How should a plumber follow up a bathroom or boiler quote?
Send a short message two or three days after the quote asking if anything needs explaining, then one more about a week later with something useful, like your next available start date. Customers getting a new boiler or bathroom usually ask several plumbers to quote, and a quiet customer is often still comparing, not saying no.
By Sammy Morgan, who runs M1 Studio in Chichester. Updated .
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- Industry
- Plumbers
- Problem
- Quotes that go quiet
- The fix
- Missed-Call Rescue, £800
- Do it yourself?
- Yes, the first steps below
Why it happens to plumbers.
- Boiler quotes are hard to compare
- One quote includes a system flush, a magnetic filter, new controls and taking the old boiler away. Another lists a make and model and a price. Customers go quiet while they try to line them up, and the plumber who explains the difference clearly is easier to say yes to.
- Bathrooms are slow decisions
- A refit means choosing a suite and tiles, and planning weeks without a working bathroom around family life. Weeks can pass between your quote and a decision.
- You price jobs in the evening and move on
- Quotes get written after a day on the tools. Nothing reminds you to check back, so the follow-up never happens and the job goes to whoever did check back.
- Urgency changes by season
- A customer with a failing boiler in November decides in days. The same customer pricing a replacement in June may take months. Your follow-up should match which one they are.
What to do, in order.
Write a quote that answers the questions
Itemise the make and model, the manufacturer’s warranty, what’s included (flush, filter, controls, removal of the old boiler or suite) and when you could start. Every question the quote answers is one less reason to stall.
Say when you’ll check in
End the quote with “I’ll text you on Thursday in case anything needs explaining.” Then your follow-up is expected, not pushy.
Mention the paperwork
For a boiler, explain that as a Gas Safe registered engineer you notify the installation, so they get a Building Regulations compliance certificate. Many customers don’t know to ask, and it separates you from anyone cutting corners.
Follow up twice, then close it
A first message after 2 or 3 days, a second about a week later with your next start date. If you hear nothing, ask politely whether you can close the quote. People often reply to that one.
Let a system do the remembering
Missed-Call Rescue gives you one simple list of every enquiry with automatic reminders, so no bathroom or boiler quote sits unchased.
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.
- Missed-Call Rescue £800
A simple list of every enquiry and quote with automatic reminders, so each bathroom and boiler quote gets its follow-up without you remembering.
Missed calls get a text back, automatically.
- Sales Call Kit £800
A call script and answers to the objections plumbers hear, like “another plumber quoted less for the same boiler”.
Know what to say on every sales call, and who to call.
- Growth Build from £6,500
If your website needs replacing too, the Growth Build adds a CRM with reminders, missed-call text-back and a chat assistant in one build.
Turn enquiries into bookings.
Want to check the rest of your business first? Take the free Scorecard: 12 questions, about 3 minutes.
Before you decide.
Something else? Ask Sammy on WhatsApp.
How long should I wait before following up a plumbing quote?
For a failed boiler or a leak, the same or next day, because they’ll decide quickly. For a planned bathroom or boiler swap, 2 or 3 days, then about a week later. The guide to following up a quote has example messages.
What if they say another plumber was cheaper?
Ask what the other quote includes before you move on price. Different boilers, shorter warranties, no flush or no filter can explain the gap. If the quotes really are the same job, you can decide whether to match, but many customers pay a little more once they see what they’re getting.
Can I text customers about their quote?
Yes. A short message about a quote they asked for is part of dealing with their enquiry. Sending them offers or newsletters later is marketing, which has its own consent rules under PECR. M1 doesn’t give legal advice, so check the ICO’s guidance if you’re unsure.
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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