How to follow up on a quote: the cadence, and seven templates you can use today

Most quotes die between day 2 and day 14. The cadence below is built to keep you in the conversation without becoming the contractor who pesters

Why quotes go quiet (it is rarely price)

Homeowners and facility managers request two or three bids, then life happens. The quote that stays top of mind wins — not because it was cheapest, but because it was the one still talking when they were ready to decide. Silence reads as indifference; a short, useful touch reads as competence.

Follow-up fails in service companies for one reason: it depends on memory. On a busy Tuesday, memory loses. The fix is a written cadence with owners and stop rules, not more effort.

The cadence

• Day 0 — confirmation (text + email). Confirm the quote arrived, name the one thing they asked about, give a clear next step.
• Day 2 — question check-in (text). Short. One question. Make it easy to reply.
• Day 5 — value touch (email). Add something useful: a photo of similar work, a scheduling window, a financing note. No pressure.
• Day 9 — direct ask (call, then text if no answer). Ask for a decision or a timeline. This is where most jobs close.
• Day 14 — soft close (email). Offer to hold pricing or a slot for a defined window. Give them an easy “not now.”
• Day 30 — long-tail (text). “Still planning this?” Many projects revive here.
• Day 90 / seasonal — reactivation. For maintenance and seasonal work, a touch before the season, not after.

Two rules make the cadence work. First, stop on reply: the moment the customer answers, books, or opts out, the automation stops and a person takes over. Second, one owner: every open quote has a name next to it. If it is everyone's job, it is no one's.

Seven templates

Hi {First}, this is {Name} with {Company}. Your estimate for {job} is in your inbox ({amount}). You asked about {detail} — I addressed it on page 1. Want me to hold {date} for you?

Hi {First} — quick check: any questions on the {job} estimate? Happy to walk through it in 5 minutes if that helps.

Subject: {job} — one thing that might help

Hi {First},

Wanted to share {a photo of a similar project / how the schedule would work / the financing option}. No rush on a decision — just making sure you have what you need.

{Name}, {Company}

Hi {First}, {Name} with {Company}. Calling about the {job} estimate — wanted to see where you landed and whether {date} still works. If it's easier, text me back a yes, no, or a date.

Subject: Holding your pricing on {job}

Hi {First},

We can hold the quoted pricing and a {week} start slot through {date}. If the timing isn't right, reply “not now” and I'll check back in a few weeks — no hard feelings either way.

{Name}

Hi {First} — still planning the {job}? We have openings the week of {date}. Reply with a day that works or “later.”

Hi {First}, {Name} at {Company}. {Season} scheduling is opening up — last year we did {service} for you. Want the same week again? Reply YES and we'll lock it in.

Keep the merge fields real. A template that says “{job}” works in any CRM; one that guesses the customer's situation does not.

Make it run without you

Paste these into whatever you already use — Jobber, Housecall Pro, ServiceTitan, a GoHighLevel-style CRM, or a spreadsheet with reminders. The templates are not the hard part. Getting every quote into a list with a status, an owner, and a next action — and having someone watch the exceptions every week — is.

That operating layer is what PeakReach installs and runs as the Revenue Recovery System: every estimate tracked, the cadence above executed by text and email, stop-on-reply, and a weekly report of what actually went out. If you would rather not build it yourself, start with a 20–30 minute Revenue Leak Audit.