Estimate follow-up and payment-reminder texts for contractors
An estimate that goes quiet isn’t always a no. Often the customer just got busy. Below are short texts for every step after the estimate: following up, asking for the deposit, the day of the job, payment reminders, and the thank-you when they pay. Change the names and amounts to your own.
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Coming soon (in testing): a business line for your trade, with a business number, missed-call text back, an inbox, review requests, a customer card, and quotes and invoices. Card payments come later.
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The cadence: day 1, day 3, day 7, then stop
This is a suggestion, not a measured result. Three texts over a week is enough to show you want the job without becoming the contractor they avoid. After the third, stop. If they come back in a month, you were polite, and that is what they remember.
Write like a person. Use their first name and yours. No links in the first follow-up unless they asked for the estimate again, no countdown discounts, and no “just bumping this to the top of your inbox”.
Follow-up texts after you send an estimate
The first one checks that it arrived and invites questions. The later ones make it easy to say no, which is often what gets a reply.
- Day 1: did it arrive
Hi Dana, it’s Luis from Rivera Painting. Just checking the estimate for the living room and hallway came through okay. Happy to walk through any line on it.
- Day 3: one easy question
Hi Dana, Luis at Rivera Painting. Any questions on the estimate? If the timing or the scope needs to change, tell me and I’ll adjust it.
- Day 7: the last nudge
Hi Dana, Luis from Rivera Painting. I’m setting next month’s schedule this week. Would you like me to hold a start date for you, or should I close this one out?
- If they went with someone else
Thanks for letting me know, Dana. If anything comes up later, I’m a text away. Good luck with the project.
Asking for the deposit
Send it right after the yes, while the decision is fresh. Say the amount, what it pays for, and how to pay. Keep the amount inside your state’s rule.
- After the yes
Great, Dana, thank you! To lock in your start date of June 12, the deposit is $____ (it covers ordering the paint and primer). You can pay by ____. Your balance is due when the job is done.
- Friendly reminder
Hi Dana, Luis at Rivera Painting. A quick reminder that the deposit holds your June 12 start. Once it’s in, I’ll order materials and confirm the crew.
How much you may take depends on your state: contractor deposit limits, statute by statute.
Day-of and job-done texts
Two texts that cut down on “are you still coming?” calls and set up the invoice.
- On the way
Morning Dana, Luis from Rivera Painting. We’re on our way and should be there in about 30 minutes.
- Running late
Hi Dana, Luis here. We’re running about 45 minutes behind on the job before yours. Sorry about that. I’ll text when we’re on our way.
- Job done
Hi Dana, we’re all finished. Take a look when you’re home and tell me if anything needs a touch-up. I’ll send the invoice tonight.
Payment reminders, from due today to final notice
Each one names the invoice and the amount, says how to pay, and assumes good faith. The tone gets firmer by being more specific, not by threatening.
- Invoice sent
Hi Dana, here is the invoice for the painting: Invoice 2031, $____, due June 20. You can pay by ____. Thanks again for having us.
- Due today
Hi Dana, a friendly reminder from Rivera Painting that Invoice 2031 ($____) is due today. If you’ve already paid, thank you and please ignore this.
- A few days late
Hi Dana, Luis at Rivera Painting. Invoice 2031 for $____ was due June 20 and still shows open on my end. Could you let me know when to expect it? If something on it looks wrong, tell me and we’ll sort it out.
- Final polite notice
Hi Dana, I haven’t been able to reach you about Invoice 2031 ($____, due June 20). Please pay by ____ or call me to set up a plan that works for you. I’d like to settle this between us.
What never goes in a payment text
- Threats. No “or I’ll take you to court”, no “final warning before collections”. Say what is owed, when it was due, and how to pay.
- Anything that makes it look like a third party is collecting. Send reminders in your own business name, the name on the invoice. The federal debt collection law (FDCPA) generally does not cover a business collecting its own debts, but its definition of “debt collector” includes a creditor who uses a name other than its own that would indicate a third person is collecting (see below).
- Public posts about the customer. Nothing about an unpaid bill on Facebook, Nextdoor, review sites or your truck. Keep it between you and them.
- Texts to anyone else. Not to their spouse’s phone, their employer or their neighbor. Write to the customer named on the invoice.
- Texts after STOP. If a customer replies STOP, stop texting that number. CTIA’s messaging guidelines say to honor STOP and its common equivalents and to send nothing further after a confirmation. Call or mail instead.
What the sources say, and what they don’t
- The CFPB: the FDCPA “doesn’t cover business debts, and it also doesn’t generally cover collection by the original creditor or business you owed money to.” And: “Some of those state laws cover the original creditor, while others don’t.” (CFPB)
- The statute’s definition of “debt collector” includes “any creditor who, in the process of collecting his own debts, uses any name other than his own which would indicate that a third person is collecting or attempting to collect such debts.” (15 U.S.C. § 1692a(6))
- We don’t say which law applies to your business. If you are past polite reminders, check your state’s rules or talk to a lawyer before you change how you ask.
Paid in full, and the review request
The receipt closes the job. The review request goes to every finished customer, not only the ones you think were happy.
- Paid in full
Got it, Dana. Invoice 2031 is paid in full ($____, paid June 24). Thank you! Your receipt is attached.
- Review request, sent with it or the next day
Rivera Painting: Thanks again for choosing us. If you have a moment, an honest Google review would help us a lot: [your review link] Reply STOP to opt out.
The rules on review requests (no incentive, ask everyone, not only happy customers) are in how to ask for a Google review by text.
The rest of the job, in texts
These pick up where the first contact ends. For the text that goes out when you miss the call in the first place, see missed-call text templates for 25 trades. For what goes on the estimate itself, see how to write a contractor estimate.
In the business line LeadHunter USA is testing, the quote, the invoice and these texts live on one customer card: send the quote, see when it’s approved, send the invoice, mark it paid, and send the review request from the same thread.
Join the first five
The first five contractors set it up with us personally, at a pilot price agreed before anything is charged. What founding pilots get
More guides
- How to forward only unanswered calls, by carrier
- What to text when you miss a call: templates for 25 trades
- How to ask for a Google review by text
- Is it legal to auto-text people who call you?
- Missed-call text back tools compared, with vendor prices
- Keep your cell number or get a business number?
- Can your iPhone or Android text back missed calls on its own?
Common questions
What should I text a customer after sending an estimate?
A day later, check that it arrived and offer to walk through any line. A few days later, ask one easy question: does the timing or scope need to change? About a week later, send one last nudge that makes it easy to say yes or no, then stop.
How many times should I follow up on an estimate?
A simple pattern is three texts: day 1, day 3 and day 7, then stop. It is a suggestion, not a rule. If the customer replies with a timeline (“after the holidays”), follow that instead.
How do I politely ask a customer to pay by text?
Name the invoice and the amount, say when it was due and how to pay, and assume good faith: “If you’ve already paid, thank you and please ignore this.” For a later reminder, ask when to expect payment and invite them to tell you if something on the invoice looks wrong.
Can I threaten to send an unpaid invoice to collections in a text?
Keep threats out of texts. If you decide to use a collection agency or small claims court, do that as a separate step. The CFPB says the federal debt collection law generally does not cover collection by the original creditor, but some state laws do, so check your state before you change how you ask.
Should I ask for a review in the same text as the receipt?
Either works: the review request can ride along with the paid-in-full receipt or follow the next morning. Send the review request to every customer whose job is done, and offer nothing in return for the review.