How to Handle 'I Need to Get a Few More Quotes' (Without Panicking)
It's the most common response to a contractor estimate. Here is what it actually means, when to compete, and when holding firm is the smarter play.
What they're actually saying
"I need to get a few more quotes" is not a rejection. It's a pause.
In the homeowner's mind, getting multiple quotes is responsible. Their friends told them to do it. Articles on the internet told them to do it. For a $12,000 roofing job, it would feel reckless not to.
When they say this, they're not telling you your price is too high. They're telling you they haven't decided yet — and they're going to keep their options open until they do.
This is important to understand because the wrong response to this objection is one that treats it as a price objection. Dropping your price before you know whether price is even the issue is the fastest way to give away margin you didn't need to.
The three types of "more quotes"
Not every "I need more quotes" is the same. Before you respond, understand which type you're dealing with.
Type 1: Genuine comparison shopping. They plan to get two or three quotes and choose the best combination of price and confidence. This is legitimate. The best response is not to undercut — it's to be the contractor who follows up most thoughtfully and makes the approval process easiest.
Type 2: A polite delay. They've already half-decided but feel like they need to "do their due diligence." They'll call the other contractors, get quotes they won't follow up on, and come back to you in a week. Your job is to stay visible during that week without being pushy.
Type 3: A price signal. They actually do think the price is high and are looking for validation from the market. If three quotes come back similar to yours, they'll likely proceed. If two come back lower, they might not.
The way to tell which type you're dealing with: ask.
The question that tells you everything
After they say they need more quotes, say:
"Totally understand — makes sense for a job this size. Can I ask, is there anything specific in the estimate you'd like me to clarify or walk through? Sometimes things look different once you've had a chance to review them."
This question does three things:
- It doesn't pressure them
- It opens the door to surface any real concerns
- It distinguishes Type 2 (they say "no, it all looks clear") from Types 1 and 3 (they start asking about specific line items)
If they have questions, answer them. You may resolve the objection entirely in this conversation.
What not to do
Don't immediately offer a discount. Offering a discount before they've asked for one signals that your price wasn't real. It trains them to ask for discounts every time. And it devalues your work before the conversation has even started.
Don't go quiet. Sending an estimate and then waiting passively while they shop around is how you lose jobs to contractors who follow up. Stay in contact. A check-in at day 3 — "[their name], just following up on the estimate, happy to answer any questions" — keeps you present.
Don't take it personally. "I need more quotes" is not "your work isn't good enough." It's how most homeowners were taught to make large purchasing decisions. Treat it as a normal part of the process and it stops feeling threatening.
When to compete on price
If they come back and say a competitor quoted $2,000 less for the same scope, you have a decision to make.
First, verify the scope is actually the same. Ask what's included in the competitor's quote. Cheaper quotes often exclude things — permit, haul-away, a specific material grade. What your estimate includes is part of the value.
If the scope is genuinely equivalent and the competitor is meaningfully cheaper, you can choose to match, meet in the middle, or hold firm. The right answer depends on how busy you are and how much you want the job.
What you shouldn't do: drop your price to match every lower quote. That race ends at margins too thin to sustain a business.
The follow-up that wins the job
The most reliable way to win a job when someone is comparing quotes is to be the contractor who is easiest to do business with.
Send the estimate faster than anyone else. Follow up at day 3. Make the approval link easy to sign on their phone. Have a clear, professional estimate that answers their questions before they ask them.
Customers who are comparing quotes often choose the contractor they feel most organised, responsive, and professional — not necessarily the cheapest. Being first to follow up and easiest to approve consistently outperforms being the lowest price.
Speed and professionalism close more comparison jobs than discounts do.
Win the job. Lock the deposit. Move on.
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