The problem
"Huge waste of money. Most of these leads were dead-end leads." "The same lead went to three or four other contractors, and you're charged even when the homeowner ghosts." HomeAdvisor, Angi, and Thumbtack sell the same lead to 3–5 contractors, creating bidding wars with 10–20% close rates.
You drive across town for a free estimate, spend an hour measuring and quoting, and hear nothing. Half the leads go to voicemail. Half don't need work done. You're paying $30–$80 per lead for "just browsing" homeowners who requested five estimates with no intent to hire soon.
And when you're on a job site, you can't answer the phone. So the leads that do come in go to voicemail — and the homeowner calls the next contractor on the list.
What we'd build
1. "Get a ballpark estimate" project calculator. A homeowner selects their project type (kitchen reno, deck build, bathroom remodel), enters the approximate size and scope, and gets an instant ballpark range. They understand what the project actually costs before contacting you — which filters out the tire-kickers. You get their name, project details, budget expectations, timeline, and address. These are your leads. Nobody else sees them.
2. SMS qualification agent. When a homeowner completes the estimator, an AI agent follows up via text. It confirms the project details, asks about timeline and decision-making ("Are you ready to start, or still getting quotes?"), and books an on-site estimate only with homeowners who have budget, timeline, and decision authority. No more driving across town for someone who's "just looking."
Example: how a lead flows through the system
A homeowner in Coquitlam sees your Facebook ad: "Planning a kitchen renovation? Get a ballpark estimate in 60 seconds." He selects "kitchen remodel," enters the approximate square footage, and picks finishes in the mid-range.
The tool shows him a range of $35,000–$55,000 and captures his details. The SMS agent texts: "Hi Dave, thanks for using our estimator. A mid-range kitchen reno in Coquitlam typically runs $35–55K depending on layout changes. Are you looking to start soon, or still in the planning phase?"
Dave replies he wants to start in 6 weeks and has financing in place. The agent books an on-site estimate for Saturday morning and sends you his full project profile — scope, budget expectations, timeline, and address.
You show up knowing exactly what he wants, what he expects to pay, and that he's ready to move. No bidding war. No wasted trip.