Guide
Quote follow-up email templates
Short answer
A good quote follow-up email is short, names the job, and asks one easy question. Below are copy-ready templates with subject lines for six common situations: first and second follow-ups, a customer comparing estimates, a customer who needs more time, a final close-the-loop message and an expired quote, plus one for a quote that was never opened. Replace the placeholders in square brackets.
Before you copy a template
- Replace every placeholder in square brackets, and read the email back once. A template with “[Customer name]” left in does more harm than no follow-up.
- Keep it short enough to read on a phone. One question, one offer of help, your name and contact details.
- Do not add deadlines, discounts or urgency you have not already agreed. If your quote has a valid-until date, it is fine to mention it; inventing a new one is not.
- Match how you usually talk to customers. These templates are deliberately plain so they are easy to adjust.
- Use one template per stage. If you are not sure which stage a quote is at, how to follow up on a quote walks through the whole process, and when to follow up covers timing.
The templates
First follow-up
When to use: A few days after sending, when you have not heard back.
Subject: Your quote for [job]
Hi [Customer name], I sent over the quote for [job] on [date sent] and wanted to check it reached you and made sense. If you have any questions about what is included or when I could do the work, just reply here or call me on [phone number]. Thanks, [Your name] [Business name]
Second follow-up
When to use: About a week after the first, if there is still no reply. Add something useful rather than repeating yourself.
Subject: Re: Your quote for [job]
Hi [Customer name], Following up on the quote for [job]. In case it helps with planning, I currently have availability [availability, e.g. the week of 14 October] and could confirm a start date once you are ready. If anything in the quote needs changing, let me know and I will send a revised version. Best regards, [Your name] [Business name] · [phone number]
Note: Only mention availability you genuinely have.
Customer comparing estimates
When to use: The customer has told you they are getting other quotes.
Subject: What’s included in your [job] quote
Hi [Customer name], Thanks for letting me know you are comparing quotes for [job]; that makes sense for work like this. To help you compare like with like, my quote includes: - [what is included, e.g. materials and labour] - [e.g. removal and disposal of the old unit] - [e.g. testing, certification or clean-up] If another quote looks different, I am happy to talk through what is and is not included. Let me know when you expect to decide, and I will keep the date free until then if I can. Thanks, [Your name] [Business name]
Note: Describe your own quote. Do not comment on competitors’ prices or work.
Customer requesting more time
When to use: The customer has asked for time to think, save or talk it over.
Subject: No rush on the [job] quote
Hi [Customer name], Of course, take the time you need with the quote for [job]. I will check back in on [agreed date] unless I hear from you first. The prices in the quote are valid until [valid-until date]; if you need longer than that, I can confirm whether anything has changed. Thanks, [Your name] [Business name] · [phone number]
Note: Use the valid-until date already on your quote, and the date you agreed with the customer.
Final close-the-loop message
When to use: After two or three unanswered follow-ups. This is the last one.
Subject: Closing off your [job] quote
Hi [Customer name], I have not heard back about the quote for [job], so I will assume the timing is not right at the moment and close it off on my side. If you would like to go ahead later, or want the quote updated, just reply to this email and I will pick it up from there. Thanks for considering [Business name]. [Your name]
Note: Polite, final and easy to answer. Then stop and record the quote as closed.
Reconnecting after a quote has expired
When to use: The quote’s valid-until date has genuinely passed and the customer gets back in touch, or you have a good reason to reconnect.
Subject: An updated quote for [job]
Hi [Customer name], The quote I sent for [job] on [date sent] was valid until [valid-until date], which has now passed. If you are still thinking about the work, I would be glad to check the details with you and send an updated quote, as [reason prices may have changed, e.g. material prices / availability] may have changed since then. Would [suggested time] suit for a quick call, or would you prefer I just send the updated quote? Thanks, [Your name] [Business name] · [phone number]
Note: Send a new, updated quote rather than honouring or re-sending an expired one without checking it.
Quote not opened yet
When to use: You can see the quote has not been opened, so the first question is whether it arrived.
Subject: Did my quote for [job] reach you?
Hi [Customer name], I emailed the quote for [job] on [date sent] and wanted to make sure it did not end up in a spam or promotions folder. The link is here if that is easier: [quote link] Thanks, [Your name] [Business name] · [phone number]
Adapting the templates to your trade
Larger installations
For an EV charger, heat pump or system replacement, the “comparing estimates” template does most of the work: list what you include, such as certification, removal of old equipment or commissioning. See how this looks for electricians and HVAC businesses.
Regular and seasonal work
For a maintenance round, the “more time” template often turns into a seasonal plan: agree when you will check back, such as early spring, and record it. Gardeners can use the same pattern for renewals.
If you prefer to follow up by phone or text, the same structure works: name the job, ask one question, offer help, and say when you will check in next.
Mistakes to avoid in follow-up emails
Mistake: “Last chance” or “offer ends Friday” when nothing ends Friday.
Instead: Mention only dates that are real, such as the quote’s valid-until date.
Mistake: Offering a discount in an unprompted follow-up.
Instead: Ask what is holding the customer back; change the quote only if the scope changes.
Mistake: Re-sending the whole quote with no message.
Instead: Write a short note and link to the quote.
Mistake: A long email covering every option.
Instead: One question and one offer of help.
Using these templates with QuoteFollow
What QuoteFollow does, and what stays with you
- QuoteFollow reminds you and your team by email when a quote’s follow-up date arrives, so you know when to send one of these messages.
- If you turn on the optional automatic customer follow-up, QuoteFollow sends one short email for a quote you emailed from it: on the follow-up date if you chose that date for it, otherwise three days after the quote email. You choose a professional, friendly or direct starting message and can edit it per quote. It is off by default.
- That automatic email is a single message per quote: rescheduling or re-sending the quote moves it while it is waiting, but never adds another. Second follow-ups, close-the-loop messages and reconnecting after an expired quote are sent by you, from your own email, phone or WhatsApp.
- Quote statuses show whether a quote is pending, viewed, accepted, declined or expired, which tells you which template fits. An expired quote needs a new valid-until date before QuoteFollow will email it again.