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Estimate follow-up for plumbers: water heaters and repipes

ServiceM8 follows up every water heater, repipe and sewer estimate by email and text, so quiet quotes get a nudge. From $79£59€71A$114C$112 a month.

At a glance

  • What it costs$79–149£59–112€71–133A$114–215C$112–211 a month

  • Worth, in extra profit or time saved in the worked example$660–1,320£496–992€591–1,181A$953–1,906C$933–1,866 a month

  • Pays for itselfIn about a week

  • Sign up and configure; no technical skills neededEasy to set up

Figures come from the worked example below, using its stated assumptions. Tool prices checked . How we check prices

The problem

Big plumbing estimates rarely get a no; they get silence while the homeowner thinks about a $2,200£1,654€1,968A$3,176C$3,110 water heater or a $6,000£4,511€5,368A$8,662C$8,481 repipe. The office means to call back but the next emergency comes first. On 30 estimates a month, if 1 or 2 more would be accepted after a nudge, at a $2,200£1,654€1,968A$3,176C$3,110 average, that's $2,200£1,654€1,968A$3,176C$3,110 to $4,400£3,308€3,937A$6,352C$6,220 of work a month.

What the AI does

ServiceM8's Quote Follow-up, on every plan, follows up issued quotes with automated emails and texts to prompt clients. Quote options let you send several choices in one link, such as a tank or tankless water heater, and the client views and chooses. The office only calls the homeowners who reply or the biggest jobs still open.

A worked example

A three-person plumbing company in San Antonio runs about 110 jobs and estimates a month on ServiceM8 Growing and sends about 30 estimates for water heaters, repipes and sewer lines. They switch on quote follow-up with a short message in their own words.

Before

About 30 estimates a month; follow-ups only when the office has time, and most quiet ones hear nothing

After

Every estimate followed up automatically; 1 to 2 extra jobs a month at about $2,200£1,654€1,968A$3,176C$3,110

What it's worth

About $660£496€591A$953C$933 to $1,320£992€1,181A$1,906C$1,866 a month in profit, at an assumed 30% margin on $2,200£1,654€1,968A$3,176C$3,110 to $4,400£3,308€3,937A$6,352C$6,220 of extra work (1 or 2 more accepted estimates at $2,200£1,654€1,968A$3,176C$3,110). That is against $79£59€71A$114C$112 a month for ServiceM8 Growing (150 jobs), or $149£112€133A$215C$211 for Premium (500 jobs) if you run more.

How to set it up

  1. Choose the ServiceM8 plan that fits your monthly jobs, since quotes count as jobs: Starter $29£22€26A$42C$41 (50), Growing $79£59€71A$114C$112 (150), Premium $149£112€133A$215C$211 (500).
  2. Write the follow-up in your own words: the job, the price, how long it holds and how to book.
  3. Text only customers who agreed to texts when they asked for the estimate, and keep a working STOP. ServiceM8's page doesn't mention A2P 10DLC registration, so ask them how texts are sent.
  4. A licensed plumber reviews and approves every estimate before it's sent, with your state plumbing license number on it where your state requires it.
  5. Each week, call the homeowners with the largest open estimates yourself.

What goes wrong

  • Paid plans include texting up to a monthly cap and charge per text above it; the cap isn't on the pricing page, so check it.
  • Under the TCPA, texts that push a sale need prior express written consent. Keep follow-ups to the estimate the customer asked for.
  • Too many follow-ups annoy people. Stop as soon as someone says no or books with someone else.

More ideas for Plumbers

AI receptionist for plumbers: burst-pipe calls answered

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Sewer camera reports for plumbers: written before you leave

CompanyCam files sewer camera photos and video by job and drafts the report from them, ready to share the same day. From $119£89€106A$172C$168 a month.

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Talk through each job in the truck, then paste the notes into ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini for a clear customer write-up. Free to about $20£15€18A$29C$28 a month.

  • Costs Free–$20Free–£15Free–€18Free–A$29Free–C$28/mo
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Supply house receipts for plumbers: snapped at the counter

Photograph each supply house receipt with Dext before it hits the truck floor; it reads the details and sends them to QuickBooks. From $25£19€22A$36C$35 a month.

  • Costs $25£19€22A$36C$35/mo
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  • Pays for itself in about a week
  • Easy to set up

Last updated October 18, 2026.