How to send an estimate by text message
Emails sit. Texts get opened within minutes, usually within seconds. If you want an estimate read and signed the same day, send it the way the client already talks to you.
Why text beats email for estimates
- It is read. Nearly every text is opened, most in the first few minutes. Email gets opened when they get to it.
- It is the thread they already have with you. The estimate lands under the photos they sent and the "can you come Tuesday" message, so there is no searching for it later.
- They reply. A question about a line item is a two-line text back to you, not a formal email they put off.
Do not send a PDF
A PDF in a text is a thumbnail that needs pinching to read and cannot be signed. Send a link instead: the client taps it, sees the estimate laid out for a phone screen, and signs with a finger. You get told the moment they do. The link is also the record: it shows the same estimate, signed, when either of you opens it in six months.
What to write in the message
Short. Their name, what it is, what to do, and the link. Something like:
- "Hi Maria, here is the estimate for the deck. Tap the link to review and sign, and text me with any questions. [link]"
- Add the number if they need a reason to open it now: "Total comes to $7,850 with the composite rail."
- Add the deadline if the price has one: "Good for 30 days, material prices move."
Send from your own phone number, not a service. The client sees a number they know, and their reply lands in your Messages like every other text.
Sending it from LevelWorks
Open the estimate on your phone, tap Send to client, then Text it. Your Messages app opens with the client's number and the message already written, link included. Read it, tap Send. That is the whole thing, and it works the same on iPhone and Android.
Follow up by text too
If it is not signed in two days: "Hi Maria, checking whether you had any questions on the deck estimate. Happy to walk through it." One message, no pressure. Clients who were going to say yes usually say it here.
Common questions
Is a signature on a phone legally valid?
Yes. Electronic signatures have been valid for contracts in the US since 2000 under the federal E-SIGN Act, and every state has its own equivalent. What matters is a record of who signed, when, and what they saw, which a signed link keeps for you.
What if the client does not text?
Send the same link by email. The estimate is the same page either way; only the delivery changes. Some clients want both, the text to read now and the email to keep.
Can I text an invoice the same way?
Yes, and with a pay link in it the client can pay from the same message. It is the fastest way to get paid on a small job.