The GC Who Charges $500 for Estimates (And Closes More Jobs)
Paid estimates, architect partnerships, and past-client check-ins. How general contractors build reliable project pipelines.
Tom ran a general contracting firm in the Denver suburbs. Revenues around $1.2M but he was drowning in free estimates. Every weekend spent measuring, sketching, and pricing $80K kitchen remodels for homeowners who were "just getting a few bids."
His close rate on free estimates: 22%. Seventy-eight percent of his weekends were wasted.
Then he did something that terrified him. He started charging $500 for design consultations, credited toward the project if hired. The first month he lost half his estimate requests. But here is what happened to the other half: they showed up serious. They had budgets. They had timelines. They were not shopping five contractors for sport.
His close rate jumped to 55%. Revenue went up. Weekends came back. The $500 fee was not a barrier. It was a filter.
The psychology is counterintuitive but consistent: charging for your expertise signals that your expertise has value. The homeowners willing to invest $500 in a consultation are the ones with real budgets for real projects. The ones who balk were never going to hire you anyway.
Architect Partnerships: Your Most Reliable Pipeline
Architects and designers specify contractors. When an architect recommends you to their client, you arrive pre-sold. The homeowner already trusts their architect's judgment. The close rate on architect referrals typically runs 60-80%.
Most GCs approach architects wrong. They send a cold email with their portfolio and hope for a response. That does not work because architects get 20 of those emails a week.
What works: identify three architects whose project style matches your capabilities. Attend their open houses or portfolio events. Offer to walk one of their current projects with them to understand their standards. Show genuine interest in their design vision, not just in getting referrals.
Tom built relationships with two residential architects over six months. He did not ask for work. He showed up consistently, demonstrated craftsmanship on a small project for one of them, and became their default recommendation. Those two architects now generate 40% of Tom's revenue with zero advertising cost.
The long play: once you are an architect's preferred builder, you have a recurring referral source that compounds every year as the architect grows their own practice.
The Past-Client Check-In That Generates $200K
Here is a number most GCs ignore: 30-40% of past clients either have a new project in mind or know someone who does. But they will not call you unprompted. You have to call them.
Tom implemented a simple system. Six months after completing any project over $20K, he calls the homeowner. Not a sales call. A check-in. "Hey, just wanted to make sure everything is holding up. Any issues with the kitchen? How are the cabinets wearing?"
The homeowner is usually thrilled to hear from a contractor who actually follows up. And roughly one-third of the time, the conversation turns to "Actually, we have been thinking about finishing the basement" or "Our neighbor was asking about your work."
Tom estimates this habit generates $200K per year in repeat and referral work. The total time investment: one morning per month making calls. No ad spend. No platform fees. Just a phone and a list of past clients sorted by completion date.
The Neighbor Open House
When you finish a renovation that transforms a home, the neighbors notice. The dumpster is gone, the landscaping is fresh, and they are dying to see what it looks like inside.
Host an open house. Not for buyers. For neighbors. Tom sends a postcard to 50-100 surrounding homes: "You watched us work on this home for four months. Come see the result. Saturday 10-12, light refreshments."
The turnout is usually 15-25 people. They walk through, ask questions, take your card. They see the quality of your work in person. And because they live nearby, your next project on that street is more convenient for everyone.
Tom closes 2-3 projects per year directly from these neighbor open houses. At an average project value of $75K, that is $150K-$225K in revenue from an investment of $200 in postcards and $50 in coffee and pastries.
Weekly Client Updates: The Table Stakes Nobody Delivers
The number one homeowner complaint about general contractors is "they disappeared." The project starts, the GC shows up for day one, and then communication goes dark for weeks. This is the single biggest reason GCs lose referrals and get bad reviews.
Tom sends a weekly update email to every active client. Friday afternoon, five minutes per project. What was accomplished this week. What is planned for next week. Any decisions needed. One photo of progress.
The email takes almost no time but solves the communication problem completely. Clients feel informed and respected. They stop calling with anxious questions. And when the project is done, they leave five-star reviews that specifically mention communication, which is the keyword future clients search for.
Sixty percent of new businesses in general contracting fail within five years, and cash flow is the primary killer. But reputation is what feeds cash flow. Weekly updates build the reputation that keeps projects coming.