How should a builder follow up a quote for an extension?
Book a call or visit to walk the client through the quote a few days after you send it, then check in every week or two with something useful, like a start date you can hold or news on their planning. Extensions and renovations take weeks or months to decide, so a quiet client is often still comparing or waiting on someone else, not saying no.
By Sammy Morgan, who runs M1 Studio in Chichester. Updated .
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- Industry
- Builders
- Problem
- Quotes that go quiet
- The fix
- Growth Build, from £6,500
- Do it yourself?
- Yes, the first steps below
Why it happens to builders.
- They’re waiting on other people
- A planning decision, structural calculations, a party wall agreement or a remortgage can all hold up a yes. The quiet has nothing to do with you.
- Quotes aren’t alike
- One builder includes the kitchen fit, skip hire and making good. Another leaves them out or covers them with provisional sums. Clients go quiet trying to compare, and often pick the one they understand.
- The price was a shock
- Many first-time clients underestimate what an extension costs. Rather than ask what could change, some just stop replying.
- You’re on site all day
- Quotes get priced at night. Chasing them falls to the bottom of the list until the job has gone to someone else.
What to do, in order.
Book the walk-through when you send it
Don’t just email a PDF. Agree a time to go through it together, in person or on a call, a few days later.
Spell out what’s included
Stages, provisional sums, what’s excluded (kitchen units, flooring, decorating) and what the client needs to sort, such as drawings, building control or a party wall agreement. Put a date the price is valid until, so there’s a natural reason to talk again.
Offer options when price is the problem
A different spec, a phased build or leaving the decorating to them. Give the client a way to say “yes, if” instead of saying nothing.
Follow up on their timetable
If they’re waiting on planning, note when the decision is due and check in then. Share something useful each time: a similar finished job, or a start slot you can hold.
Let a CRM do the chasing
The Growth Build includes a CRM with reminders, so every open quote gets its next follow-up even in a busy month on site.
Where M1 can do it for you.
Fixed prices, or a fixed quote before any work starts. No VAT is charged. Any running costs are listed before you agree.
- Growth Build from £6,500
A builder’s website with project pages, plus a CRM with reminders so every extension and renovation quote gets chased.
Turn enquiries into bookings.
- Sales Call Kit £800
A script for the quote walk-through and answers to objections like “another builder was cheaper” and “we need to think about it”.
Know what to say on every sales call, and who to call.
- Missed-Call Rescue £800
A simple list of every enquiry with automatic reminders, if you want the follow-up without a new website.
Missed calls get a text back, automatically.
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Before you decide.
Something else? Ask Sammy on WhatsApp.
How long should I keep following up a building quote?
As long as the project is live and they haven’t said no. For extensions that can be months, tied to planning or finance. Check in every week or two, and if the trail goes cold, ask whether they’d like you to close the quote.
What do I say when they say another builder was cheaper?
Ask to see what the other quote covers, line by line if they’ll share it. Differences in provisional sums, exclusions and making good often explain the gap. The guide to following up a quote covers this.
What does a follow-up system cost?
The Growth Build starts at £6,500 and includes a new website, CRM, missed-call text-back and a chat assistant. Missed-Call Rescue is a fixed £800 if you only need the list and reminders. Text and app fees are paid at cost or directly by you, and listed before you agree.
Keep reading.
Know what to fix. Then decide.
Sammy writes down what’s holding your business back and what to fix first. The Foundation Blueprint is yours within 5 working days of your answers.
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