Should a service business offer free estimates?
It depends on your work. Free estimates can bring in more inquiries, especially in trades where customers expect them, but every visit to a poor fit costs time you are not paid for. Two common middle grounds are a short screen of a few questions before any visit, and a paid assessment that is credited to the job if the customer goes ahead. Whatever you choose, say it plainly on your website.
The trade-offs
| Free estimates | Paid assessment | |
|---|---|---|
| Inquiries | Often more, since asking costs the customer nothing | Often fewer, but usually more serious |
| Your time | Spent on everyone, including people only comparing prices | Paid for, or at least better screened |
| Fit | Can include people who were never going to hire you | Tends to favor people ready to decide |
| Customer expectation | Common in many home-service trades | Easier to explain when the visit itself takes real expertise, such as finding a fault |
Alternatives worth considering
- A short screen before any visit: a few questions about the job, the area and the timing, by email, by form, or by call only with the person's consent. The related answer on how to tell whether a new lead is a good fit covers which questions.
- A paid assessment credited to the job: the visit has a charge, and if the customer hires you, it comes off the final bill.
- Free for some jobs, paid for others: free for simple, standard jobs, and paid when the visit involves diagnosis, testing or a written plan.
- A rough range first, with a visit only for customers who want an exact price; the related answer on when a lead asks for the price first covers the conversation.
How to decide
Look at the last few months of estimate visits: how many turned into jobs, and how long each visit took, travel included. If most visits become work, free estimates may be paying for themselves. If many go nowhere, a screen or a paid assessment may save you real time.
It also helps to know what other businesses in your area offer, since customers often compare.
Say it clearly on your site
- State the policy in one line near your contact button, such as "Free estimates for [type of job] in [area]" or "Assessments are charged and credited to the job if you go ahead."
- Say what the estimate includes: a visit, a written quote, and roughly how long it takes.
- If it is free, keep it free: no fee that appears later and no pressure to decide on the spot.
- Say the same thing in your replies as on your site, so no one is surprised.
Related answers
- What should you say when a new lead asks for the price first?
- How do you tell whether a new lead is a good fit?
- Should a service business put prices on its website?
- How do you write a quote that wins the job?
Lead systems and lead tracking
A lead that waits a day goes cold, and a lead with no source teaches you nothing. Ascent Vision fixes both.