How soon should you follow up after an estimate?
The same night. The kitchen-table conversation is still happening after you leave — the couple is standing in the driveway pointing at the roof, re-reading the number, saying “what did he say about the warranty?” A same-night recap lands in the middle of that conversation and answers it. Wait three days and you’re interrupting a household that’s already moved on — or worse, one that’s already met your competitor.
How many times should you follow up?
More than feels comfortable. Most reps quit after a touch or two, and the deals that come back usually sign much deeper into the cadence than anyone stays disciplined for by hand — which is exactly why the follow-up pile is such an opportunity: almost nobody works it properly. A serious cadence is 20+ touches across 90 days, front-loaded in the first two weeks, spacing out as time passes. Persistence is only obnoxious when the touches are empty; the rule that makes the whole thing work is below.
The one rule: every touch needs a new reason
Never send “just checking in” or “any thoughts on the estimate?” A touch with no new information teaches the homeowner to ignore you. Every message earns its place by carrying something: the recap, the monthly payment math, a financing option, a finished job nearby, a photo they haven’t seen, a schedule slot, an expiring promo with a real date. If you can’t say what’s new in the message, don’t send it yet — find the new thing first.
The 90-day timeline, with templates
Steal these — swap the specifics.
Night 0 — the recap
“Great meeting you both today. Here’s the one-page recap of what we scoped and the exact price, so you’re deciding from paper instead of memory: [link]. Any question at all, text me right here.”
Day 2 — the payment math
“Ran your project through the financing you qualified for — comes out to $248/mo. A lot of folks find the monthly easier to weigh than the total. Want me to send the other term options?”
Day 5 — the useful answer
“You asked about how the new shingle handles hail — here’s the manufacturer’s impact rating page and what it means for your insurance premium: [link].”
Week 2 — proof nearby
“Just wrapped a job on [street], same system we quoted you. Before/after photos attached. Their inspection took 20 minutes if you want the same walkthrough for your place.”
Month 1 — the schedule
“Heads up — our install calendar for [month] is filling. If you’re still weighing it I can pencil you in with zero commitment, so a yes later doesn’t mean a six-week wait.”
Month 2–3 — the check-back with a reason
“Storm season’s coming and your estimate is still good. If the number was the sticking point, financing rates changed this month — want me to re-run it?”
Text, call, or email?
All three, in that order of intimacy. Text is the workhorse — it gets read, it’s easy to answer, and it’s where the two-way conversation happens. Calls are the heavy artillery: use them for the moments that deserve a voice — the day-2 payment conversation, the re-engage after a reply, the evening when both decision-makers are home. Email carries the long stuff: the recap document, financing scenarios, warranty pages. The channels reinforce each other; a text that says “just emailed you the three payment options” gets the email opened.
When do you stop?
When the deal resolves — not when you get tired. There are only three clean endings: they sign, they book a return visit, or they tell you a real no (bought elsewhere, project cancelled, don’t contact me). Everything else is a not-yet. When the real no comes, take it gracefully and close the file with a last touch that leaves the door open: “Understood — thanks for letting us quote it. If anything changes down the road, the estimate stays on file.” And if anyone says stop contacting them, that stops everything, instantly, on every channel.
The honest problem with all of this
Nobody does it by hand. Every rep agrees with this page and almost none of them are sending touch fourteen on a Tuesday night at 8pm — they’re at the next appointment. That gap between what everyone knows and what anyone does is the entire reason rehash software exists: RehashHero’s agents run this exact cadence — keyed to the objection your rep tagged, with the payment math from the actual quote — for 90 days, on every no-sale, without ever getting tired of it. Handling the stall behind most no-sales? That’s “I need to think about it” — scripts included. New to the category? Start with what is rehash?