15 Lead Follow-Up Text Templates for Contractors (Copy-Paste Ready)

# 15 Lead Follow-Up Text Templates for Contractors (Copy-Paste Ready) The fastest way to improve your close rate is also the simplest: respond faster, and respond by text. Research shows that 98% of texts are read within 3 minutes. Compare that to email (20% open rate, often hours later) or phone calls (70% go to voicemail), and it's obvious why text-first follow-up outperforms every other channel. But what do you actually *say*? Most contractors either say too much (walls of text that feel like a sales pitch) or too little ("Hi, saw your form"). Neither converts well. Here are 15 templates that work — for first response, follow-up sequences, re-engagement, and different service types. Steal them, customize them, and use them today. --- ## How to Use These Templates A few rules for high-converting follow-up texts: 1. **Keep it under 160 characters if possible** — no line breaks, no paragraphs 2. **Personalize with a name** — "[Name]" placeholders should be filled in 3. **Ask one question** — gives them something to respond to without overwhelming 4. **Include your name and company** — especially for the first message 5. **Send texts, call later** — lead with SMS, follow up with a phone call if no response --- ## First Response Templates (0–5 Minutes After Lead Comes In) These go out immediately when a new lead submits a form or when you miss a call. Speed is the whole game here. ### Template 1: General Web Form Response > Hi [Name]! Got your message about [service] — we're wrapping up a job but will call you within the hour. Quick Q: is this urgent or are you looking to schedule? — [Your Name], [Company] **Why it works:** Confirms receipt, sets an expectation, qualifies urgency — all in one sentence. --- ### Template 2: Missed Call Response > Hi [Name]! Sorry I missed your call — was on a job. I'm [Your Name] from [Company]. What can I help you with? Happy to call back in 20 min or you can text me here. **Why it works:** Acknowledges the miss, puts a human face on it, gives them two easy options. --- ### Template 3: After-Hours Inquiry > Hi [Name]! Saw your message — we're done for the day but I wanted to make sure you heard from us. I'll call first thing tomorrow morning. Is there anything urgent I should know about? — [Your Name] **Why it works:** Most contractors don't respond after hours at all. A 10pm text stands out massively. --- ### Template 4: HVAC / Heating Emergency > Hi [Name]! Sounds like your [heat/AC] is down — we take emergency calls. Are you completely without heat/cooling right now? Can usually get someone out same day. — [Your Name], [Company] **Why it works:** Urgency assessment and same-day promise in under 160 characters. --- ### Template 5: Plumbing Emergency > Hi [Name], got your message about a leak/plumbing issue. Is water actively coming in right now? We handle emergency calls 24/7 and can usually be there within 2 hours. — [Your Name] **Why it works:** Separates emergencies from non-emergency quotes, signals reliability. --- ## Follow-Up Sequence Templates (Day 2–5 After No Response) Most leads don't respond to the first message. That's normal. The contractors who win are the ones who follow up more than once. ### Template 6: Day 2 Check-In > Hey [Name], just checking in — still interested in getting a quote for [service]? No pressure, happy to answer any questions first if that's helpful. — [Your Name] **Why it works:** Low-pressure, gives them an "out" that actually keeps them in the conversation. --- ### Template 7: Day 3 Follow-Up with Social Proof > Hi [Name] — [Your Name] again from [Company]. We just finished a job a few streets over. Wanted to offer you a quick in-person estimate this week if you're still looking. Any day work for you? **Why it works:** "A few streets over" builds local credibility. Asking for a day starts a scheduling conversation. --- ### Template 8: Day 5 Final Touchpoint > Hey [Name], last message from me — I know you're probably busy. If you're still looking for [service], I have availability next week. If you went with someone else, no worries at all! Feel free to reach out if you need anything. **Why it works:** The "no worries" close feels human and often prompts a response from people who felt guilty about going dark. --- ## Specific Service Templates ### Template 9: Roof Inspection / Repair > Hi [Name]! Saw your roof inquiry — with the recent weather, we've been booking fast. Are you seeing any active leaks or just want a checkup? Can usually do a free estimate within 48 hours. — [Your Name] --- ### Template 10: Landscaping / Lawn Care > Hi [Name]! Thanks for reaching out about landscaping. Are you looking for a one-time service or ongoing maintenance? I can put together a quick quote if you share your address — will take 5 min. — [Your Name] --- ### Template 11: Pest Control > Hi [Name], got your pest control message. Quick Q: what type of pest and is it inside the house? Knowing that helps me give you an accurate quote and timeline. — [Your Name], [Company] --- ### Template 12: Electrical Work > Hi [Name]! [Your Name] from [Company]. What's the electrical issue? Some things we can quote over the phone, others need a quick look. Happy to schedule a free estimate if needed. --- ## Re-Engagement Templates (Leads Who Went Cold) These are for leads who submitted a form weeks ago but never converted. A lot of them are still in the market. ### Template 13: 2-Week Re-Engagement > Hey [Name] — [Your Name] from [Company]. I know it's been a couple weeks since you reached out about [service]. Are you still looking, or did you get sorted out? Happy to get you a quote if you're still in the market. --- ### Template 14: Seasonal Re-Engagement > Hi [Name]! [Your Name] from [Company]. With [summer heat/winter coming/storm season], I'm reaching out to folks who had inquired earlier. Still interested in [service]? Have some availability this month. --- ### Template 15: Price Objection Recovery > Hi [Name], [Your Name] here. Wanted to follow up on the quote I sent. If price was a concern, I'm happy to walk through what's included and see if there's a way to adjust the scope. A lot of folks are surprised by what we can do in budget. --- ## How to Automate All of This Manually sending these texts for every lead isn't sustainable. When you're on a job, between jobs, and at home at night, things fall through. The contractors doing this at scale use automation: 1. **Lead comes in** via web form, missed call, or CRM 2. **Instant text goes out** within 60 seconds — Template 1 or 2 above, customized with their name and service 3. **Day 2 follow-up** automatically if no response 4. **Day 5 final touchpoint** if still no response 5. **You get notified** with the full lead info so you can make a personal call when available FollowFire handles all of this — it integrates with Squarespace, Wix, WordPress, and any webhook-compatible form, sends branded texts and emails, and runs drip sequences without you lifting a finger. The result: every lead gets the same fast, professional treatment whether it comes in on a Tuesday afternoon or a Sunday morning. --- ## The One Template You Should Start With If you only implement one thing today, make it this: the missed call text-back. Set up an automatic text that goes out within 60 seconds of every missed call: > "Hi! You just tried to reach [Your Name] at [Company]. We're in the middle of a job — I'll call you back at [time] or you can text me here anytime. What did you need help with?" That alone will recover 20–40% of the calls that currently go to voicemail and die. Every single one of those is a potential job. Want to understand the bigger picture of why contractors lose leads? Read: [Why Contractors Lose Leads (And How to Stop It)](/blog/why-contractors-lose-leads) — the full breakdown with revenue math. Want to see how your current follow-up process grades out? [Take the Lead Response Scorecard →](/scorecard) — it's a free 2-minute quiz that shows you exactly where you're losing leads.

15 Lead Follow-Up Text Templates for Contractors (Copy-Paste Ready)

Ready to try FollowFire?

Related posts

How Fast Should You Respond to Leads? (The Science Behind the 5-Minute Rule)

The Real Cost of Slow Lead Follow-Up (And How to Calculate What It's Costing You)

Why Contractors Lose 78% of Their Web Leads (And What to Do About It)