Texting Customers as a Contractor: Consent, Registration, and What to Send

In this guide

• What kinds of texts do contractors send?
• A note before the details
• How do you get consent to text someone?
• How do you handle STOP?
• What is carrier registration, and do you need it?
• What does a good contractor text look like?
• Copy-paste texts
• What mistakes should you avoid?
• By trade
• First 30 days
• Where to go next
• Common questions

Texting is the fastest way most homeowners will hear from you, and the easiest way to get it wrong. Get it right and a quote, a reminder or a review request lands in someone’s pocket in seconds. Get it wrong and you’re the contractor who won’t stop texting.

This guide covers the practical side: what kinds of texts you’ll send, how to handle consent and opt-outs, what carrier registration is, and what a good message looks like. You’ll leave with texts you can copy today.

What kinds of texts do contractors send?

Not every text is the same, and it helps to keep them in separate buckets. Different messages call for different levels of care.

Type	Example	Care level
Direct reply	Answering a customer who just texted or called you	Low: they started the conversation
Job logistics	Booking confirmation, arrival window, “on my way”	Low: tied to work they asked for
Quote follow-up	“Any questions on the estimate I sent?”	Medium: tied to a specific request
Review request	Link to your Google review page after a finished job	Medium: send to every customer the same way
Promotional or repeat work	Seasonal tune-up offer, “we’re in your area next week”	Higher: keep to people who clearly said yes to this kind of text

Treat that last row with the most care. Promotions are where contractors get complaints, because the customer didn’t expect them. Keep those lists small and clean.

A note before the details

Texting rules change, and they differ by situation. Confirm current requirements for your setup with your texting provider or carrier before you send anything at scale. The rest of this guide sticks to operational habits that keep you in good shape: get a clear yes, honor STOP, register where required, and keep messages useful.

How do you get consent to text someone?

Consent is a habit, not a form. Build it into the way you already talk to customers.

1. Ask out loud. On the phone or at the estimate: “Is it okay if I text you the arrival time and the quote?” Wait for a yes.
2. Ask in writing where you can. Add a checkbox or a line on your contact form and your estimate: “Text me about my job.” Keep it unchecked by default.
3. Say what they’ll get. “Booking details, reminders, and follow-ups on your estimate.” People say yes more easily when they know what to expect.
4. Write it down. Note the date, how they agreed, and what they agreed to, in your notes or your customer sheet. If you can’t show it, you don’t have it.
5. Keep promotions on a separate list. Someone who said yes to arrival texts hasn’t necessarily said yes to a spring sale. Ask separately.

If a customer texts you first, replying to them about that topic is a normal conversation. If you’re unsure whether a message crosses a line, don’t send it.

How do you handle STOP?

Make opting out effortless. It protects your reputation as much as it protects the customer.

• Honor it immediately. When someone replies STOP, no more texts. No “are you sure.”
• Apply it everywhere. Your phone, your software, your teammates, every number you send from. One STOP covers all of them.
• Tag the contact. Add “do not text” to their record so no automation, campaign or teammate reaches them again.
• Confirm once. A short line is fine: “You’re unsubscribed from [Company] texts. Call us anytime at [number].”
• Tell people how to opt out. On the first message in a series, include “Reply STOP to opt out.”
• Never switch numbers to keep texting. That is how a small annoyance turns into a complaint.

What is carrier registration, and do you need it?

In the U.S., carriers require A2P 10DLC registration for application-to-person texts sent from local 10-digit numbers. That’s the term for texts sent by software or a platform rather than one person on a phone. Per Twilio’s A2P 10DLC documentation, registration involves describing the sender and the texting program, including how people opt in and how they opt out, for example by replying STOP.

In plain terms: if you text through a business platform from a local number, expect to register your business and your program before your messages are reliably delivered. Ask your provider whether they handle it for you and how long it usually takes, since timing varies.

Have this ready so it goes smoothly:

• Your legal business name, address and website
• A plain description of what you text about (job updates, reminders, follow-ups)
• Sample messages, including the opt-out line
• How customers agree to get texts (verbal, form checkbox, estimate)
• How customers stop them (reply STOP)

If you only text one-to-one from your own phone, check with your carrier or provider about what applies to your setup.

What does a good contractor text look like?

Good texts are short, specific and easy to answer. Use this checklist:

• Start with who you are. “Hi Dana, this is Mike from Ridge Roofing.” Customers may not have your number saved.
• Say one thing. One topic, one ask.
• End with a next step. A yes/no question, a time choice, or a link.
• Use their name and job. “Your gutter estimate” beats “your recent inquiry.”
• Keep it under three sentences.
• Read it aloud. If you wouldn’t say it to their face, rewrite it.

Weak	Better
“Just checking in on that quote.”	“Hi Dana, Mike at Ridge Roofing. Any questions on the roof estimate I sent Tuesday? Happy to walk through it by phone.”
“Reminder: appointment.”	“Hi Sam, Lena from Cole Plumbing. We’re set for Thursday between 9 and 11 at 14 Elm St. Reply C to confirm or R to reschedule.”
“Please leave us a review.”	“Thanks for having us out, Priya. If you were happy with the work, a Google review helps a small business a lot: [link]”

Copy-paste texts

Swap the brackets. Keep the sender name first.

Reply after a missed call

Hi, this is [Name] at [Company]. Sorry I missed your call, I’m on a job. What do you need help with, and what’s your address? I’ll call you back by [time].

Booking confirmation

[Company]: You’re booked for [day] between [time] and [time] at [address]. Reply YES to confirm or call [number] to change it.

On my way

Hi [Name], [Tech] from [Company] is about 20 minutes away. See you soon.

Quote follow-up

Hi [Name], [Your name] at [Company]. Any questions on the estimate I sent for [job]? I can adjust the scope or walk through it by phone.

Review request

Thanks for choosing [Company], [Name]. If you’re happy with the work, would you leave us a Google review? It takes a minute: [link]

Repeat work, only for people who agreed to promotional texts

[Company] here. It’s a good time of year for [service] at [address]. Want me to hold a slot next [day]? Reply STOP to opt out.

What mistakes should you avoid?

• Texting a list you bought or scraped. Text customers and leads who actually dealt with you.
• Sending from your personal number today and a platform number tomorrow, so replies get split.
• Ignoring replies. A reply to a text is a lead. Answer it the same day.
• Long paragraphs, links with no context, and ALL CAPS.
• Blasting a whole list at once. Send small batches and read the replies.
• Sending at odd hours. Stick to normal business hours unless it’s an active job.
• Forgetting opt-out language on promotional messages.

By trade

Trade	Where texting fits best	Watch for
Roofers	Photo updates of storm damage, inspection windows, quote follow-up on five-figure jobs	Long decision cycles: space follow-ups over weeks, not days
Plumbers	“On my way” and arrival windows for urgent calls; missed-call replies	Emergencies: the text should say plainly whether you can come today
HVAC	Tune-up reminders before summer and winter; maintenance plan renewals	Seasonal promotional texts need a clean opt-in list
Electricians	Permit and inspection scheduling, panel-upgrade quotes	Ask what the customer can send: a photo of the panel saves a trip
Landscapers	Weekly route notices, weather delays, spring booking	Weather reschedules happen in bulk, so plan a one-tap “rescheduled” template
Painters	Color-choice and prep-day reminders, walkthrough scheduling	Customers need to move furniture: put prep steps in the reminder
Tree service	Photo-based quotes, crew arrival windows, storm-cleanup calls	Storm demand spikes: an automatic first reply keeps people from calling around
General contractors and remodelers	Daily or weekly project updates, change-order approvals, material delivery windows	Keep an approval in writing, and use text for logistics, not for scope disputes

First 30 days

Week 1

• Pick your texting number and decide who owns the inbox.
• Write the six templates above with your name and company.
• Add a consent line to your contact form and estimate.

Week 2

• If you use a business platform, start or check your carrier registration.
• Create a “do not text” tag and test that it works.
• Confirm your opt-out message reads clearly.

Week 3

• Turn on your missed-call reply and quote follow-up texts.
• Ask new customers for a yes to job texts at booking.

Week 4

• Review the replies. Which texts got answers? Which got silence or STOP?
• Trim the ones that didn’t work, and only then add repeat-work texts for people who agreed to them.

Where to go next

If you’re building follow-up on top of texting, start with the contractor follow-up guide, then the estimate follow-up text templates. For missed calls specifically, see the missed call text back guide. And texting customers: what to send has more examples.

If you’d rather not run this by hand, missed-call text back and one-click text campaigns for repeat work are part of the Builders Presence plan.

Common questions

Can I text customers from my personal cell phone?

Many contractors do for one-on-one conversation. Volume and automation change the picture, because texts sent through a business platform from a local number run through carrier registration. If you send the same message to many people or use software, ask your provider what applies to your setup and follow it.

What is A2P 10DLC?

It stands for application-to-person 10-digit long code. In the U.S., carriers require this registration for business texts sent through software from local 10-digit numbers. Per Twilio’s documentation, registration involves describing your business and your texting program, including how people opt in and how they opt out, for example by replying STOP.

What should I do when a customer replies STOP?

Stop texting that number from every tool and every number you use, right away. Mark the contact so no automation, campaign or teammate can text them again. One short confirmation that they’ve been removed is fine. Do not ask them to reconsider, and do not switch to a different number to reach them.

How long should a business text be?

Short enough to read in one screen without scrolling: who you are, what it’s about, and one clear next step. Two or three sentences is plenty. Put your business name first, since customers may not have your number saved. A single question at the end makes it easy to reply.