Before it goes out: check the price
An estimate that gets approved at the wrong price is worse than one that gets turned down. Before you send, confirm three things:
- Every cost is on it: labor at your burdened labor rate, overhead, parts at today's cost, permit, disposal, subs, commission.
- The margin is your target margin, not your markup. A 40% markup is only a 28.6% margin. The job pricing and markup calculator checks it in seconds.
- Unknowns have unit prices (per sheet of decking, per foot of pipe) instead of being guessed into the total.
Send it fast
The customer is most ready to decide while you are standing in front of them and the problem is fresh. Every day after that, the job competes with other quotes, other bills and the customer's own second thoughts. Aim to present it on site for service work, and the same day for larger projects. If the estimate needs research, say when it will arrive, then beat that time.
What a good estimate contains
| Section | What to write |
|---|---|
| The problem | One or two sentences in the customer's words: "Water heater leaking from the bottom of the tank." |
| The fix | What you will do, step by step, in plain words. No part numbers without a description. |
| Options | Two or three choices at different levels. See good, better, best. |
| Photos | The problem as found, and what the finished option looks like. |
| Included | Permit, haul-away, cleanup, warranty. |
| Not included | Drywall patch, painting, anything you will not do. Say it now, not after. |
| Unknowns | Unit prices for hidden conditions and how they will be approved. |
| Terms | Deposit, payment schedule, financing if offered, and an expiration date. |
| Approval | A clear "pick and sign" step, on site or online. |
Make saying yes easy
- Let them sign electronically. Under the federal ESIGN Act, a signature or contract in commerce may not be denied legal effect solely because it is in electronic form. Some documents and some state rules have exceptions, so check with your attorney for contracts with special requirements. See e-signature.
- Take the deposit in the same step. A signed estimate with a paid deposit is a scheduled job. A signed estimate with no deposit is a maybe.
- Open on a phone. The customer may read it on a phone. Short lines, big totals, buttons that work.
- One clear total per option. Not a subtotal, a tax line and three fees that the customer has to add up.
Follow up on a schedule
An unsigned estimate is often not a no; the customer may simply have gotten busy. A set estimate follow-up schedule fixes that. Example schedule:
| When | What |
|---|---|
| Same day | Text with the link: "Here's the estimate we went over today." |
| Day 2 | Call: answer questions, offer to walk through options. |
| Day 5 | Text or email: one useful note (a photo, a warranty detail). |
| Day 10 | Call: "Is this still on your list?" |
| Before expiry | Text: the date the price ends. |
Day 2 call script:
"Hi Ava, it's Taylor from Harbor Line Plumbing. I'm following up on the water heater estimate from Tuesday. Did you have a chance to look at the options? Any questions I can answer? If you're ready, I can get you on the schedule for Thursday."
When the customer says "We got a cheaper quote":
"That makes sense to compare. Can I ask what it includes? Ours includes the permit, the expansion tank, hauling the old one away and a labor warranty. If theirs covers the same, I understand. If not, I'm happy to walk through the difference."
Do not drop the price on the spot. Compare scope first. If you want to offer something, offer the lower option, not a discount on the same work.
Track your close rate
Your close rate is approved estimates divided by estimates presented. Track it by tech, by job type and by option picked. If one job type rarely closes, look at its price and how it is presented. If one tech closes far less than the others on the same jobs, a ride-along will show why faster than a spreadsheet.
Common mistakes
- Sending a PDF two days later with one price and no photos.
- Writing "misc. materials" instead of what the customer is buying.
- No expiration date, so old prices come back months later.
- No follow-up at all after the first send.
- Leaving exclusions unwritten and arguing about them at the end.
How SWITCHBOARD handles this
SWITCHBOARD builds estimates with Good, Better and Best options and pictures, shows margin and markup against your target before you send, and lets the customer pick, sign and pay the deposit on your phone or from a link. You can try an estimate in the sandbox.
Questions people ask
How fast should I send an estimate?
Present it on site for service work and the same day for larger projects when you can. If it needs research, give the customer a time and send it before then.
Are electronic signatures on estimates legally binding?
The federal ESIGN Act says a contract or signature in commerce may not be denied legal effect solely because it is electronic. Some documents and state rules have exceptions, so ask an attorney about special cases.
How many times should I follow up on an estimate?
Set a schedule, for example same day, day 2, day 5, day 10 and before the price expires, and stop when the customer says yes or no.
Should estimates have an expiration date?
Yes. Parts and labor costs change, and an expiration date lets you honor the price for a set time without being held to it months later.
Sources
- 15 U.S. Code ยง 7001 - General rule of validity | LII / Legal Information Institute (checked November 10, 2026)