Questions about UpfrontBid and following up on quotes

UpfrontBid is quote follow-up software for contractors and home service businesses. You send your quote like you always do, and UpfrontBid emails the homeowner short, polite check-ins in your name until they reply. It costs $19 a month, works with any quote you send by email, and you don't have to change how you write quotes.

BCC your UpfrontBid address when you email a quote, or forward the quote email to it afterward. Your address looks like yourbusiness@in.upfrontbid.com and you'll find it in your account after signup. You can also add a quote by hand in the app if it went out some other way.

UpfrontBid reads the email and any attached PDF or image of the quote, pulls out the customer's name and email, the job, and the quote amount, and schedules the follow-ups. You get a short confirmation email with those details and a link to fix anything. If it can't find a customer email or an amount, it tells you and you can add the quote by hand.

Yes. UpfrontBid reads PDF quotes and photos or screenshots of quotes attached to the email, along with the email text, so a "see attached" email from Jobber, Housecall Pro, ServiceTitan, or your own PDF still works. It reads up to 3 PDF or image attachments per email, up to 10 MB total. If it still can't find the homeowner's email or the amount, it emails you so you can add the quote by hand.

Only you. UpfrontBid accepts quotes sent from the email you signed up with or the reply-to email in your settings. Mail from anyone else to your address is ignored.

No. The follow-ups are your own templates, with the customer's first name, the job, and the amount filled in. AI is only used to read the quote you forward and pull out the customer, job, and amount. You can read and edit every step before anything goes out.

Yes. Open the quote in the app and change the customer name, email, amount, job, or notes. The confirmation email you get after forwarding has a direct link to it.

By default on day 2, 5, 10, and 21 after the quote was sent. You can change the day for each step, turn steps off, or edit the wording in Settings.

A short, plain email from you, for example "Mike at Hill Country Roofing," with a subject like "Following up on your roof repair quote." When they hit reply, it goes to your email. At the bottom there's a small line saying it was sent for your business by UpfrontBid, our mailing address, and an unsubscribe link.

Yes. The sender name is your name and business name, and replies go to your own email. The emails are sent from an UpfrontBid sending address so they're properly authenticated, which helps them land in the inbox instead of spam.

They're short and low-pressure. Step 1 checks that the quote arrived and offers to answer questions. Step 2 asks if they've had a chance to look it over. Step 3 checks in once more and mentions the amount. Step 4 says you'll close the file for now and they can reply anytime to pick it back up. You can rewrite any of them.

Yes, every step. You can change the subject, the wording, the day it goes out, and turn steps on or off. You can use placeholders like the customer's first name, the job, the amount, your business name, and your signature.

No. The emails are short and plain, come from your name, and replies go to you. Every email has an unsubscribe link, sends only during business hours, and each account has a daily send limit to keep volume low.

Between 8 AM and 6 PM Central time. A follow-up that's due on a given day goes out during that window, never overnight.

Yes. Each account sends up to 40 follow-ups a day. Anything over that waits for the next day, which keeps your sending pattern normal and protects deliverability.

No. UpfrontBid sends email only. If a customer prefers texts or calls, you can still reach out that way yourself, and you can mark the quote won or lost to stop the emails.

The reply goes to your email, and the follow-ups for that quote stop automatically. You take the conversation from there, the same as any other email. This is always on.

Mark the quote won or lost in the app, and no more follow-ups go out for it. Follow-ups also stop on their own when the customer replies or unsubscribes, or after the last step.

Every follow-up has an unsubscribe link, and one click stops all follow-ups to that email address. UpfrontBid won't send them follow-ups again. The emails also include standard unsubscribe headers so Gmail and other inboxes can show their own unsubscribe button.

UpfrontBid is built to follow CAN-SPAM. Every email has an accurate sender name, a working unsubscribe link that's honored right away, and a physical mailing address in the footer. You're still responsible for only forwarding real quotes you sent to real customers.

No. The only emails a homeowner gets are the follow-ups for the quote you sent them. They're never added to a newsletter or marketing list.

$19 a month, plus applicable sales tax. That covers unlimited quotes, the full follow-up schedule, and the weekly digest. There's one plan.

Yes, 14 days free. You start the trial through a secure Stripe checkout, and you won't be charged until the trial ends. Follow-ups start sending once your trial is active.

Yes. Use Manage billing in Settings to cancel. There's no contract. If your plan ends, follow-ups stop going out.

Stripe handles checkout, billing, and sales tax. Your card details go to Stripe, not to UpfrontBid, and you manage your plan and invoices through Stripe's billing page.

Yes. UpfrontBid works with any email account, including Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, and your own business domain. You just BCC or forward to your UpfrontBid address.

Yes, if the quote reaches your email. Have the quote emailed to you or send yourself a copy, then forward it to your UpfrontBid address. A PDF quote attached to the email works. There's no direct connection to those apps, and they have their own follow-up features, so check those first if you already pay for them.

Mostly not. Jobber and Housecall Pro have quote follow-ups built in. UpfrontBid is for contractors who quote from email, Word, PDF, or a simple estimating tool and want follow-ups without moving to a bigger system.

No. Keep writing and sending quotes the way you do now. UpfrontBid only needs a copy of the email.

Any trade that sends quotes by email. It's set up for roofing, remodeling, HVAC, plumbing, painting, electrical, landscaping, and general contractors, and it works the same for other home service businesses.

A short email to you once a week, around 8 AM Central on the day you pick, listing your open quotes with amounts and next follow-up dates, who replied that week, and how many follow-ups went out. You can turn it off or change the day in Settings.

The quote details it needs to run your follow-ups: the customer's name and email, the job, the amount, the date, your notes, and the follow-up emails. Homeowner info is only used to send the follow-ups for your quote. Card details are handled by Stripe.

Yes. Open a quote and tap any step to see the email that will go out, with the customer's details filled in.

Follow up 1 to 3 days after sending the estimate, while the visit is still fresh. The first check-in should just confirm the quote arrived and offer to answer questions. If the customer gave you a decision date, follow up then instead.

Two days is a good default for most residential bids. Waiting a week or more gives competing bids time to land first, while following up the same day can feel pushy. For big projects that need financing or a second decision maker, space later follow-ups further apart.

Three or four times over two to three weeks is reasonable, then a polite close-the-loop message. That's why UpfrontBid defaults to day 2, 5, 10, and 21. Stop right away if they say no or ask you to stop.

Name the job, keep it to two or three sentences, and give one easy next step. Ask whether the quote came through or whether they have questions, not whether they've decided yet. Skip fake deadlines and automatic discounts.

Something short like this: "Hi Sarah, just checking that you got the quote for the roof repair. Happy to answer any questions or walk through it. Mike, Hill Country Roofing." It confirms delivery, opens the door to questions, and doesn't push.

Space your messages out, keep them short, and make every one easy to answer. Offer help instead of asking for a decision, and end with a friendly closing note that says they can reply anytime. One message every few days reads as professional; daily messages read as pressure.

Usually it isn't personal. Common reasons are comparing several bids, the price being higher than they expected, waiting on a spouse or partner, figuring out financing or timing, or just getting busy. A short, friendly follow-up gives them an easy way to answer, even if the answer is "not yet."

Most quotes go cold because nobody follows up. The homeowner gets busy, another contractor checks in first, or a question about the scope or price never gets asked. A planned follow-up schedule keeps your quote in front of them without you having to remember.

Send the quote quickly, make it clear and easy to approve, and follow up on a set schedule until you get an answer. Follow-up is the step most often skipped, so automating it is one of the easiest fixes. Track which quotes you win and lose so you can see what's working.

Use whatever the customer used to reach you, and email is a safe default for written quotes because they can reply on their own time. Many contractors mix in a phone call for larger jobs. UpfrontBid handles the email side so you only pick up the phone when it matters.

Tell them you'll close the file for now and they can reply anytime to pick it back up. A polite close-the-loop message often gets a response because it asks nothing of them, and it leaves the door open if they come back later.

Check in 2 days after the estimate, then about every few days for two to three weeks. Roofing decisions often wait on insurance, a second opinion, or the other homeowner, so offer to answer questions about materials or the scope rather than pushing for a signature.

Follow up quickly on repair quotes, often within a day or two, because the homeowner may be calling around. For bigger jobs like repipes or water heater replacements, space follow-ups out and offer to explain options.

Check in within a couple of days, and keep later messages focused on questions like equipment options or timing. Replacement decisions often depend on the season and financing, so a patient schedule over two to three weeks works better than daily calls.

Send a short check-in 2 days after the estimate and offer to answer questions about prep, paint, or scheduling. Homeowners often collect several painting bids, so a friendly, consistent follow-up helps you stay in the running.

Expect a longer decision and follow up patiently over a few weeks. Kitchen and bathroom remodels usually involve two decision makers, a budget, and sometimes financing, so offer to walk through the scope or options instead of asking for a yes.

Same basic approach: a quick check-in after 2 days, a couple more spaced out over the next few weeks, and a polite close-the-loop message. Keep each one short and name the job so the customer remembers which quote it is.