# What Is Close Rate?

Close rate is the percentage of estimates or proposals that turn into sold jobs. Divide the number of estimates sold by the number of estimates presented in the same period and multiply by 100. Contractors also track a dollar close rate, sold dollars divided by quoted dollars, because losing big jobs hurts more than losing small ones.

## Key takeaways

- Close rate = estimates sold ÷ estimates presented × 100. Count each estimate once, even if you sent revisions.
- Track it two ways: by count and by dollars. A big gap between them means you're losing your largest jobs.
- Close rate measures the sales visit and the follow-up, not the phone. The phone side is booking rate.
- A very high close rate can mean your prices are too low, not that your selling is great.
- Many 'lost' estimates were never followed up. Fixing follow-up is often the cheapest close-rate gain.

## How does close rate work?

Close rate measures the last step before revenue: a customer has seen your price and either said yes or didn't. For replacement and install work (a new furnace, a roof, a panel upgrade, a patio) it is the number that most directly drives revenue. For service and repair work, where the tech fixes the problem on the first visit, owners usually track close rate only on the bigger options the tech presents.

The period matters. A roof estimate given on March 28 may sell on April 20. Most contractors count an estimate in the month it was presented and update the status when it sells, so last month's close rate keeps rising for a few weeks. Compare months only once their estimates have had time to decide.

## How do you calculate close rate?

Calculate close rate by dividing estimates sold by estimates presented, then multiplying by 100. For dollar close rate, divide the total value of sold estimates by the total value of all estimates presented. Use the same date range for both, and count an estimate as presented only once the customer has seen a price.

**Formulas**

```
Close rate = Sold estimates ÷ Presented estimates × 100    |    Dollar close rate = Sold $ ÷ Quoted $ × 100
```

Where:
- Presented estimates = estimates where the customer saw a price; count each job once, not each revision
- Sold estimates = estimates the customer approved (signed, deposit paid or job scheduled)
- Quoted $ = the total value of all presented estimates; for good-better-best, use the option the customer leaned toward or the middle option

> **Worked example: a plumbing company's quarter**
>
> These are illustrative numbers. A plumbing company presents 60 estimates for water heaters, repipes and sewer lines in a quarter. Together they are worth $300,000.
>
> It sells 24 of them. **Count close rate = 24 ÷ 60 × 100 = 40%.**
>
> The 24 sold jobs total $96,000. **Dollar close rate = $96,000 ÷ $300,000 × 100 = 32%.**
>
> The gap tells the story: the company is closing water heaters and losing repipes and sewer jobs. That points to the big-ticket sales process (financing, options, follow-up), not to pricing across the board.

Use the [booking rate calculator](https://www.brix.so/tools/booking-rate-calculator) to put booking rate and close rate side by side and see how many sold jobs each step is costing you.

## What is a good close rate for contractors?

A good close rate depends on the trade, the job size and how the lead arrived, so there is no single public benchmark worth quoting. Referral leads close far more often than leads bought from marketplaces that send the same homeowner to several contractors. The useful comparison is your own close rate by lead source, job type and salesperson, tracked over time.

Watch both ends. A falling close rate means something changed: price, competition, lead quality or follow-up. A close rate that is very high on large jobs can mean you are the cheapest bid in town. If you win almost every estimate, test a higher price on the next few and see what happens to close rate and to [gross margin](https://www.brix.so/learn/gross-margin).

## Close rate by trade

**What drives close rate in each trade**

| Trade | Typical estimate | Decision time | Biggest close-rate lever |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| HVAC | System replacement, often $8,000–$20,000 in this example range | Same day to two weeks | Presenting good-better-best options and financing at the kitchen table |
| Plumbing | Water heater, repipe, sewer line | Same day for failures; weeks for repipes | Clear photos or camera footage of the problem; follow-up on the big jobs |
| Roofing | Full replacement, often tied to an insurance claim | Days to months | Speed to inspection and helping the homeowner through the claim |
| Electrical | Panel upgrade, EV charger, generator | One to three weeks | Explaining permits and timelines; financing on generators |
| Landscaping | Design-build or season-long maintenance | Weeks; seasonal | Getting the quote out fast in spring and following up before the season fills |
| Cleaning | Recurring service | Same day to a week | A simple per-visit price and an easy first booking |
| Pest control | Recurring plan after the first treatment | At the first visit | Offering the plan while the problem is fresh |

_Dollar ranges are illustrative examples, not market prices. Decision times are typical patterns, not measured averages._

## Close rate vs. booking rate

[Booking rate](https://www.brix.so/learn/booking-rate) is the share of bookable calls that become appointments; close rate is the share of estimates that become sold jobs. Multiply them to see how many callers become paying customers. A shop that books 70% of calls and closes 40% of estimates turns 28 of every 100 estimate-seeking callers into sales. Raising either number by a few points moves revenue the same way.

## How can you improve your close rate?

1. **Show up fast.** The first contractor through the door sets the price anchor. See [speed to lead](https://www.brix.so/learn/speed-to-lead).
2. **Give options.** [Good-better-best pricing](https://www.brix.so/learn/good-better-best-pricing) turns a yes-or-no decision into a which-one decision.
3. **Send the estimate before you leave, or the same day.** An estimate that arrives three days later is competing with two others that arrived first.
4. **Follow up on every open estimate.** A planned sequence of calls, texts and emails wins back jobs that would otherwise go quiet. See [how to follow up on an estimate](https://www.brix.so/learn/how-to-follow-up-on-an-estimate).
5. **Offer financing on big tickets.** A monthly payment is easier to say yes to. Try the [customer financing calculator](https://www.brix.so/tools/customer-financing-calculator).
6. **Track lost reasons.** Price, timing, went with another contractor, decided not to do it. After 30 losses you'll see a pattern.

## Common close rate mistakes

- **Counting revisions as new estimates.** Three versions of one roof quote is one estimate. Counting it three times lowers your close rate artificially.
- **Mixing service tickets with estimates.** A $200 repair fixed on the spot isn't an estimate. Including it inflates close rate and hides problems on big jobs.
- **Only tracking count.** Use dollar close rate too, or you won't notice you're losing all the large jobs.
- **Never marking estimates lost.** Open estimates that sit forever make close rate meaningless. Close them out after a set time, such as 60 days.
- **Judging a salesperson on one month.** On big-ticket work, a month is too few estimates. Use a rolling quarter.

BRIX builds quotes on site and follows up on every open estimate by text and email until the customer says yes or no. Every quote is tied to the customer record, so sold and lost estimates are easy to count.

- [Quotes and estimates](https://www.brix.so/features/quotes-estimates): Builds accurate quotes on site and follows up on every open estimate.
- [Sales automation](https://www.brix.so/features/sales-automation): Follows up every lead and open estimate automatically by text and email, and asks every customer for a review after the job.
- [CRM](https://www.brix.so/features/crm): One record for every customer, lead, call, job, quote and invoice.

## Frequently asked questions

### How do you calculate close rate?

Divide the number of estimates sold by the number of estimates presented in the same period, then multiply by 100. If you presented 50 estimates and sold 20, your close rate is 40%. Calculate a dollar close rate the same way using estimate values.

### What is a good close rate for a contractor?

It varies too much by trade, job size and lead source for one benchmark to be useful. Referral leads close much more often than shared marketplace leads, and small jobs close more often than large ones. Compare your own close rate by source and job type over time.

### Is a high close rate always good?

No. If you win nearly every estimate, your prices may be lower than the market will pay. Test a modest price increase on a batch of estimates and watch whether gross profit rises even if close rate dips a little.

### What is the difference between close rate and win rate?

Most contractors use them interchangeably. Some sales teams define win rate as wins divided by wins plus losses, which leaves out estimates still open. That version reads higher while many estimates are undecided, so say which one you're using.

### Should I count estimates that never got a response?

Yes. An estimate the customer saw and never answered is a lost estimate once your follow-up window ends. Leaving them out makes your close rate look better and hides a follow-up problem.

### How long should I wait before marking an estimate lost?

Pick a fixed window that fits your sales cycle, such as 30 days for repairs and 60 to 90 days for large replacements, and apply it every time. Keep following up during that window, then mark the estimate lost with a reason.

## Related

- [What Is Booking Rate?](https://www.brix.so/learn/booking-rate)
- [How to Follow Up on an Estimate](https://www.brix.so/learn/how-to-follow-up-on-an-estimate)
- [What Is Good-Better-Best Pricing?](https://www.brix.so/learn/good-better-best-pricing)
- [What Is Speed to Lead?](https://www.brix.so/learn/speed-to-lead)
- [Estimate vs. Quote vs. Bid: What's the Difference?](https://www.brix.so/learn/estimate-vs-quote-vs-bid)
- [What Is Upselling?](https://www.brix.so/learn/upselling)
- [Booking Rate and Close Rate Calculator](https://www.brix.so/tools/booking-rate-calculator)
- [Contractor estimating software that quotes on site and chases every open estimate](https://www.brix.so/features/quotes-estimates)
- [Lead Follow-Up Automation That Chases Every Lead and Estimate for You](https://www.brix.so/features/sales-automation)
- [Customer Lifetime Value Calculator](https://www.brix.so/tools/customer-lifetime-value-calculator)

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Written by BRIX Editorial Team. Last updated 2026-10-12.
Canonical: https://www.brix.so/learn/close-rate