Why Homeowners Ghost Your Quotes (And the 5-Minute Fix That Doubles Your Close Rate)
By QuotePilot Team
You drove out, measured, spent time writing out an estimate… and then there’s radio silence. This isn’t bad luck; it’s systemic and a common industry-wide issue. According to WebFX in 2026, the average contractor quote-to-job conversion is only 5–10% without systematic follow-up.
Here’s the real reason why homeowners are ghosting you
Homeowners are comparison shopping, often requesting four to six quotes at a time. Home services that don’t follow up forget that 60% of homeowners are looking to hire someone within 72 hours of requesting a quote. About 78% of customers usually hire someone who they hear back from almost immediately. If you’re not on their mind, you’re unlikely to get the job. Here’s the good news: there’s an easy fix to this issue.
Did you know that responding within 5 minutes to a request for a quote makes you 21 times more likely to gain a lead compared to those who wait 30 minutes to respond? By responding within a minute, there is an increased chance that leads turn into requests to complete the job. The average home service business responds to a request between 42 and 47 hours; by this time, the homeowner has probably moved on.
The 5-minute solution for more engagement
Here’s the good news! This issue can be solved within 5 minutes. Setting up text automation is a game-changer that will set you apart from your competitors. You might be thinking: I sent a follow-up email, so it should be good. Here’s the thing: it’s a lot more convenient to open up and respond to a text, which takes about 90 seconds, compared to opening an email and responding, which can take up to 90 minutes.
It’s much easier to reach customers with text automation compared to manually connecting with them. Setting up a follow-up sequence (5 min, Day 1, Day 4, Day 7, Day 14) will make that connection between your business and the customer that much easier.
Text automation and reaching out to customers doesn’t have to be hard. QuotePilot handles the multi-touch follow-up sequence automatically — just BCC your QuotePilot address when you send a quote email, and we take care of the rest. No software to connect, no extra apps to learn. Join the waitlist for early access.