Quinn Exteriors Ltd. Internal Resource

Siding Lead Playbook

How we pre-qualify siding inquiries and talk about pricing, so estimate hours go to jobs that can actually close.

For: Nate, Hillary, Kyla June 2026 Internal use only
The Problem

Why this playbook exists

A full siding estimate takes 2 to 3 hours of Nate's time. Most of those hours are currently spent on jobs that were never going to close.

2-3 hrs
Nate's time per full siding estimate
$40-70K+
What a typical full siding job actually costs
$15-20K
What many callers expect it to cost
10-20%
Current close rate on large siding quotes

The gap between what callers expect and what the job costs is often 2 to 3 times. When that gap surfaces at the quote reveal, after a site visit and hours of estimating, the deal dies and the time is gone. The fix is simple: surface the gap on the first phone call, before anyone drives anywhere.

This is not theory. It is the consensus approach among experienced remodelers, general contractors, and roofers in contractor communities we researched in June 2026. The operators who solved this problem all landed on the same core move.

The One Principle
Give a real range early. Watch the reaction. The site visit is earned, not handed out.
The Phone Screen

Kyla's 4-question script for siding inquiries

A 5-minute conversation that decides whether the lead earns a site visit. Friendly, natural, no interrogation. Work the questions into the flow of the call.

1
Scope
"What are we looking at: the full house, one side, or a specific area? Do you have a rough sense of the square footage?"
Why it works: Sets up the range conversation. A garage wall and a full two-storey are different worlds, and the caller starts thinking in specifics instead of wishes.
2
Timeline
"Are you looking to get this done this season, or are you planning ahead for next year?"
Why it works: Reveals intent. A buyer with a reason for the timing behaves differently than someone idly collecting numbers. "Just curious what it would cost" is an answer too, and a useful one.
3
Expectations
"Have you gotten any quotes before, or is this your first look at what it might cost?"
Why it works: Tells you where their anchor is. If they have other quotes, you learn the competitive picture. If they have never priced it, the next question matters even more.
4
The Anchor Test
"Just so you have a starting point before we send Nate out: full siding jobs in our area typically run anywhere from $40,000 to $70,000 and up, depending on materials and how much prep the house needs. Does that land in the range you were expecting, or does that catch you off guard?"
Why it works: This is the whole playbook in one question. You are not asking their budget (people hate that). You are stating reality and watching what happens. Their reaction tells you everything.
Then wait. Do not fill the silence. The pause after the range is where the qualification happens. Let them react. Whatever they say next is the real answer.
Reading the Reaction

Three reactions, three paths

Sticker shock itself is normal. What matters is the kind of shock. Listen for the difference between "that is more than I hoped" and "that is outrageous."

Green light: book the site visit
"Yeah, that's about what I figured." / "More than I hoped, but okay. When can he come out?"

They accepted the range and are still moving forward. This is a real lead. Book Nate's site visit while you have them on the phone. Propose specific times.

Surprised but engaged: stay on the phone
"Wow, I had no idea it would be that much..." (but they are still asking questions, still talking)

Genuine surprise is normal. Most homeowners have never priced siding and anchored on a number from a neighbour or a quick search. Acknowledge it and explore scope before committing a site visit:

"Yeah, a lot of people are surprised. It's one of those jobs that looks smaller from the outside than it really is. If budget is the main concern, it might be worth talking through the scope a bit before we book a visit. What were you thinking you'd be working with?"

Sometimes the answer is a smaller scope (one wall, the worst side first) that fits their number. That can still be a good job and a future full-house customer.

Hard no: end politely, log it
"That's outrageous." / "You guys are out of your minds." / They hang up.

Not our customer, and no site visit will change that. Thank them, invite them to call back if plans change, and log the inquiry. Nate just got 2 to 3 hours of his life back. That is the playbook working, not a lost sale.

Why This Builds Trust

Homeowners don't resent expensive. They resent surprise.

In the homeowner communities we researched, the anger is never really about price. It is about the sequence: a contractor visits, measures, disappears for a few days, then reveals a number 2 to 3 times what the homeowner imagined. From the homeowner's side, that feels like an ambush, and the contractor reads as predatory even when the price is fair.

The homeowners aren't being unreasonable. They Googled a number, or heard one from a neighbour, and it became their anchor. When the real number finally lands, the natural conclusion is "this contractor is ripping me off," not "my mental model was wrong."

Key Insight

The contractors who give honest ranges on the first call get more trust, not less. Stating the range early reads as straight-shooting. Hiding it until the quote reveal reads as a sales tactic, even when it isn't one.

One more reframe worth keeping: giving a range is not "tailoring the price to their budget." It is filtering for reality. The price is the price. The range conversation just decides whether it is worth both sides' time to get to the exact number.

Quoting Practices

How we handle pricing, start to finish

  1. Verbal range on the first call. Always. Kyla gives the range during the phone screen. It is never the final number and we say so: "depending on materials and prep." Nobody at Quinn commits to a price over the phone.
  2. The site visit is for qualified leads only. A lead earns Nate's visit by passing the anchor test. If they have not heard the range yet, they have not been screened yet.
  3. No detailed measuring before a commitment signal. The first visit confirms scope and fit. Full measure-up and the 2-to-3-hour estimate happen once the customer has accepted the range and shown they are serious about moving forward.
  4. The written quote shows scope, not just a number. What is included, what the materials are, what the prep involves, and why. A bare number invites comparison shopping on price alone. A scoped quote invites comparison on value.
  5. Every quote leaves with a next step attached. A follow-up date, a hold-the-spot deadline, or a scheduled call. A quote that ends with "let me know" usually ends with silence.
Field Notes

What other contractors are doing (for later)

Ideas from the same research, worth a look once the phone screen is running smoothly. None of these are needed on day one.

Paid detailed estimates
Several remodelers now charge $500 to $1,000 for a full written estimate (ballpark stays free). One reported only a single customer ever paid and then went elsewhere. Filters hard, and the fee usually credits toward the job.
Ballpark pricing on the website
"Full siding projects typically run $40K to $70K+" published right on the siding page, with a booking link below it. Visitors self-qualify before they ever call. Pairs naturally with the phone screen.
Intake forms
Some contractors use an online intake form that captures scope, timeline, and budget range before the first call (tools like Snap Qualify came up). The phone screen does the same job for now, with a human touch.
Design-first selling
One remodeler sells a paid design package up front (drawings, renderings, product list, price included). 95% of buyers who purchased the design hired them for the build. A bigger shift, but proof that paid commitment early converts.
Desk Reference

Quick reference card

The whole playbook on one card. Use the print button to make a desk copy.

Siding Inquiry Phone Screen

Quinn Exteriors Ltd. | Internal | June 2026
  1. Scope: "Full house, one side, or a specific area? Rough square footage?"
  2. Timeline: "This season, or planning ahead for next year?"
  3. Expectations: "Any quotes yet, or first look at what it might cost?"
  4. Anchor test: "Full siding jobs in our area typically run $40,000 to $70,000 and up, depending on materials and prep. Does that land where you expected, or catch you off guard?" Then wait. Don't fill the silence.
Accepts the rangeBook Nate's site visit on the spot. Propose specific times.
Surprised, still engaged"A lot of people are surprised. Worth talking through scope before we book a visit. What were you thinking you'd be working with?"
Outraged / hangs upThank them, invite a callback if plans change, log it. No site visit. That's the system working.