What to say when a caller asks for a price over the phone
"So roughly how much would that be?" is the question that ends more contractor calls than any other, because the person answering doesn't have a good answer ready. Here are the three answers that work, which trades each one fits, and the words to use.
Why the question is hard
The caller isn't being difficult. They want to know if you're in their range before they spend an hour with you. You, meanwhile, know the real answer is "it depends on things I can't see from here," and if you guess low, you've set a number you'll have to walk back on the driveway. If you say "I can't give prices over the phone" and stop there, they hear "we're expensive and we won't tell you." Then they call the next company, who gives them a number.
So the answer has to do two things at once: give the caller something real, and not commit you to a price you haven't earned.
Answer 1: a ballpark with the conditions attached
For: trades where most jobs fall in a range you know cold. Junk removal, window cleaning, pressure washing, house cleaning, pest control, garage doors, pool service, flooring, concrete, window replacement, lawn care, gutters.
The script: "Most [job] runs between [low] and [high]. The exact number depends on [the one or two things that move it], and we confirm it on site before we start. Want me to get you on the schedule?"
The conditions are the whole trick. "Between $150 and $300, depending on how full the truck is" tells the customer where they stand and tells them the number isn't final. The customer who's shopping on price gets what they need. The customer who's a bad fit finds out now instead of after you drove over. And a ballpark with a reason holds up on the driveway because you said what would move it.
The junk removal version of this, with the actual questions to ask, is in how to quote junk removal over the phone.
Answer 2: a service-call fee, stated plainly
For: repair trades where you can't price the fix until you see it. HVAC, plumbing, electrical, appliance repair, garage door repair, handyman.
The script: "It's [fee] for us to come out and diagnose it, and that [comes off the repair / is the first hour]. Once the tech sees it, you get the price before any work starts, and you can say no. What's the earliest you'd want someone there?"
Customers accept a service fee when it's stated up front and they know what they get for it. What they hate is finding out about it from the invoice. Say the number, say whether it's credited, say they get a price before work starts. Then move to the time.
If your fee is waived with the repair, say so. It's your strongest line: "If you go ahead with the repair, the trip's free."
Answer 3: no number, a reason, and a booked visit
For: work that has to be seen. Painting, roofing, siding, remodeling, fencing, landscaping design, pool construction, tree removal, water damage.
The script: "I'd be guessing, and I don't want to give you a number that changes. The estimate's free and takes about [time]. [Name] can be there [day] morning or [day] afternoon. Which is better?"
Three things make this work. You gave a reason, not a refusal. You said the visit is free (if it is) and how long it takes, so the cost of saying yes is clear. And you offered two times, not "when works for you?", so the next word out of their mouth is a day.
At my painting company we don't give numbers over the phone, and that's a rule in our AI's instructions, word for word: never quote a specific price, range or dollar amount over the phone. Painting prices depend on the condition of the surface, the prep and the colors, and a phone number is a guess that gets argued about later.
If you want to give the customer something without committing, an instant quote page does it: they answer a few questions about the job, see a ballpark on the screen with the conditions printed next to it, and book from there. Ours is called Quick Quote and it's built for the trades where a range is fair. It's still a range, and the estimate still confirms it.
The answers that lose the job
- "We don't give prices over the phone." Full stop, no reason, no next step. The caller hears a wall.
- A guess. "Probably around $2,000?" Now you've set the anchor. If the real number is $3,400, you're the company that doubled the price.
- "It depends." True and useless. Say what it depends on.
- A lecture. Two minutes on why pricing is complicated. The caller wanted a time.
Write it down, then make sure everyone says it
Whatever your answer is, it only works if everyone who picks up your phone gives the same one: you, your spouse, the office, the lead tech on a Saturday. So write it down. Three sentences. Tape it near the phone or put it in the notes on your cell.
This is also exactly what an AI receptionist needs from you. In ours, you set it in your settings: for ballpark trades, the ranges and the conditions; for repair trades, the service-call fee, whether it's waived with the repair, your hourly rate and your minimum; for everything else, "book the estimate." Alex answers the price question only from that and never makes up a number. And if you listen to a call and want it said differently, you can tell it in your own words ("if they ask about price, say the estimate is free and takes about an hour") and it follows that from the next call.
One more thing: the caller who insists
Some callers push. "I just need a rough idea." Give them the honest floor: "The smallest version of this job we've done was around [X]. Most are more, and I'd rather [name] see it than have me guess high or low. Does Thursday work?" You've given a real number, it's defensible, and you moved back to the booking. If they still won't book without a quote, they were probably going to take the lowest number from whoever would guess, and that's a job you're better off not driving to.
Questions contractors ask
Should a contractor give prices over the phone?
It depends on the trade. For jobs that fall in a known range (junk removal, window cleaning, garage doors), a ballpark with the conditions attached works. For repair trades, state the service-call fee and that the customer gets a price before work starts. For work that has to be seen (painting, roofing, remodeling), give a reason and book the free estimate.
What's the best way to say no to a phone quote?
Give a reason and a next step in the same breath: "I'd be guessing, and I don't want to give you a number that changes. The estimate's free and takes about an hour. Thursday morning or Friday afternoon?"
How do I explain a service-call fee?
Say the number before they ask, say whether it comes off the repair, and say they get a price before any work starts. Customers accept a fee they heard up front. They don't accept one they found on the invoice.
Can an AI receptionist give a price?
Only the one you set. In ours, you enter ballpark ranges and their conditions for trades that price by the item, or a service-call fee and hourly rate for repair trades, or nothing but "book the estimate." It never makes up a number.
What if the caller won't book without a price?
Give the honest floor: the smallest version of the job you've done and that most run more. Then move back to the time. A caller who still won't book is shopping for the lowest guess, and that's rarely a job worth the drive.
Is a ballpark the same as a quote?
No, as long as you say what moves it. "Between $150 and $300 depending on how full the truck is" is a ballpark. "$200" is a quote, whether you meant it that way or not.
Fifteen minutes. We call your business number, run a real call, and show you what happens after it. You decide.
Book a demoRelated: how to quote junk removal over the phone, the 10 questions every estimate call should capture, garage door companies, and why an AI receptionist for a home service business.