How many times should a contractor follow up on an estimate?

Short answer: follow up 3 to 4 times over about three weeks - day 2, day 5, day 10, and a final note around day 20. Most jobs that come back arrive on the second or third touch, which is exactly where most contractors have already given up.

Why one follow-up isn't enough

Homeowners aren't ignoring you to be rude. They're comparing three bids, coordinating with a spouse, and living their lives. Your quote isn't rejected - it's buried. A single 'just checking in' two days later doesn't survive that. A polite rhythm over three weeks does, because it keeps you on top of the pile every time the decision resurfaces at their kitchen table.

The timing that works

• –Day 2 - confirm the quote arrived and open the door for questions. Lowest-friction touch, highest reply rate.
• –Day 5 - add one useful thing: a detail about materials, what's included, how to compare bids. Never a bare 'checking in.'
• –Day 10 - ask for the decision directly, and make 'no' easy. A fast no beats a slow ghost: it frees your schedule and often earns a referral.
• –Day 20 - one last, zero-pressure note. Leave the door open; kitchen remodels come back in spring.

Text beats email for the trades

Homeowners answer texts and ignore inboxes. A short SMS from the contractor's own number gets read within minutes; the same words in an email get opened next Tuesday, maybe. Keep each message under 300 characters, sign it with your name, and always give people a way to opt out.

The sale statistically happens on touch 3 to 5. Most contractors send zero or one.

If remembering to do this at 7pm after a full day on a roof sounds unrealistic - that's the entire reason ReKnock exists. It runs this exact rhythm automatically, in your voice, and stops the instant the homeowner replies.