Word for word, the follow-up after a system replacement quote, from same-day text to the price objection
Exact texts and emails to send after quoting a furnace or AC replacement, plus what to say when the homeowner says another company came in lower.
You spent an hour in the house, walked the homeowner through three options, and left a quote for a new furnace. Then nothing. No call, no reply. A week later you find out they went with someone else, often someone who simply followed up.
Replacement quotes are the most expensive leads an HVAC company handles. Between the ads, the call taker and the comfort advisor's time, each one costs real money. Yet many companies send the quote and wait. Here is a follow-up sequence you can copy, word for word, plus a script for the moment a homeowner says your price is higher.
The same-day text, within two hours
Send this from a real mobile number the advisor can answer, not a no-reply system:
Hi Linda, this is Marcus from Northside Heating. Thanks for having me out today. I just emailed your three options. The middle one is the system I would put in my own house for your square footage. Any questions, text me here.
Three things are doing the work. The advisor's name, so it feels personal. A pointer to the email, so they open it. And a gentle recommendation, because people facing three options often want someone to tell them which one.
The quote email, sent the same day
Subject: Your furnace options from Northside Heating
Hi Linda,
Thanks for walking me through the house today. Here are the three options we talked about:
Good: Single-stage 80% furnace, same-day install, 10-year parts warranty. $X,XXX or about $XX a month with financing.
Better: Two-stage 96% furnace, quieter, more even heat, 10-year parts and 2-year labor. $X,XXX or about $XXX a month.
Best: Variable-speed 97% furnace with smart thermostat, 10-year parts and labor. $X,XXX or about $XXX a month.
All three include removal of the old unit, permits, and our first-year maintenance visit.
If you want to get on the schedule, reply here or text me at the number above. We are booking installs about a week out right now.
Marcus
Fill in your real prices and terms. Show the monthly payment next to every total. The pricing guide explains why good-better-best and financing shown as a payment both help the homeowner decide.
Day two: the useful text
Do not ask "did you get a chance to look." Give them something:
Hi Linda, one thing I forgot to mention. Your gas utility may offer a rebate on high-efficiency furnaces. I can check what applies to your address if you want.
Only send this if it is true for your area. If not, swap in something else real: a note about current install lead times, or a reminder that the price includes the permit.
Day five: the direct question
Hi Linda, just checking in on the furnace. Are you leaning toward one of the options, or still comparing? Either answer is fine, I just want to know whether to hold your install slot.
This gives them permission to say they are shopping. That is useful. A homeowner who admits they are comparing will often tell you what the other quote says.
When they say the other company came in lower
This is the moment most advisors either drop the price or get defensive. Try this instead:
That makes sense, it is a big purchase. Can I ask what they quoted? I want to make sure we are comparing the same thing. Sometimes the difference is the efficiency, the warranty, or whether the permit and the old unit removal are included.
Then actually compare. Often the lower quote is a single-stage unit against your two-stage, or it leaves out the permit, or the labor warranty is one year instead of two. Walk through it line by line:
Their quote is for an 80% furnace. Ours is 96%. On a winter like last year, that difference shows up on the gas bill every month. If the 80% is the right fit for your budget, our Good option is $X,XXX, which is within a few hundred dollars of theirs and includes the permit.
If the quotes really are the same system and theirs is just lower, it is fine to say so and let it go:
If it is the same equipment and they are lower, I understand. I would just make sure the install includes a permit and a labor warranty. If anything changes, I am a text away.
Leaving on good terms has value. Homeowners sometimes come back when the other company does not show up on install day.
Day ten: the close-out
Hi Linda, I am going to close out your quote so it is off my list. If you want to revisit it later this winter, just text me and I will pull it back up.
A polite close-out often gets a reply when the earlier messages did not.
Why this matters right now
Late October through December is when no-heat calls turn into replacement quotes. The follow-up habit pays most in these weeks. If your phone also misses calls during the rush, the missed calls guide covers text-back. To see what an unanswered replacement lead costs you, put your average ticket in the calculator.
After the install, ask for the review. The median HVAC company has 30 Google reviews, and 10.2% have 500 or more. A homeowner comparing two quotes is also comparing those numbers. The reviews guide has the ask, and the benchmark report shows where you stand.
If you want help setting up this sequence so it goes out on time every time, there is a free 14-day trial of any service, no card, text or call (385) 364-3875.
Steven has spent the last several years running growth campaigns for local service businesses, HVAC companies among them, and builds the benchmark datasets on this site from public Google listings. About the editor