ServiceTitan reports that automated follow-up sequences recover 18-22% of unsold estimates across their home service customer base. For a company sending 50 estimates per month at $2,000 average, that's $18,000-22,000 in recovered revenue annually - automatically.

The 3 Follow-Up Sequences Every Contractor Needs

1. Estimate Follow-Up

When someone gets an estimate but doesn't book:

  • 48 hours: Text reminder with link to approve the quote
  • 5 days: Follow-up with a question ("Do you have any questions about the estimate?")
  • 14 days: Final follow-up with time-limited incentive
  • 90 days: Re-engagement check-in

Contractors who follow up within 48 hours close 30% more estimates than those who wait a week.

2. Post-Job Follow-Up

After completing a job:

  • 2-4 hours: Review request text with direct Google link
  • 24 hours: Thank-you email with care instructions for the work done
  • 48 hours: Follow-up review request (if they didn't respond to the first)
  • 30 days: Check-in on the work and mention related services

3. Dormant Customer Re-Engagement

For customers who haven't booked in 12+ months:

  • Initial re-engagement: "It's been a while - time for a [maintenance service]?"
  • If no response in 7 days: Follow up with a seasonal offer
  • If no response in 14 days: One final check-in, then pause for 6 months

Setting Up Automated Follow-Ups

Most CRMs (ServiceTitan, Jobber, Housecall Pro, GoHighLevel) have built-in automation for follow-up sequences. If yours doesn't, use Zapier or Make.com to build the sequences.

Key principles:

  • Text beats email for initial follow-ups (higher open rates)
  • Keep messages short (2-3 sentences)
  • Include a clear call-to-action (approve quote, call us, book online)
  • Personalize with the customer's name and job type
  • Stop after 3-4 touches (more feels pushy)

The ROI of Automation

Automated follow-ups recover 15-25% of unsold estimates. Calculate your specific ROI:

  • Number of unsold estimates per month x average estimate value x 15% recovery rate = monthly recovered revenue

For most contractors, automated follow-ups pay for the CRM subscription many times over.

Worked Example: Follow-Up Revenue Recovery

50 estimates/month at $2,000 average. Current close rate: 45% = 22.5 jobs. 27.5 unsold estimates × 18% recovery rate = 5 recovered jobs × $2,000 = $10,000/month in recovered revenue. At $5,000/month estimate volume (higher tier): 100 estimates → 55 unsold → 10 recovered = $20,000/month. Annual recovered revenue: $120,000-240,000. CRM cost: $129-300/month. The follow-up sequence literally pays for the entire CRM 30-80x over.

Bad follow-up: "Hey, just checking in on that estimate. Let me know if you're interested."

Good follow-up: "Hi [Name], the $2,400 water heater estimate we sent Tuesday is still available. We have an opening this Friday if you'd like to move forward. Any questions I can answer? - [Tech Name], [Company]"

Set up automated follow-ups

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What Not to Do

  • Don't follow up once and give up. The optimal sequence is 48 hours, 5 days, 14 days, and 90 days. Most contractors stop after one attempt. The 5-day and 14-day follow-ups recover a significant chunk of revenue.
  • Don't use generic messages. "Just checking in" doesn't convert. Reference the specific job, the estimate amount, and offer to answer questions. Personalization increases response rates 2-3x.
  • Don't follow up more than 4 times. After the 90-day re-engagement, stop. More than that feels harassing and damages your reputation.
  • Don't rely on manual follow-ups. Your team is busy running calls. They will forget. Automate the entire sequence so it runs without human intervention.
  • Don't forget to track what works. Monitor which follow-up in the sequence recovers the most estimates. Some contractors find the 5-day follow-up converts best; others find the 90-day re-engagement.

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