How to follow up on a quote
By Abdullah Shakir Hussain. Published .
A quote that goes quiet is rarely a firm no. Most of the time the customer got busy, is comparing prices, or is waiting on someone else. A short, well-timed follow-up keeps your quote in front of them.
Why following up matters
Many businesses stop too early. In Hatch's 2024 State of the Home Improvement Industry report, 63% of home improvement teams give up on a quote after one or two follow-ups. That leaves the job to whoever checks in next.
The work you quote is often winnable. Jobber's Home Service Trends Report found that 69% of home service businesses win more than half of the jobs they quote. The difference between winning and losing a close call is often just being the business that stayed in touch.
Speed matters most at the very start. When Harvard Business Review studied online leads, firms that replied within an hour were seven times more likely to qualify the lead than those that waited longer. That study is about first replies to new enquiries, but the lesson carries over: the longer a quote sits, the colder it gets.
When to follow up
There is no single right schedule, but a simple one you actually keep beats a perfect one you forget. This is the schedule QuoteLoop uses by default, counted from the day you sent the quote:
- Day 1: check they received it and offer to answer questions.
- Day 3: a short follow-up asking if anything needs clearing up.
- Day 7: another check-in, ideally adding something useful (a photo, an option, a start date).
- Day 14: a last check-in that makes it easy to say "not now".
Adjust it to the job. An urgent repair needs a faster rhythm, a kitchen remodel a slower one. If your quote has an expiry date, add a reminder a few days before it.
What to say at each step
- Name the job and the price, so they don't have to dig out the quote.
- Ask one easy question they can answer in a few words.
- Offer something concrete: a call, an option, a different start date.
- Keep it short. Two or three sentences is plenty.
- Never sound annoyed that they haven't replied.
You'll find ready-to-copy wording for every step in our quote follow-up email templates and follow-up text messages.
Email, text or a call?
- Use the channel the customer used to contact you. If they texted, a text follow-up feels natural.
- Email works well when the quote was emailed: reply in the same thread so the price is right there.
- Call for bigger jobs, or after two messages without a reply. A two-minute call often settles what three emails can't.
- Only text customers who gave you their number for this job, and stop if they ask you to.
When to stop
After three or four follow-ups without a reply, send a last check-in that gives them an easy way out, then mark the quote lost. That isn't giving up: a polite last message often gets a reply, and a clear "lost" keeps your list honest. If the job was a good fit, set a reminder to check in again in a few months, when plans may have changed.
If the customer says no, thank them and ask what tipped the decision. Price, timing or another quote: each answer helps you price and follow up better next time. More on this in what to do when a customer isn't responding to your quote.
Keep track of every open quote
Following up only works if you know which quotes are waiting and when each one is due. A spreadsheet with the customer, job, price, date sent and next follow-up date is enough to start: here is a free quote tracking spreadsheet with the formulas done. QuoteLoop does this for you: add the quote you sent, and it shows which quotes to follow up today with the message already drafted. Nothing is sent until you choose to.