How should a roofer follow up on an estimate?

Why roofing estimates go unsigned

Most unsigned estimates are not lost to a cheaper roofer. They are lost to silence. The homeowner got two or three quotes, meant to call back, and then life got busy. Whoever checks in next, politely and with something useful, is the one who gets the call.

You already did the hard part. You drove out, got on the roof, measured, and wrote the quote. An estimate nobody follows up on is a half-won job that you are handing to a competitor.

A follow-up schedule that works

The schedule below is a starting point. Storm work moves faster than a planned re-roof, so tighten it after hail or wind events and loosen it for homeowners who told you they are budgeting for spring.

• Same day: thank them and confirm you sent the estimate.
• Day 3: check whether they have questions about the scope or the materials.
• Day 7: share something useful, like financing options, warranty details, or your next open install dates.
• Day 14: close the loop. Ask if they want to move forward, hold off, or have you stop checking in.
• After that: move them to a light seasonal check-in, not a weekly chase.

Sample roofing estimate follow-up texts

Adapt these to your voice. Keep the homeowner's name, the address or job, and your company name in every message so it never reads like a mass text.

Same day: "Hi Dana, this is Mike with [Company]. Thanks for having us out to look at the roof on Maple St. Your estimate is in your inbox. Any questions, just text back here."

Day 3: "Hi Dana, Mike from [Company] again. Wanted to make sure the estimate made sense, especially the shingle options. Happy to walk through it on a quick call if that helps."

Day 7: "Hi Dana, quick note: we have install dates open the week of the 18th, and we do offer financing if spreading out the cost helps. Want me to hold a spot?"

Day 14: "Hi Dana, I do not want to keep bugging you. Should I keep your estimate open, check back in a few months, or close it out? Any answer is fine."

Every text should come from a number that can receive replies and should give a simple way to opt out, such as "Reply STOP to opt out" on the first message.

Text, email, or call?

Use all three, each for what it does best. Texts get read quickly and are easy to answer, so they carry most of the schedule. Email is where the estimate itself lives, along with photos, warranty documents, and financing details. A phone call is worth making when the homeowner replies with a question or the job is large enough that a conversation will close it.

A practical split: text for the check-ins, email for the documents, and a call from the owner or salesperson whenever a text gets a reply.

Common estimate follow-up mistakes

• Stopping after one message. A single "just checking in" is easy to ignore.
• Sending the same generic text to everyone. Mention the house, the job, or the material you quoted.
• Only asking "are you ready to sign?" Give a reason to reply: answers, dates, financing, or a simple yes or no.
• Chasing forever. A clear close-the-loop message often gets the honest answer you need.
• Keeping it all in your head or a notebook. If the follow-up depends on someone remembering, it will not happen during storm season.

How to make it run without you

The schedule only works if it happens every time. That is where automation helps. When an estimate is marked as sent in your CRM, the follow-up texts and emails go out on schedule, in your voice, with the details of that job. A reply stops the sequence and alerts whoever owns the lead, so a person takes over the conversation.

Here is how it plays out: an estimate goes out on a Tuesday. On Friday the homeowner gets the day 3 check-in and replies with a question about ridge vents. Your salesperson gets a notification, calls back that afternoon, and the rest of the sequence stops on its own.

We set this up for roofing companies on top of the CRM they already use. See how it fits with instant lead replies and missed call text back on our roofing automation page.

Common questions