The gap
The average contractor closes 20 to 30% of estimates; top performers close 50 to 70%. The average estimate sits 5 to 9 days before any follow-up (Strategyc and QuoteFollow summaries, 2026). 63% of homeowners compare three to four estimates (Modernize 2024). The quote that is followed up is the one that gets compared favourably.
ServiceTitan’s 2025 survey of over 1,000 contractors found that 47% of contractors above USD 10 million earn 11 to 15% of income from following up unsold estimates, while only 23% of struggling shops earn anything from it. The difference is not the estimator. It is whether anyone chases.
What a sequence does
Leads that receive at least three follow-up touches book at a 40% higher rate, and the average response to a 2-day post-estimate text is 60% (Hatch 2024). One worked case: a residential HVAC, plumbing and electrical company with about 180 unsold estimates a month, USD 756,000 quoted, moved its close rate from 23% to 38% in 90 days with automated touches on days 2, 5 and 12 (Service Labs Group, undated).
The sequence we run
Day 1: a thank-you and a question, in the estimator’s name. Day 3: an answer to the question most homeowners have, financing or timing. Financing lifts average job value 27% (ServiceTitan 2025). Day 7: a nudge with the next available slot. Day 14: a last call, then the file is closed as a no, so the pipeline tells the truth. Every reply is handled by the conversation agent, and the estimator only rejoins when the homeowner asks for them.
Which trades feel it most
The quote trades: roofing after the adjuster visit, foundation repair at USD 5,000 to 30,000 decided over weeks with financing, electrical panels and generators worth 4 to 40 times the service ticket, repipes, and tree removal at 12 to 28 quotes a week where a 10-point close-rate gain beats any lead source.