5 Best Ways To Generate More Estimates For Your Home Service Business

If your technicians are running from job to job without generating additional estimates, you’re leaving hundreds of thousands of dollars on the table. One company we worked with increased their estimate count by 42%, which led to doubling their revenue in just 12 months.

In this post, we’ll break down five proven strategies to help you generate more estimates in your business.

The Common Problem in Home Service Businesses

Many home service businesses follow a familiar pattern:

• The CSR (customer service representative) answers the service and repair calls.
• A technician is dispatched to complete the job.
• The technician completes the work and moves on to the next job.

The problem? These businesses are focusing on $300–$500 service and repair jobs but missing out on $2,000–$20,000 estimates that could drastically increase revenue.

By fixing this, we helped a business double their revenue in 12 months.

Benchmark: How Many Jobs Should Turn Into Estimates?

Based on our data, 30–50% of your jobs should turn into estimates. If you run 100 jobs, you should be generating 30 to 50 estimates.

Now, let’s dive into five strategies to help you achieve that.

Strategy #1: Create an Incentive Program for Your Technicians

Technicians are great at their jobs, but most aren’t natural salespeople. A well-structured incentive program can help them generate leads without feeling like they’re selling.

Here’s how:

1. Get Your Technicians Bought In

Tell your technicians: “Do you want to make money while you sleep?” Instead of only getting paid for the job they just did, they can earn more when the estimates they generate turn into sales. Offer them a percentage of every closed estimate—whether it’s 1%, 2%, or a flat dollar amount.

2. Remove the Technician Blinders

Most technicians focus only on the job at hand. To help them see bigger opportunities, create a simple checklist:

• Do you have any hot or cold rooms in your house?
• How does your home feel day-to-day? Is it dry, stuffy, or humid?
• How’s your water pressure? Does hot water last long enough?

These questions help the technician do their job better while also opening the door to sales opportunities.

3. Provide Easy Talking Points

At the end of the service, technicians should recap with the homeowner: “I fixed X, Y, and Z. I also noticed you mentioned an issue with your hot/cold rooms. I’ll send this information to our office so we can put together some solutions for you.”

This helps the technician transition into estimate generation naturally.

4. Make It Easy to Submit Leads

Technicians need a simple way to submit leads. Here’s a solution:

• Create a hidden referral page on your website.
• Add a QR code inside each technician’s truck linking to this page.
• The technician scans the code, fills out a quick form, and submits the lead directly to the sales team.

If submitting leads is easy, technicians are much more likely to do it consistently.

Strategy #2: Use a CSR Alley

Your CSRs can help generate estimates before the technician even arrives. Here’s how:

1. During the Initial Call
   • CSRs should ask: “While we’re there, would you like us to check [related service] as well?”
   • This plants the seed for additional work before the technician even arrives.
2. During Confirmation Calls
   • Example: “I see your home was built 10 years ago—has anyone checked your water heater lately? If not, our technician can take a quick look while they’re there.”

This simple approach creates more opportunities for estimates before the technician steps foot in the home.

Strategy #3: Use Email Marketing to Create Demand

Email marketing helps educate customers and prime them for additional services.

1. Send Monthly Newsletters

Each newsletter should focus on cross-selling different services. If you’re an electrician, for example, one month could focus on EV chargers, the next on whole-home surge protectors, and so on.

2. Pre-Appointment Education Emails

Before a service appointment, send emails educating the customer on additional services. Include a note: “If you’re interested, ask your technician when they arrive.”

3. Promotional Emails

Send direct promotions: “$500 off a ductless system,” “$1,000 off a full-home rewire.” If a customer clicks on these emails, they’re showing interest.

Strategy #4: Turn Emails Into Warm Leads

After sending emails, track who engages with them.

• If 100 people clicked on a “$500 off ductless system” email, they’re warm leads.
• Have your sales team call them with a non-pushy approach: “Hey, we’re in your area next week doing estimates. Would you like us to stop by?”

This turns email engagement into real estimate opportunities.

Strategy #5: Rehash Past Jobs

If your CSRs aren’t making post-job calls, you’re missing out on easy revenue. Here’s how:

1. Next-Day Happy Calls
   • “Hey, was our technician able to fix everything for you?”
   • If yes, follow up: “I noticed your water heater is 10 years old. I put together a quick estimate—can I send it over?”
   • This keeps the conversation going and opens the door to new sales.

The Bottom Line

If you’re running a $1M+ home service business and feel stuck, increasing your estimate count is one of the best ways to grow your revenue.

If you need help implementing these strategies, visit PhlashConsulting.com to schedule a free call. Worst case? You walk away with strategies to grow your business. Best case? You start generating more estimates and increasing your revenue today!