The check-in
Stage 1Hi [Name], it's [You] from [Company]. Just checking you received the quote for [job] and seeing if you have any questions.
Why roofing quotes go quiet
You sent the estimate, the homeowner said they would think about it, and then nothing. A roofing quote is a big number, and a quiet one is easy to lose track of among new calls and jobs in progress. This page gives you a simple routine for following up, short messages you can adapt, and a way to decide which open quotes deserve your next call.
Common reasons are ordinary ones. Sometimes nobody has decided "no"; the quote has just stopped being anyone's next action.
That is the part you control: whether there is a next step on your side, with a date.
- The homeowner is comparing bids
- Waiting on insurance or financing
- Talking it over with a spouse
- Simply busy
A simple follow-up routine
Use the date you last contacted the customer, not the date you sent the quote, and add one step each time. Adjust the waits to how fast your customers usually decide.
Day 3: Check in
About 3 days after sending: a quick check-in. Confirm they received it and ask if they have questions.
Day 7: Add something useful
About 4 days later: add something useful. A realistic start date, the warranty, or a financing option you offer.
Day 14: Address the objection
About a week later: address the likely objection. Offer to walk through what is in the quote so they can compare bids like for like.
Day 24: Offer a next step
About 10 days later: offer a clear next step. For example, a start date if they confirm by a certain day.
Day 38: Close out
About 2 weeks later: a friendly close-out. Say you will close the quote for now and that they can reply any time.
After that, stop.
Chasing the same quote forever costs you time you could spend on quotes that are still warm. The day numbers add up the waits above, counted from the day you sent the quote, if every follow-up happens on schedule.
What to say
Keep it short, polite and specific. Replace the brackets with your details.
Swipe sideways to see all four messages
Something useful
Stage 2Hi [Name], one thing I should have mentioned on the [job] quote: [start date / warranty / financing option].
A clear next step
Stage 4Hi [Name], I can start the [job] on [date] if we confirm by [day]. Shall I send the agreement?
The friendly close-out
Stage 5Hi [Name], I don't want to keep bothering you, so I'll close the [job] quote for now. If plans change, just reply and I'll pick it back up.
Message 1 of 4
Only contact people who have asked for a quote from you, follow the rules where you work, and stop if asked.
Which quotes to chase first
When you have many open quotes, chasing them in the order they sit in your inbox is not a plan. A sensible order uses four things you already know.
Is a follow-up due?
If you contacted them yesterday, wait. If it has been past your routine's wait, they come first.
How big is the quote?
A larger job is worth a call before a small one.
How old is it?
Very old quotes are unlikely to still be live; recent ones are warmer.
How many follow-ups so far?
After several attempts, the next one is more likely to be the last.
Doing this by hand across thirty quotes is tedious, which is why most people skip it. A spreadsheet with a formula for "due today" and a sort by value fixes most of it. The ordering above is a sensible starting rule, not a measured fact, and it does not predict which quotes you will win.
Build the tracker yourself in five minutes
You do not need to buy anything to run this routine.
Set up six columns
Make a spreadsheet with these columns, one row per quote. Use a quote ID that matches the quote in your existing records (your invoicing software, email or phone contacts), so when a row shows DUE you can look up that customer's contact details there. You do not need to keep names or phone numbers in this sheet.
Column A is a quote ID you choose, B the date sent, C the amount, D the status (type Open, Won or Lost), E the date of your last follow-up (leave empty until you have followed up) and F how many follow-ups you have made so far. Columns G and H are the two formulas below.
| AQuote ID | BDate sent | CAmount | DStatus | ELast follow-up | FFollow-ups made | GNext follow-up | HDue? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q-1041 | date | 11800 | Open | empty until you follow up | 0 | formula | formula |
Add two formulas in row 2, then fill them down
Column G shows the date the next follow-up is due, using the waits from the routine above (3, 4, 7, 10 and 14 days). Column H shows DUE when that date has arrived.
Paste into G2
=IF(D2<>"Open","",IF(F2>=5,"Close out",IF(E2="",B2,E2)+CHOOSE(F2+1,3,4,7,10,14)))Paste into H2
=IF(AND(D2="Open",ISNUMBER(G2),G2<=TODAY()),"DUE","")Format columns B, E and G as dates. These two formulas were checked in desktop Microsoft Excel for Windows on five sample quotes; they have not been tested in Google Sheets or other apps.
Use it every day
Four habits keep the sheet useful.
- Filter column H to DUE and sort by amount, largest first: that is your call list for today.
- After each contact, put today's date in E and add one to F.
- Mark a quote Won or Lost as soon as you know.
- Change the numbers in the formula if your customers decide faster or slower.
Prefer it already built?
I sell a ready-made Excel version of this tracker as a digital download. You do not need it to use anything on this page.
The Quote Tracker tab. A screenshot of the real workbook in Microsoft Excel with five made-up sample quotes typed in. The Due?, Next follow-up and Priority columns are the workbook's own formulas. Five of its columns are hidden and the rest widened so this fits on a web page. On a small screen, scroll the image sideways.
The Dashboard tab, calculated from those same sample quotes. These are not real customers or real results.
$14.99digital download on Etsy
- Tracks up to 500 quotes with age, next follow-up date, a DUE flag, a priority score and a suggested next step
- A dashboard with open value, what is due, and the wins and losses you record
- Editable follow-up scripts and a quick-start guide
- Standard formulas, no macros
What to know before you buy. It was tested in desktop Microsoft Excel for Windows only. It has not been tested in Google Sheets, Excel for the web or Excel for Mac. It does not send messages for you.
It is a record-keeping and prioritizing aid; results depend on how you use it.
Opens the listing on Etsy. I sell this product and publish this guide.