You’ve done the site visit, priced it properly and sent the quote. Now what? Most tradies wait. The customer, meanwhile, has two other quotes, a busy week and a partner who hasn’t looked at any of them yet. Silence usually isn’t a no. It’s a maybe that nobody followed up.
Below are ten follow-up emails you can copy, paste and make your own, in the order you’d use them. Swap the [bracketed] bits, read each one out loud once, and change anything that doesn’t sound like you. Customers can tell when an email was written by a template. They can’t tell when a template was rewritten by you.
If you want the thinking behind the timing (and the 15-minute check that shows how many quotes you’re currently letting go cold), start with do you actually follow up your leads?.
When to send each one
A rhythm that suits most residential trade work:
| When | |
|---|---|
| 1. Sending the quote | The same day as the site visit, or the next |
| 2. Did it land? | 2 or 3 days after the quote |
| 3. Anything I can clarify? | About a week after the quote |
| 4. A similar job (optional) | Between 3 and 5, for bigger jobs |
| 5. “It’s a bit dear” | When they say so |
| 6. “We’re still thinking” | When they say so |
| 7. Before the quote expires | A few days before the valid-until date |
| 8. The break-up email | A week or two after the last one, or after expiry |
| 9. You won it | As soon as they say yes |
| 10. You lost it | As soon as they say no |
Small jobs might only need 1, 2 and 8. A $60,000 renovation might need all of them, spaced further apart, with at least one phone call in the mix.
The templates
1. Sending the quote
Give them a next step and a date, so the quote isn’t the end of the conversation.
Subject: Your quote for [job] at [street]
Hi [Name],
Thanks for having me out on [day]. Your quote for [job] is attached.
In short: [one line on what’s included, e.g. “removing the old deck, new kwila decking and balustrade, and all the consent paperwork”]. The price is valid until [date].
If you’re happy to go ahead, just reply “yes” and I’ll send through a start date. If anything doesn’t make sense, ring me on [number] or reply here.
Cheers, [Your name] [Business name]
2. Did it land?
Short. One easy question. No “just checking in”.
Subject: Did the quote come through OK?
Hi [Name],
Just making sure the quote for [job] landed and didn’t end up in your junk folder. It’s attached again here in case.
Any questions so far?
[Your name]
3. Anything I can clarify?
This is the one that wins jobs. Most people who go quiet have one question they haven’t asked.
Subject: Anything on the quote I can explain?
Hi [Name],
Quotes can be hard to compare side by side, so I wanted to check whether there’s a line on ours you’d like me to explain.
The things people usually ask about with [type of job] are [e.g. “the difference between the two timber options” / “why we allow for a second coat”]. Happy to go through either over the phone if that’s easier.
[Your name]
4. A similar job
For bigger jobs. Proof does more than another reminder.
Subject: A [job type] we finished in [suburb]
Hi [Name],
We finished a [job type] in [suburb] last month that’s quite similar to yours. A couple of photos are below, and here’s what the owners said: “[short review quote]”.
If you’d like to see one in person or talk to a past customer, let me know and I’ll set it up.
[Your name]
5. “It’s a bit dear”
Don’t drop your price in the first reply. Find out what they’re comparing, then show what’s different.
Subject: Re: your quote
Hi [Name],
Thanks for being upfront, I appreciate it.
Can I ask what you’re comparing it with? Quotes for [job type] often look different because they include different things: [e.g. “prep work, the grade of paint, rubbish removal and the warranty”]. If another quote leaves something out, it’s worth knowing before you choose.
If the budget is the issue, I can also look at [a staged approach / a different material / doing part of it now] to bring it down without cutting corners. Want me to put that together?
[Your name]
6. “We’re still thinking”
Respect the timing. Make it easy to come back to you.
Subject: No rush on [job]
Hi [Name],
No problem at all, it’s a big decision.
So you know where things stand: the price is good until [date], and right now I could start [rough timing, e.g. “early December”]. If that changes I’ll let you know.
I’ll check back in around [date]. If you’ve got questions before then, just reply.
[Your name]
7. Before the quote expires
The expiry date is the most natural reason to get back in touch there is. It’s a fact, not pressure.
Subject: Your quote is good until [date]
Hi [Name],
A quick heads up: the price on your quote for [job] is good until [date]. After that I’ll need to re-check material costs before I can confirm it.
If you’d like to lock it in, just reply “yes” and I’ll pencil in a start date.
[Your name]
8. The break-up email
It feels blunt. It’s often the email that gets a reply, because people who were still keen write back and people who weren’t finally tell you.
Subject: Should I close this off?
Hi [Name],
I haven’t heard back about [job], so I’ll assume the timing isn’t right or you’ve gone another way, and I’ll close this off for now.
If anything changes, just reply to this email and we’ll pick it up from here.
Thanks again for considering us.
[Your name]
9. You won it
Say thanks, then remove every bit of uncertainty about what happens next.
Subject: Thanks, [Name]. Here’s what happens next
Hi [Name],
Great news, and thanks for choosing us.
Here’s what happens from here:
- Start date: [date] (we’ll confirm the day before)
- Deposit: [amount], invoice attached, due by [date]
- Before we start: [e.g. “please clear the area under the deck” / “we’ll need access to the garage”]
If anything comes up before then, ring me on [number].
[Your name]
10. You lost it
Be gracious. Ask one question. Leave the door open.
Subject: Thanks for letting me know
Hi [Name],
Thanks for letting me know, I appreciate it. All the best with the job.
If you don’t mind me asking, was there one thing that made the difference? Price, timing, something else? A one-word answer is plenty, and it helps me quote better next time.
And if you need us down the track, you know where we are.
[Your name]
The answers to that one question are gold. After a few months, you’ll know whether you’re losing on price, on speed or on something you can fix in the quote itself.
Making them work
- Reply in the same thread. Customers can scroll up and see the quote and the history.
- Re-attach the quote in the first couple of emails. Nobody wants to dig for it.
- One ask per email. A yes, a question answered or a time to talk. Not all three.
- Use their words. If they said “we want it done before Christmas”, say “before Christmas” back.
- Mix in a phone call on bigger jobs. Email keeps a record. A call clears things up.
- Stop when they say stop. These are emails to people who asked you for a quote, which is generally fine under New Zealand’s spam law, but every message needs to say who it’s from and give them a way to opt out. The details are here.
If you need a quote to send in the first place, our free NZ quote template has a valid-until date and a next step built in, which makes emails 1 and 7 much easier.
Or let them send themselves
Copy-paste works, as long as you remember to do it, every time, for every quote, at the end of a long day. That’s the part that slips.
It’s why we set this up to run on its own in the System for the trade businesses we work with. Each quote starts an email sequence in your voice that either keeps going until the customer books or says no, or runs for about a week and finishes with a break-up email. A reply from the customer stops it straight away and lands in one conversation with everything else they’ve sent you. How the automated version works, or see the System.
Quote follow-up email: FAQ
How do you write a follow-up email after sending a quote?
Keep it short, reply in the same thread, re-attach the quote and ask one easy question: “Did the quote make sense, or is there a line you’d like me to explain?” Avoid “just checking in”, which asks the customer to do the work.
How soon should you follow up after sending a quote?
Two or three days is a good first check that the quote arrived. Follow with a more useful email about a week after the quote, then a reminder a few days before the price expires.
How do you follow up a quote without being pushy?
Give every email a reason: checking it arrived, explaining a line, sharing a similar job or flagging the expiry date. Offer choices rather than pressure, and end with a clear, friendly break-up email instead of chasing forever.
What should I say when a customer says my quote is too expensive?
Thank them, ask what they’re comparing it with, and point out what’s included that other quotes might leave out. If budget is the real issue, offer a staged or alternative option rather than simply cutting your price.
Want to know how many of your quotes are going cold, and why? Get a free leads audit: we’ll look at how your enquiries and quotes are followed up and show you where the jobs are slipping.