How to Follow Up with Leads Without Being Pushy

80% of sales require at least five follow-up contacts before the prospect says yes. Yet 44% of salespeople give up after a single attempt, and another 22% quit after two. That gap between what works and what most contractors actually do is where tens of thousands of dollars in annual revenue disappear.

You already spent the money to generate the lead. You already drove to the house, walked the job, and wrote the estimate. Stopping follow-up after one “just checking in” text is the most expensive habit in home services.

But there’s a line between persistent and annoying. Cross it, and you lose the job and the referral. Stay too far from it, and you lose the job to a competitor who followed up one more time than you did.

Why most follow-up fails

The average contractor sends some version of this message: “Hey, just checking in to see if you had any questions about the estimate.”

That message does nothing. It adds no value. It puts the burden on the homeowner to come up with a reason to respond. And it sounds exactly like the message every other contractor sends.

Follow-ups that provide new information get 3x higher response rates than generic check-ins. Every touchpoint needs a reason to exist beyond “I want your money.”

A contractor on r/sweatystartup tracked his follow-up messages for 3 months and found that “just checking in” texts got a 4% response rate while texts that included a photo from a similar completed project got a 22% response rate. Same leads. Same timing. The only difference was whether the message gave the homeowner something new to look at.

The homeowner who got three estimates isn’t ignoring you because they forgot. They’re comparing options, waiting on financing, checking with a spouse, or simply procrastinating on a decision that costs thousands of dollars. Your follow-up needs to address one of those actual reasons for delay.

The right number of follow-ups

Research across industries shows a clear pattern in response rates by attempt number.

Follow-up attempt 1: 30% response rate. This is the contact right after the estimate, typically same day or next morning.

Follow-up attempt 2: 21% response rate. Most contractors stop here.

Follow-up attempt 3: 14% response rate. You’re now ahead of 70% of competitors who already gave up.

Follow-up attempt 4: 10% response rate. Still worth the effort, especially on high-value jobs.

Follow-up attempt 5: 8% response rate. This is where 80% of closed deals finally convert. The cumulative effect of persistence pays off here.

Follow-up attempts 6-8: 4-6% response rate per attempt. These work best as longer-interval touches spaced 2-4 weeks apart.

After 8 touches with no response, you can move the lead to a long-term nurture sequence. But cutting off after 1-2 attempts leaves the majority of your closeable leads on the table.

A plumber on Reddit shared that he lost a $14,000 bathroom remodel because he followed up once and assumed the silence meant “no.” Three months later, the homeowner told a mutual friend they’d been waiting for him to call back and ended up hiring someone else. The plumber now follows up at least 6 times over 45 days on any estimate over $3,000.

For a deeper look at what happens when you space these touches correctly from the very first contact, read about the speed-to-lead 5-minute rule.

Spacing your follow-ups

Timing matters as much as content. Too fast and you feel desperate. Too slow and they forget you.

Day 0 (same day as estimate): Thank-you message with a recap of what you discussed. Not a pitch. A confirmation.

Day 1-2: Follow up with one additional piece of value. A photo from a similar project, a link to a financing option, or a detail you forgot to mention during the walkthrough.

Day 4-5: Address a common objection or concern proactively. “A lot of homeowners wonder about [warranty/timeline/process]. Here’s how we handle that.”

Day 7-8: Make a direct but low-pressure ask. “Would it help to schedule a quick call to go over the options?”

Day 14: Provide a seasonal or availability-based reason to decide. “Our schedule is filling up for March, so I wanted to give you a heads up before we book out.”

Day 21-28: Share something genuinely useful, like a maintenance tip related to their issue, a case study, or a relevant blog post.

Day 45+: Move to monthly or bi-monthly touches through a lead nurturing sequence.

What to say instead of “just checking in”

Every follow-up message should pass one test: does this give the homeowner a reason to respond that isn’t just “yes” or “no”?

Here are specific scripts that work, organized by follow-up stage.

After the estimate (Day 0-1)

Text: “Hi [Name], this is [Your Name] from [Company]. Thanks for having us out today. I attached the estimate to this message. One thing I forgot to mention - we include a [warranty detail/cleanup guarantee/specific perk]. Let me know if you have any questions about the scope.”

This works because it provides new information they didn’t have during the walkthrough. It gives them a reason to re-engage without feeling pressured.

Early follow-up (Day 2-5)

Text: “Hi [Name], I was working on a similar [project type] in [their neighborhood/nearby area] this week and thought of your project. [Attach a photo if possible.] Happy to answer any questions that came up since we talked.”

Email: Subject line: “Quick note about your [project type]”

“Hi [Name], I wanted to share something that might help with your decision. We recently completed a [similar project] at a home with [similar condition/challenge]. The homeowner had the same concern about [common objection - cost, timeline, disruption]. Here’s how it turned out: [brief result]. No rush on your end. Just wanted you to have the full picture.”

Mid-stage follow-up (Day 7-14)

Text: “[Name], a few homeowners have asked me this week whether [common question about the service]. The short answer is [brief, helpful answer]. If that came up for you too, happy to walk through it.”

This positions you as an expert, not a salesperson. You’re leading with information that’s useful regardless of whether they hire you.

Late-stage follow-up (Day 14-28)

Text: “Hi [Name], just a heads up - we’re booking [next month] jobs this week and I wanted to check in before our calendar fills. No pressure at all. If the timing isn’t right, I’m happy to revisit whenever works for you.”

Email: Subject line: “Scheduling update for [month]”

“Hi [Name], wanted to let you know our [month] schedule is about 60% booked. If you’re leaning toward moving forward, I can hold a spot for you this week. If the timing isn’t right, no worries at all. I’ll check back in a few weeks.”

Re-engagement (Day 30+)

Text: “[Name], I know it’s been a while since we talked about your [project]. Totally understand if priorities shifted. If you’re still thinking about it, we’re running [specific offer or seasonal mention] through [date]. Either way, we’re here whenever you’re ready.”

For more scripts specifically designed for estimates that went cold, check out our guide on following up on unsold estimates.

Text vs. call vs. email: what the data says

Not every channel performs the same. Your follow-up medium matters almost as much as your message.

Text messages have a 45% response rate. They’re read within 3 minutes on average. For initial follow-ups and short, value-add touches, text wins by a wide margin. Our guide on text message marketing for contractors covers the specifics of what works.

Phone calls have a 12% answer rate on the first attempt. That drops to 8% on the second call and keeps declining. Calls work best when scheduled in advance (“I’ll call you Thursday to answer any questions”) or when you have a specific reason the homeowner expects your call.

Email has a 6% response rate for sales follow-up in home services. But email shines for longer-form content: project photos, detailed breakdowns, financing information, and anything the homeowner might want to reference later. Use email to supplement texts, not replace them.

An HVAC contractor on ContractorTalk described switching from phone-only follow-up to a text-first approach and seeing his response rate jump from 8% to 38%. His theory: homeowners screen unknown calls but read every text. He now sends a text first and only calls if the homeowner responds asking for a call.

The best follow-up sequences mix all three channels. A text on day 1, an email with photos on day 3, a scheduled call on day 7, and a text on day 14 outperforms using any single channel repeatedly.

The value-add framework

Every follow-up should deliver one of five types of value. Rotate through these so you never repeat yourself.

1. New information. Something you didn’t cover during the estimate. A warranty detail, a material upgrade option, a financing plan you forgot to mention.

2. Social proof. A photo from a recent similar job. A Google review from a customer who had the same project done. A brief case study.

3. Education. A helpful tip related to their situation. “Three things to check before your water heater fails completely.” This works especially well as a link to a blog post or video.

4. Urgency (real, not manufactured). Your actual schedule availability. A supplier price increase that’s been announced. A seasonal deadline that genuinely affects their project.

5. Convenience. Make the next step easier. “I can have the crew there Tuesday or Thursday - which works better?” Reducing decision friction is a form of value.

What kills follow-up response rates

Certain patterns tank your chances regardless of how good your message is.

Guilt language. “I haven’t heard from you” or “I’m sure you’re busy, but…” These put the homeowner on the defensive. They feel obligated rather than interested.

Vague asks. “Let me know your thoughts” gives no direction. Be specific: “Would Tuesday or Wednesday work for a 10-minute call?”

Too many messages in one day. Sending a text, then an email, then calling the same afternoon makes you feel desperate. One touch per day maximum.

Identical messages. Sending “just checking in” three times in a row tells the homeowner you have nothing new to offer. Each message needs fresh content.

Discounting too early. Offering a price cut on the second follow-up signals that your first price wasn’t real. Save incentives for late-stage follow-ups when the lead has gone genuinely cold.

One contractor on ContractorTalk described offering a 10% discount on his second follow-up attempt — and watching his close rate on those leads drop to near zero. His explanation: the discount signaled desperation and made the homeowner question the original price. He now saves incentives for touch #5 or later, framed as a “seasonal scheduling discount” rather than a price cut.

Automating without losing authenticity

You can’t manually track and follow up with every open estimate. At 15-20 estimates per week, the math breaks down within days. But fully automated sequences feel robotic and generic.

The solution is semi-automated follow-up. Set up a sequence that triggers automatically, but customize the key variables: the homeowner’s name, the specific project, the neighborhood, and any details from the walkthrough.

Your CRM or follow-up tool should handle the timing and channel selection. You fill in the personal details that make each message feel like a real conversation.

On the Owned and Operated podcast, Jack Carr (Rapid HVAC, Nashville) described building a 7-touch automated follow-up sequence in ServiceTitan. His unsold estimate close rate went from 12% to 28% after implementing the sequence. The biggest impact came from touch #4 — a text sent on day 7 with a seasonal urgency message. Carr estimated the sequence recovered over $180,000 in revenue during its first year.

A 7-touch sequence with personalized variables takes 5 minutes to set up per lead. That 5-minute investment protects the $150-300 you spent acquiring that lead in the first place.

For leads that go completely dark after your full sequence, don’t delete them. Move them into a long-term nurture campaign. 18% of leads that seem dead re-engage within 6 months when you stay in touch with periodic, low-pressure value. Read our playbook on re-engaging cold leads for the specifics.

Tracking what works

You can’t improve what you don’t measure. Track these metrics for your follow-up process:

Response rate by follow-up number. If attempt 3 consistently gets no responses, the message needs work, not the effort.

Response rate by channel. You might find that your market responds better to calls than texts, or vice versa. Adjust your sequence accordingly.

Time from estimate to close. If your average close takes 12 days, and you’re stopping follow-up on day 5, you’re quitting right before the finish line.

Revenue recovered from follow-up. Track which booked jobs came from follow-up attempts 3 and beyond. This number alone will convince you to never give up after one text again.

Contractors who follow up 5 or more times close 25% more estimates than those who stop at 2. On $500,000 in annual estimates, that’s an additional $125,000 in closed revenue from the same lead volume.

The leads are already in your pipeline. The estimates are already written. The only variable is whether you follow up enough times, with enough value, to close the deal before your competitor does.

Every “just checking in” message you replace with a value-add follow-up moves you closer to that 25% improvement. Start with the scripts above, track your results, and adjust your cadence based on what your specific market responds to.