Every contractor has a version of the same story: a lead called, an estimate went out, and three weeks later they find the customer's name in a text thread with a note that says "follow up." The job went to someone else.
The fix is not a better spreadsheet. It's a system that surfaces the right name at the right time. Here's the minimum version that actually works.
The four buckets every lead belongs in
At any given time, every lead is in one of four states:
- New — you talked or texted, no estimate sent yet
- Estimate out — estimate sent, waiting to hear back
- Scheduled — job confirmed, date on the calendar
- Done — job complete, review request sent
Anything that doesn't fit is closed. Get it out of your active list.
For the specific follow-up texts to send at each stage, see estimate follow-up text templates.
The checklist
- Every new lead gets a name, phone, job type, and "date called" logged immediately — not later
- Every estimate sent gets a follow-up date set for day 3
- Active leads are reviewed every Monday morning — who's waiting, who needs a nudge
- Leads with no response after two follow-ups get moved to "closed" — not left in limbo
- Scheduled jobs have a confirmation text sent the day before
- Completed jobs get a review request within 24 hours
- Leads that say "not yet" get a 30-day reminder, not just mental notes
- End of each week: a 10-minute sweep to make sure nothing is stuck between buckets
- One place for all of this — not split across texts, notes app, and calendar
Common questions
- How do solo contractors keep track of job leads?
- The most durable systems use four buckets: new, estimate out, scheduled, and done. Anything outside those buckets is closed. Review weekly.
- What is the best free tool for contractor lead tracking?
- A Google Sheet with a follow-up date column, sorted by date, checked every Monday morning. Free, familiar, and better than memory. The limitation is that it doesn't remind you — you have to remember to check it.