Better estimate requests
Before you drive out to an estimate: six questions your website should ask
A request that says "Need a quote, call me" tells you almost nothing. You don't know if it's in your area, if it's work you do, or if they need it next week or next year. A few well-chosen questions fix that without turning your form into a tax return.
By Logen Doiel, founder of Tech Turtle and former painting business owner · 8 min read
The short version
- 1Ask six things: the service, the town, the rough size, the timing, optional photos, and how to reach them.
- 2Make the first four answerable with a tap and always include "Not sure."
- 3Ask for the town or ZIP, not the street address. You can get the address once you book.
- 4Keep photos optional. Some people don't have them, and a required upload stops them from sending at all.
- 5After they hit send, tell them honestly what happens next and when.
What the form is for (and what it isn't)
An estimate request form starts the conversation. It helps you decide whether a job fits and what to bring when you go look. It doesn't replace a site visit, an inspection, or your judgment.
Some trades can give a rough range from a few photos. Others, like foundation work, roofing, or anything with hidden damage, need someone on site before a number means anything. Build the form for how your business actually prices work. Don't promise a photo quote you can't stand behind.
The six things worth asking
| Field | Suggested wording | Why it helps | Required? | Weak version | Better version |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service needed | What can we help with? | Tells you if it's work you do before you reply. | Required | An open text box labeled "Message" | Checkboxes for your actual services, plus "Something else" |
| Location | Town or ZIP code | Tells you if it's in your service area. | Required | Full street address up front | Town or ZIP now, address after you schedule |
| Rough scope | Roughly how big is it? | Tells you if it's a two-hour job or a two-week job. | Optional | "Square footage" (most people don't know it) | Plain sizes like "two-car garage" or "3 bedrooms," plus "Not sure" |
| Timing | When would you like it done? | Separates this-week jobs from someone pricing it out for spring. | Required | A date picker that forces one exact day | Ranges like "Within a month," plus "Just pricing it out" |
| Photos | Photos (optional) | Lets you spot problems before the visit. | Optional | A required upload | Optional upload with a note on what kind of photo helps |
| Contact | Name, and the best way to reach you | You need to reply somehow. | Required | Phone, email, and mailing address all required | Name plus phone or email, whichever they prefer |
Asking for less than this leaves you calling people back just to learn the basics. Asking for more up front, like a full address, budget, or how they heard about you, makes people stop before they send. You can ask the rest once you're talking.
Three complete forms for three different trades
A moving company needs dates, both ends of the move, and stairs. A pressure washer needs surfaces and what's growing on them. Here's what each form looks like when it's built around the actual job.
- 1. What would you like cleaned?Pick any · Required
- House siding
- Driveway
- Patio or walkway
- Deck or fence
- Roof
- Something else
- 2. Town or ZIP codeShort answer · Required
Just enough to know if you're in our area. We'll ask for the address once we schedule.
- 3. Roughly how big is it?Pick one · Optional
- Small (one side, short walkway)
- Medium (two-car driveway, one-story house)
- Large (two-story house, long driveway)
- Not sure
- 4. What's on it?Pick any · Optional
- Green or black growth
- Oil or rust stains
- General dirt
- Peeling paint
- Not sure
Peeling paint matters. Pressure can make it worse, so we'll want to look first.
- 5. When would you like it done?Pick one · Required
- As soon as possible
- Within a month
- Before a specific date
- Just pricing it out
- 6. PhotosPhoto upload · Optional
Optional. A couple of phone photos help us give you a better first answer.
- 7. Name, and the best way to reach youContact info · Required
Phone or email, whichever you prefer. You won't be added to a mailing list.
- 1. Moving dateDate or timeframe · Required
An exact date or a range. "Not sure yet" is fine.
- 2. Moving from (town or ZIP)Short answer · Required
- 3. Moving to (town or ZIP)Short answer · Required
No street addresses yet. We'll get those when we book.
- 4. Size of the movePick one · Required
- Studio or 1 bedroom
- 2 bedrooms
- 3 bedrooms
- 4+ bedrooms
- A few large items only
- Office
- 5. Stairs or elevator at either end?Pick any · Optional
- Stairs at pickup
- Stairs at drop-off
- Elevator
- Ground floor both ends
- Not sure
- 6. Anything heavy or fragile?Pick any · Optional
- Piano
- Gun safe
- Large TV
- Antiques
- Gym equipment
- None
- 7. Do you need packing help?Pick one · Optional
- Yes, pack everything
- Some help
- No, we'll pack
- Not sure
- 8. Name, and the best way to reach youContact info · Required
- 1. Interior or exterior?Pick one · Required
- Interior
- Exterior
- Both
- Cabinets only
- 2. What needs painting?Paragraph · Required
For example: "Living room and hallway, walls only" or "Trim and front door."
- 3. Town or ZIP codeShort answer · Required
- 4. Current conditionPick any · Optional
- Good, just a color change
- Some patching needed
- Peeling or flaking
- Water stains
- Not sure
- 5. When would you like it done?Pick one · Required
- Within 2 weeks
- Within 1 to 2 months
- Flexible
- Just pricing it out
- 6. PhotosPhoto upload · Optional
Optional. Wide shots of each room or wall are most useful.
- 7. Name, and the best way to reach youContact info · Required
Short form or detailed form?
There's no single right length. It depends on your work and on what you'd otherwise have to call and ask.
| Short form | Detailed form | |
|---|---|---|
| Fields | Service, town, timing, contact | All six, plus one or two trade-specific questions |
| Fits when | Jobs are simple and similar, and you'd call to confirm anyway | Jobs vary a lot, travel is expensive, or the wrong job wastes a half day |
| Trade-off | Quick to send, but you'll make more follow-up calls | Better first picture, but more people may stop partway |
| Keep in either | "Not sure" options and optional photos | "Not sure" options and optional photos |
A simple way to decide: list the questions you ask on every first call. Anything you ask every time and that the customer can answer without measuring belongs on the form.
What happens after they hit send
- 1Show a truthful confirmation. Say who will look at it and roughly when. Don't promise an instant quote or a reply within minutes unless someone is actually watching for it.
- 2Keep every request in one place. One inbox or dashboard, not your text messages, personal email, and a sticky note.
- 3Decide who reviews it. If it's you, block a regular time each day. If it's an office manager, decide what they can answer and what goes to you.
- 4Reply the way they asked. If they picked email, don't call. If one key detail is missing, ask for just that one thing.
Thanks, we've got your request. [Owner name] reviews new requests every weekday morning and will get back to you by [phone/email] within one business day. If anything is urgent, like active water damage, call us at [number].
Hi [Name], this is [Your name] with [Business]. Thanks for the request for [service]. One quick question so I can give you a useful answer: [roughly how big is the area / what's the moving date / are there stairs]? A rough guess is fine.
1. What can we help with? [service] 2. What town are you in? [town or ZIP] 3. Roughly how big is it? [size, or "not sure"] 4. When are you hoping to get it done? [timing] 5. Can you text or email us a couple of photos? [optional; give them the number or address] 6. What's the best way to reach you, and your name? [name + phone or email] Before hanging up: "I'll [next step] by [day]. If anything changes before then, call or text this number."
Test your own form on your phone
Do this once on your own phone, not a desktop, and again any time someone changes the form.
- Send a normal requestFill it out the way a customer would, with a test name like "Test Request."
- Leave out a required fieldMake sure the form tells you clearly what's missing and keeps what you already typed.
- Read the confirmationDoes it say what happens next, and is that true?
- Check where it landedConfirm the request reached the inbox or dashboard you actually check, with every answer intact.
- Check for surprise subscriptionsAsking for an estimate shouldn't sign anyone up for marketing emails. Make sure the test address didn't land on a mailing list.
Common form mistakes and better alternatives
- One big "Message" box
- Instead: Ask the specific questions you need. People answer questions better than they write paragraphs.
- Requiring a full address up front
- Instead: Ask for the town or ZIP. Get the address when you schedule the visit.
- No "Not sure" option
- Instead: People who don't know their square footage will guess wrong or give up. "Not sure" is an honest answer you can work with.
- Requiring photos
- Instead: Make them optional and explain what kind of photo helps. Ask by text later if you need them.
- Promising an instant quote
- Instead: Promise what you can actually do, like a reply within one business day.
Do this todayOpen your website on your phone and send yourself a test request right now. Time how long it takes, then check whether it showed up where you'd actually see it.
Where your website fits
The form works best when it's built around the services you really offer. That way the first thing a customer picks is a service you do, and every request shows up with the same basic details.
Tech Turtle's $50/month contractor website includes a built-in estimate request form, instant notifications when a request comes in, and a private dashboard that keeps them in one place. You still decide which questions fit your trade, and this guide is a starting point for that.
See the $50/month contractor website