Operations · Last updated: 2026-02-27 · Author: May (draft — pending Brian review)

Lead Intake & Estimating

Category: Operations | Last Updated: February 27, 2026 | Author: May (draft — pending Brian review)

Board: Leads (7044561862) — Groups: Website Lead, New Leads - Estimate Needed, Estimate Prepared & Needs Review, Waiting on Info, Estimate Ready to send, Estimate Sent

Lead Sources

  • Website form → auto-populates Website Lead group on Leads board
  • Phone call → manually entered into New Leads - Estimate Needed group
  • Email inquiry → manually entered into New Leads - Estimate Needed group
  • Referral / direct → same as phone/email entry

Step 1: New Lead Entry

Status: New Lead | Group: Website Lead or New Leads - Estimate Needed

Required fields at intake:

  • Customer name, company/account (if applicable), email, phone
  • Contact Type: Real Estate Agent, Individual, Contractor, Attorney, City Official, Lender, Architect
  • Property address (location field)
  • Job Type: select from dropdown (40+ options — ALTA, Boundary Survey, Topo, Elevation, Staking, etc.)
  • Specialty flag if applicable: Closing ⚠️, ALTA, Record Map ⚠️
  • Municipality: Homewood, Mountain Brook, Birmingham, Shelby, Bessemer, etc.
  • Why A Survey Is Needed / Notes: client’s stated purpose
  • Intake Date: set immediately
  • Closing Date: if real estate transaction, set this — drives urgency
  • Priority: RUSH, Critical, High, Medium, Normal
  • Owner: assign to responsible PM/estimator

If high-priority indicators present:

  • Closing date within 2 weeks → set Priority: RUSH ⚠️
  • ALTA survey → set Specialty: ALTA + flag for Brian
  • Record map required → set Specialty: Record Map ⚠️

[QUESTION: Is there a specific turnaround expectation for website leads before someone must follow up?]

Step 2: Estimate Preparation

Status: Estimate Prepared | Group: Estimate Prepared & Needs Review

  • Estimator reviews job type, property address, municipality, notes
  • Pull comparable prior jobs for pricing reference
  • Build estimate in subitems (line items drive Total Price ($) mirror column)
  • Attach estimate document to Estimate column (file)
  • Note any special considerations: municipality requirements, deed research needed, access issues

If information is missing:

  • Set Status: Waiting on Info
  • Move to Waiting on Info group
  • Set Lead Stage: Phone or Lead Stage: Email to track follow-up method
  • Return to estimating once info received

Step 3: Internal Review

Status: PM/ Brian Review

  • PM or Brian reviews estimate for accuracy and scope
  • Check: Is job type correct? Is pricing competitive? Any red flags?
  • For complex jobs (ALTA, subdivision, record map): Brian review required
  • Approve → advance to Ready To Send
  • Send back → adjust estimate and re-review

[QUESTION: Who has authority to approve estimates without Brian review? Dollar threshold?]

Step 4: Estimate Ready

Status: Ready To Send | Group: Estimate Ready to send

  • Final check: correct customer contact info, accurate scope
  • If real estate / closing: confirm closing date is set
  • Estimate prepared and staged for delivery

Step 5: Sending the Estimate

Status: Estimate Sent | Group: Estimate Sent

  • Send estimate to customer (email or Customer Portal)
  • Attach estimate file to Estimate column if not already done
  • Note: estimates via Customer Portal enable Portal Approved status tracking
  • Set Lead Stage if follow-up is expected: Email or Phone

[QUESTION: Is the portal the standard delivery method, or is email still primary?]

Step 6: Follow-Up

  • No response within [X days] → follow up per Lead Stage column setting
  • Lead Stage: Email → send follow-up email
  • Lead Stage: Phone → call customer
  • Lead Stage: No follow up → passive — customer will respond when ready

[QUESTION: What is the follow-up cadence? 3 days? 7 days?]

Step 7: Outcome

Approved:

  • Customer approves via portal → Status: Portal Approved (purple)
  • Customer approves by other means → Status: Approved Jobs
  • Move to Approved Jobs group
  • Proceed to Job Approval & Scheduling SOP

Not approved:

  • Customer declines → Status: Denied
  • No response / deadline passed → Status: Expired
  • Waiting on customer decision → Status: Waiting on Client
  • Move to Denied / Expired / Waiting group

Key Data for Handoff to Active Jobs

When a lead is approved, the following should be complete before moving to Active Jobs board:

  • Customer contact info
  • Property address
  • Job type + specialty flags
  • Municipality
  • Estimate attached
  • Closing date (if applicable)
  • Notes / legal description (if available)

For the next step, see: Job Approval & Scheduling

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