Assume they are busy, not rejecting you. Send one Day-7 message that adds something useful, then a Day-14 close-the-loop message — "Should I close this out?" A clean close often gets a reply, and even a "not now" beats silence, because it lets you set a real date to talk again.
Silence after an estimate rarely means "no." It usually means: life got busy, the spouse has not weighed in yet, they are waiting on one more bid, or your email sank under fifty others.
Treat ghosting as a scheduling problem, not a rejection. That mindset keeps your follow-ups helpful instead of resentful — and customers can hear the difference.
On day 7, send something that adds value instead of asking for a decision.
A new piece of information gives them a reason to reply that is not "have you decided yet?"
On day 14, send the last touch: a clean, direct close.
This works because it is easy to answer. "Yes, close it" and "not yet" are both one-word replies — and both are better than silence.
A "not now" is not a lost job. It is a dated lead. Reply immediately: "No problem. When should I check back — spring?" Put their answer in your calendar and actually follow up then.
Contractors who do this build a pipeline of warm "not nows" that turn into booked work months later, while everyone else starts from zero every time.
QuoteChaser drafts every follow-up in your trade's voice — you approve each send.
See how it works