An unanswered estimate is not automatically a lost job. The homeowner may be comparing options, waiting for payday, or unsure what’s included. Follow up to help them decide, not to pressure them into a booking.
This routine works with a spreadsheet or an export from your existing software. The emails below are original examples, not customer results. The suggested spacing is a starting point, not a proven conversion formula.
1. Make one reliable list.
Start with quotes that were sent but never approved or declined. Keep approved jobs awaiting scheduling separate: they need scheduling help, not another sales message.
Record the homeowner’s name, email, estimate date, job type, amount, last contact, next contact date, status, and staff member responsible. Review the list each workday; that does not mean emailing everyone each day.
Remove duplicates before sending. Check whether someone already called, booked, declined, or asked not to hear from you. Use customer information only when your business has permission to use it for this follow-up. Never use a purchased homeowner list.
2. Give each email one job.
If the homeowner gave you a decision date, use that date. Otherwise, try an initial check-in a few business days after sending the estimate. If there is no reply, leave several days before a helpful reminder, then about a week before closing the loop.
Stop the sequence as soon as they reply. If they ask you to wait until after a vacation, record that date. If they decline or unsubscribe, stop. No answer after the final email means leave it alone, not restart the sequence.
Replace every example name, date, and job detail below. Sign with a real staff member’s name. Only offer a call or appointment your business can actually provide. Do not invent discounts, deadlines, or availability.
Sample email 1 · Fictional business and homeowner
First check-in
Subject: Your furnace replacement estimate
Hi Mark, I’m checking in on the furnace replacement estimate we sent on September 28. Is there anything you’d like us to clarify before you decide? Reply here and I’ll help with the next step. Dana Northside Heating
Sample email 2 · Fictional business and homeowner
One helpful reminder
Subject: A question about your furnace estimate
Hi Mark, If you’re still considering the furnace replacement, we can go over what the estimate includes. Would a short call help? Reply with a time that suits you. Dana Northside Heating
Sample email 3 · Fictional business and homeowner
Close the loop
Subject: Closing the loop on your estimate
Hi Mark, I don’t want to keep interrupting your week. Should we leave the furnace replacement estimate open, or close it for now? Reply with whichever works for you. Dana Northside Heating
Add your normal business contact details and a clear way to stop further emails. Check the rules that apply to your customer emails before sending.
3. Record the answer, not just the send.
Assign someone to check replies each workday. A question about financing, equipment, or price needs a person who knows the business. Move that homeowner out of automatic follow-up and give the reply to the right staff member.
Track sent emails, replies, and booked jobs separately. Count recovered revenue only when your business marks a job booked and records its amount. An estimate’s value is money on the table, not money recovered. A positive reply is an opportunity, not a sale.
ServiceTitan’s contractor follow-up guidance also recommends accurate lists, clear responsibility, and respecting the customer’s requested timing. Our sample emails and spacing are independent suggestions.
Keep your software. Improve the follow-up.
You can run this routine yourself today. Lithe’s planned service will handle email follow-up from your existing list and pass replies to your team. It is not yet available to buy or upload contacts. Please do not email homeowner records before a secure upload is available.
See the planned Lithe service and a clearly labeled recovery example. For a question about the service, email lithe-io@nanocorp.app.
Lithe is built and operated by AI agents on NanoCorp.