Estimate requests answered, followed up and scheduled for home service businesses
Roofers, remodelers, HVAC, plumbing and landscaping companies lose work when a call rings out on a job site or an estimate sits with no follow-up. We set up an AI receptionist that answers the calls your crew cannot take, and a system that replies to every web request, follows up on open estimates and puts signed jobs on the calendar. The crew stays on the job in front of them.
An example site for home services and trades
A made-up business, built the way we build real ones: the request comes in, the reply goes out with consent, and the job lands in the CRM.
Texts go out only after the visitor ticks the OK box on the form.
Answered by an AI receptionist, after hours or 24/7. No missed calls. Calls are recorded only with the caller's OK. How the AI receptionist works
The chat says it is an AI assistant. Texts go out only after the visitor says OK.
Check-ins go only to homeowners who asked for an estimate and said OK to texts.
- A homeowner fills out the inspection form
- They get a text right away
- The job shows up in your job list
- They pick Thursday morning
- It goes straight onto Mike's calendar
- Confirmation sent and a reminder set
- Storm inspection at 14 Oak St, photos attached, booked on Mike's calendar for Thursday at 9am. Confirmation texted and a reminder set for Wednesday.
- A homeowner calls while the crew is up on a roof
- The AI receptionist answers right away
- The call shows up in your job list
- It goes straight onto Mike's calendar
- Confirmation sent and a reminder set
- Luis called about a kitchen leak after hail. The AI receptionist answered, recorded with his OK, and booked Mike for Thursday at 9am. Confirmation texted and a reminder set.
- A visitor asks questions in the website chat
- The AI assistant answers and offers an inspection
- The request shows up in your job list
- It goes straight onto Mike's calendar
- They get a confirmation text and a reminder is set
- Kim asked about hail damage in the website chat and booked an inspection. It went onto Mike's calendar for Thursday at 9am, with a confirmation text and a reminder.
- Dana has an estimate from last week
- Two days later, a friendly check-in text
- Dana asks a question and gets an answer
- Dana signs the estimate online
- The install goes straight onto the crew calendar
- Confirmation sent and a reminder set
- Dana got one check-in text, asked about gutters, signed the estimate online, and the install went onto the crew calendar for Tuesday. Confirmation texted and a reminder set.
Example tool
A tool your customers can use on your site
Try it. A few plain questions give a clear answer and one next step, and the answers go straight into the request.
Storm damage checkup
Answer three quick questions about your roof. You get a rough score and a plain next step.
Answer the questions and press "See my result".
Your storm score
0 out of 100
What an inspection covers
- Shingles, ridge caps and flashing, checked by hand
- Gutters, vents and other metal for hail marks
- The attic and ceilings for moisture or stains
- Photos and written notes you can keep for a claim
This score is a rough guide from your answers, not a guarantee. Only an inspection confirms damage.
Want a tool like this on your site? Get plugged in
Email campaigns
Bringing back past customers, every week and every month
Your existing list is worth more than new ads. These emails go out on a schedule to people who opted in, stop the moment someone replies or books, and put the booking on the right calendar.
Sent only to people who opted in or are existing customers. One-click unsubscribe in every email. Business address in every footer.
Seasonal roof check for past customers. Who gets it: Past customers, no job in 12+ months · opted in. What starts it: Spring list pulled from the CRM.
- Day 0: email "Time for a spring roof check?", with a button "Book a roof check". Opens the season with a plain reminder and one way to book.
- Day 7: email "Three things to look for after winter", with a button "Send us a photo". Gives something useful, with a low-effort way to reply.
- Week 2: email "Mornings open this month for roof checks", with a button "Pick a morning". Makes booking easy for anyone who meant to and forgot.
- Day 24: email "Still want roof reminders from us?", with a button "Keep me on the list". The last check-in for anyone who has not opened.
When it stops:
- Replied: Sequence stops, a person follows up.
- Booked: On the team calendar, confirmation sent.
- No opens after 3 emails: One last check-in.
- Unsubscribed: Removed right away.
When someone books, the appointment goes straight onto the estimator calendar and a confirmation is sent.
No reply: removed from the seasonal list.
Sent only to people who opted in or are existing customers. One-click unsubscribe in every email. Business address in every footer.
Storm season campaign. Who gets it: Past customers and opted-in subscribers in the service area. What starts it: Storm season starts, or a hail or wind event in the area.
- Day 0: email "Storm season: how to check your roof safely", with a button "Request an inspection". Safety first, then one clear way to ask for help.
- Day 2: email "After the storm: photos help", with a button "Send photos". Lets people start with photos instead of a call.
- Day 9: email "Inspection mornings open this week", with a button "Book an inspection". Offers times while the storm is still on their mind.
- Day 20: email "Should we keep you on storm alerts?", with a button "Keep storm alerts". The last check-in before the list is cleaned.
When it stops:
- Replied: Sequence stops, a person follows up.
- Booked: On the team calendar, confirmation sent.
- No opens after 3 emails: One last check-in.
- Unsubscribed: Removed right away.
When someone books, the appointment goes straight onto the estimator calendar and a confirmation is sent.
No reply: removed from storm alerts.
Sent only to people who opted in or are existing customers. One-click unsubscribe in every email. Business address in every footer.
Estimate follow-up. Who gets it: Homeowners who got a written estimate and have not signed. What starts it: Estimate sent from the CRM.
- Day 0: email "Your roof estimate from Example Roofing", with a button "View your estimate". Sends the estimate with the photos, in one place.
- Day 3: email "Questions about your estimate?", with a button "Ask a question". Invites the questions that usually stall a decision.
- Day 7: email "Want to talk it through?", with a button "Request a call". Offers a person, not a push.
- Week 2: email "Should we keep your estimate open?", with a button "Keep it open". The last check-in. A clear answer either way helps both sides.
When it stops:
- Replied: Sequence stops, a person follows up.
- Signed: Job on the crew calendar, confirmation sent.
- No opens after 3 emails: One last check-in.
- Unsubscribed: Removed right away.
When someone books, the appointment goes straight onto the crew calendar and a confirmation is sent.
No reply: estimate marked closed in the CRM.
What gets handled
Replies, follow-up, onboarding and reporting for home services and trades
01 · Inquiries in
Estimate requests from the website with photos and the job address. Calls the crew cannot take are answered live by an AI receptionist, which takes the job details and books the estimate. After-hours emergencies go straight to whoever is on call.
answered right away
02 · Follow-up out
Reminders on estimates that have gone quiet, seasonal maintenance reminders to past customers who opted in, and a review request once the job is done.
on schedule, with consent
03 · Onboarding
An estimate customers can view and e-sign, a deposit link, a confirmed start date, and a crew and materials checklist for day one.
sent in order
04 · Monthly overview
A monthly overview of reply speed, estimates sent, estimates signed and work by service, compared with last month, plus a check on every process we run. Then a monthly review call to go through it. Live dashboards are available when a business needs them.
reviewed with you
The website
A website built for contractors
Most homeowners look you up on their phone before they call. The site answers what they want to know, takes the request, and hands it to the system that replies and follows up.
01 · Website
Service and town pages
A page for each service you offer and each town you work in, written the way people search, so the right customer lands on the right page.
02 · Website
Estimate form with photos
The form asks for the job type, the address and the timing, and takes photo uploads, so you can size up the job before anyone drives out.
03 · Website
Reviews where people decide
Your reviews sit on the pages people read before they call, and a review request goes out after each finished job.
04 · Website
Connected to the follow-up
Every request lands in your CRM and gets a reply right away. Texts go only to people who agreed to them on the form, and open estimates get reminders until they are signed or declined.
Built with the automation behind it
Workflows
How the workflow fits together
A web request or a phone call lands in the CRM, gets an answer and a time on the calendar. After the job, a quick check and a review request go out.
Simulated. Counts in the diagram are illustrative.
Texts and consent
What a new lead hears first
Texts only go to people who said yes to texts on your form. The first one arrives within a minute or two of the request, from a number registered with the carriers, and STOP and HELP work the way they should. Outbound calls follow the same rule. Incoming calls are answered, and AI calls are recorded only with consent stated at the start.
Qualifying questions we would start with
- 01 Is this a repair, a replacement or new work?
- 02 Is anything leaking, unsafe or not working right now?
- 03 Do you own the property?
- 04 When would you like the work done?
- 05 What days and times work for someone to come look?
You choose the final questions and wording. Answers are saved to your CRM, and anything the system cannot answer goes to a person.
- Hi [First name], this is the office at [Company]. We got your estimate request for [job] at [street]. A few quick questions so we send the right person. Reply STOP to opt out.
- Sure
- Thanks. Is this a repair, a replacement or new work?
Words in [brackets] are filled in with your business and the lead's own request.
Why reply speed matters
Published research on following up
7×
Firms that responded to a web lead within an hour were nearly seven times as likely to qualify it as firms that waited longer.
23%
of the 2,241 companies in the same audit never responded to a web inquiry at all.
53%
of mobile site visits are abandoned when a page takes longer than three seconds to load.
Common questions from home services and trades
What can a home service business automate?
The steps between a new request and a scheduled job: replying to estimate requests, answering calls the crew cannot take, following up on open estimates, collecting a signature and deposit, scheduling the start date, and asking for a review when the job is done. Your team still writes the estimates and does the work.
Can calls be answered while the crew is on a job site?
Yes. An AI receptionist answers when the crew cannot. It says it is an AI, takes the job details and books the estimate visit on your calendar. Calls are recorded only with consent asked at the start of the call, texts go only to people who agreed to them, and urgent jobs go straight to the person on call.
How does estimate follow-up work?
When an estimate has been sent and not signed, the customer gets a short reminder on a schedule you choose, with a link to view and sign it. Follow-up stops as soon as they sign, reply or opt out.
Do we have to switch software?
Usually not. We connect the scheduling, estimating and accounting tools you already use, and only suggest a change when a tool is in the way.
How do we know it is working?
You get a monthly overview and a monthly review call. The overview covers reply speed, estimates sent and signed, and every process we run, compared with last month, and flags anything that needs a fix. Live dashboards are available when a business needs them.
What should a contractor website include?
A page for each service and each town you cover, an estimate form that takes photos and the job address, your reviews, and a clear way to call or request a visit. We connect the form to your CRM so every request gets a reply right away, and texts go only to people who agreed to them.
Walk us through how work comes in today
A free 30-minute call. We look at how requests reach you today, where follow-up slips, and what we would set up first. Every engagement is scoped on the call.