Pipeline stages
Copy these into your CRM. Rename them if you like, but keep the order.
1. New lead 2. Attempting contact 3. Talked 4. Estimate booked 5. Estimate run 6. Proposal out 7. Won 8. Lost 9. Not now
TEMPLATE · SOFTWARE
A CRM pipeline template for contractors.
A pipeline only helps if everyone moves leads the same way. This template gives you the stages, the rule for each move, the fields to fill, and the reasons a job gets marked lost.
- Template
- 9 ready to copy
- Free, no signup
By the BlueSmith team · Updated
HOW TO USE IT
Three steps. Then make it yours.
- 01
Copy
Create the stages in your CRM with the exact names from the first block, then add the fields and the lost-reason list.
- 02
Make it sound like you
Fill in the owner and time limit for each stage and share the move rules with everyone who touches leads.
- 03
Put it to work
Run the weekly review for a month before changing anything, so you see where leads really stall.
Before you send anything
- Swap every [bracket] for your real details.
- Read it out loud. If you wouldn’t say it, change it.
Written by BlueSmith as examples. Not client messages or results.
COPY AND USE
Contractor CRM pipeline template, ready to copy.
What moves a lead to the next stage
If a move has no clear rule, people move cards by feel and the numbers stop meaning anything.
New lead → Attempting contact: first call or text sent [within ___ minutes] Attempting contact → Talked: a real two-way conversation (a reply or a live call) Talked → Estimate booked: date, time, and address confirmed on the calendar Estimate booked → Estimate run: estimator marks the visit done the same day Estimate run → Proposal out: written price sent [within ___ days] Proposal out → Won: [signed contract / deposit received] Any stage → Lost: lost reason required Any stage → Not now: check-in date required
Owner and time limit per stage
New lead · Owner: [office / automatic text] · Act within: [ ] minutes Attempting contact · Owner: [ ] · After [ ] attempts over [ ] days → Lost: unreachable Talked · Owner: [ ] · Book or decide within: [ ] days Estimate booked · Owner: [estimator] · Reminders: [day before / morning of] Estimate run · Owner: [estimator] · Proposal sent within: [ ] days Proposal out · Owner: [ ] · Follow up on: [day ] · [day ] · [day ] Not now · Owner: [ ] · Check in on the date set
Fields to capture on every lead
- Name · mobile · email - Consent to text: yes/no, date, where it was given - Project address or ZIP - Job type - Scope notes - Budget range - Timing - Decision-makers - Lead source: [campaign / ad / referral / repeat] - First response time - Estimate date and estimator - Proposal amount and date sent - Signed amount and date - Lost reason
Lost reasons
Pick one, every time. Keep the list short enough that nobody reaches for “Other.”
- Price: went with a lower bid - Price: budget didn’t fit the scope - Chose another contractor for a reason other than price - Project postponed (consider Not now instead) - Project cancelled - Unreachable after [ ] attempts - Outside our service area - Job type we don’t do - Not the owner or not the decision-maker - Spam or duplicate
Automatic steps by stage
Texting a homeowner needs their consent and a clear opt-out, such as “Reply STOP to opt out.”
New lead: instant text naming your business + alert to [person] Attempting contact: follow-up texts on [day ] and [day ], call task on [day ] Estimate booked: confirmation + reminders [day before / morning of] Estimate run: task to send the proposal by [ ] Proposal out: follow-up on [day ] · [day ] · [day ] Not now: reminder on the check-in date Lost (price or postponed): revisit after [ ] months
Weekly pipeline review
About 15 minutes, same day each week, with whoever owns follow-up.
☐ Any new leads still untouched after [ ] minutes? ☐ Leads stuck in Attempting contact past [ ] days ☐ Estimates run with no proposal sent yet ☐ Proposals with no follow-up logged in [ ] days ☐ Not now check-ins due this week ☐ This week’s lost reasons: any pattern?
Monthly numbers from the pipeline
Leads in: [ ] Estimates booked: [ ] → booking rate: [ ]% Estimates run: [ ] → show rate: [ ]% Proposals out: [ ] Won: [ ] → close rate (won ÷ estimates run): [ ]% Value of open proposals: $[ ] Top lost reason: [ ]
Setup notes
- One pipeline per sales motion: [replacement / repair / design-build] - Same stage names in every pipeline so reports line up - After Won, the job moves to [your field service tool] for scheduling and invoicing - Leads live in one place only, not in personal phones or inboxes - Who can edit stages and fields: [name]
RUN YOUR NUMBERS
Sales pipeline forecast: what are your open estimates worth?
Every estimate sitting on a kitchen table is money you might sign. Weight it honestly and see what your pipeline is really carrying.
Expected revenue from open estimates: $187,500
Expected revenue from open estimates$187,500
- Jobs you expect to sign
- 6.3
- Signed revenue per month if the pipeline stays this full
- $267,857
25 open estimates at $30,000, 25% expected to sign, about 21 days to decide.
See what we’d build for these numbersStarts with example numbers. Change them to yours. Arithmetic only, not a promise of results.
STRAIGHT ANSWERS
Questions we hear.
How many stages should a contractor pipeline have?
As few as still tell you where a lead is stuck. The nine here cover most contractors. If your team skips a stage every time, merge it. If two very different situations share a stage, split it.
Why require a lost reason?
Without one, you can’t tell a pricing problem from a follow-up problem. A few months of lost reasons shows whether to fix your offer, your speed, or your targeting.
Does this work with Jobber or ServiceTitan?
The stages and rules work in most CRMs. Field service tools may name things differently or handle the lead side in their own way, so check what your plan supports and map the stages to it.
Can BlueSmith set this pipeline up?
Yes. CRM and pipeline setup is part of what we build, including the instant text, reminders, and routing to your team. We connect it to the tools you already run jobs in where we can.
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