SMS Quote Follow-Up for Contractors: 2026 Playbook
SMS open rates clear 95% — email rarely cracks 30%. Here's how home services pros are using text to recover stalled quotes.
The single biggest lever on quote recovery in 2026 isn't a better email — it's a text message. Open rates on SMS clear 95% within 3 minutes. Email rarely cracks 30% inside a day. For unconverted quotes, that gap is the whole game.
When to add SMS to your follow-up
SMS works best as touch #2 or #3 in a multi-step sequence — after the email quote has had a fair chance to land. Lead with email (it carries the full quote and attachments), then nudge with SMS once the customer has gone quiet for 5–7 days.
Three SMS templates that actually work
The polite nudge (day 5)
Hey [First name], it's [your name] from [company]. Did the quote for [scope] come through OK? Happy to answer anything.
The soft scarcity (day 10)
Hi [First name] — we're booking out about 3 weeks. Want me to hold a slot for [scope] or should I close this one out?
The graceful close (day 21)
[First name], no pressure — just closing this one out on my end. Text me anytime if you want to revisit.
Compliance — don't skip this
- Get explicit opt-in. Quote acceptance language counts; bought lead lists do not.
- Honor STOP and HELP keywords automatically.
- Include your business name in the first SMS.
- Send only during local business hours (8 a.m. – 8 p.m. recipient time).
SMS in NudgeQuote
SMS follow-ups are part of our Beta V2 launch. NudgeQuote handles per-account sending numbers, STOP/HELP keywords, quiet-hours enforcement, and delivery receipts — wired directly into your Jobber quote data so the message is always personalized.