which is closest to what you need? Dave |
| Day 21: last note | Closing out your estimate | Hi Mr. Patel, I have not heard back, so I will assume the timing is not right and close out the estimate on our end. No hard feelings at all. The price is good through [date], and if you want to pick it back up, reply to this email and it comes straight to me. Dave |
The dollar amounts are examples. Notice what each message leaves out: no "just checking in" with nothing to answer, no discount offered before anyone asked, and no pressure about the schedule filling up unless it is true.
The text version
Use a text only if the customer gave you a mobile number and agreed to texts. Keep it to one thought.
- Day 0: "Hi Mrs. Henderson, Maria at [Company]. Your estimate for the water heater replacement is in your email. Questions? Text me here. Reply STOP to opt out."
- Day 2: "Hi Mrs. Henderson, Maria at [Company]. Did the water heater estimate come through okay?"
- Day 5: "Hi Mrs. Henderson, anything on the estimate I can clear up? Happy to call if that is easier."
Do not send the day 10 options or the day 21 note by text. They need room, and a closing message reads abrupt in a text bubble.
Texting customers is covered by federal and state law and by your texting provider's rules. Get consent, include an opt-out and respect quiet hours. See texting rules for contractors. This is general information, not legal advice.
When the customer says the price is too high
Do not drop the price in the first reply. Find out what they are comparing, then change the scope if the number has to move.
Template: the "price is too high" reply
"Hi Mrs. Garcia, thanks for telling me straight. Can I ask what you are comparing it to? If it is another bid, I am glad to look at it with you, since they are often not for the same scope (ours includes the permit, haul-away and a 2 year labor warranty). If it is the budget, I can price a smaller version: [option] would come to about [amount]. Which would help more?"
Three things this does:
- It asks a question, so the conversation continues.
- It lists what is included, because a lower bid often leaves something out.
- It lowers the price by removing work, not by cutting your margin on the same work.
If you do have room to discount, attach it to something: paying a deposit this week, a flexible start date, or combining two jobs in one trip.
The reactivation note, months later
An estimate that went quiet in spring is often still an open problem in fall. One message, 3 to 6 months later, with a reason to write:
"Hi Mr. Smith, Dave at [Company]. Back in April we priced the drainage work along your back fence. I am scheduling fall work now and wanted to see if it is still on your list. Material prices have moved a little, so I would update the number before you decide. Should I send a fresh estimate? If it is already handled, just say so and I will close the file."
Good reasons to write: a new season, a schedule opening, a manufacturer rebate or price change, or weather that makes the problem likely to return. Send it once. If there is no reply, mark the estimate lost and leave the customer alone.
Timing rules and when to stop
- Say when you will follow up, at the estimate. "I will check in Thursday" makes the day 2 message expected.
- Any reply pauses the sequence. "Still thinking" means a person answers and picks the next date. Nothing scheduled goes out on top of a live conversation.
- A yes or a no ends it. Mark the estimate won or lost the same day, with the reason if they gave one.
- "Stop" ends everything. Honor opt-outs at once, on every channel.
- Send during business hours, Tuesday to Thursday mid-morning when you have the choice.
- One channel per touch. Do not email, text and call on the same day.
- Four follow-ups, then the reactivation note, then done. More than that costs your reputation more than the job is worth.
- Call on the big ones. For an estimate over a threshold you choose, replace the day 5 email with a phone call from the person who did the estimate.
Trade-specific versions with their own timing: roofing estimate follow-up, electrical estimate follow-up and plumbing estimate follow-up.
What Alvin handles and what stays with you
| Alvin does | You do |
|---|---|
| Checks your CRM or field service app each morning for estimates with no answer, by age | Set the schedule, the templates and the dollar threshold for a phone call |
| Drafts the right message for each one, with the customer's name, job and price filled in | Approve each message, or set who on the team can approve |
| Sends approved emails and texts from your own accounts, with opt-out and quiet hours applied | Make the phone calls (Alvin has no phone line today) |
| Pauses when a customer replies and puts the reply in front of the estimator | Answer questions, handle price objections and decide on any discount |
| Remembers why estimates were lost and lists the ones due for a reactivation note | Decide which old estimates are worth reopening and reprice them |
| Keeps a receipt of what was sent, who approved it and when | Mark the final yes or no |
Frequently asked questions
How do you follow up on an estimate without being pushy?
Keep each message short, name the job and ask one easy question. Space them out over about three weeks and stop as soon as the customer answers. End with a note that closes the file politely and tells them how to reopen it.
How long should I wait to follow up on an estimate?
Two days for the first check-in on most residential work, then around day 5, day 10 and day 21. For urgent repairs, follow up the same day and the next morning. Tell the customer when you will check in so the first message is expected.
How many times should a contractor follow up on an estimate?
Four times over about three weeks is a reasonable limit, plus one reactivation note 3 to 6 months later. After that, mark the estimate lost. Any reply, a no, or an opt-out ends the sequence earlier.
What do you say when a customer says your estimate is too high?
Ask what they are comparing it to, list what your price includes and offer a smaller scope if budget is the issue. Lower the price by removing work, not by discounting the same work. If you discount, tie it to something such as a deposit this week or a flexible start date.
Is it better to follow up on an estimate by email or text?
Use email for the estimate itself and for longer messages such as options and the final note. Use a text for short check-ins if the customer has agreed to texts. Use a phone call for large jobs. Texting rules vary, so check the law and your provider's rules.
Every estimate gets an answer.
Alvin finds the estimates that went quiet, drafts the next message and waits for your approval. Join the waitlist and we will set it up with your apps.