How do I build a quote request form that qualifies leads?

The short version

• A quote form is not a contact form. It collects what you need to price the job or decide it fits.
• Write down the questions you always ask on the first call. Those are your fields.
• Show follow-up questions only to people they apply to, using conditional logic.
• Make photos optional, limit file types and sizes, and never require them.
• End with what happens next: who will reply, how, and roughly when.

Which questions should a quote form ask?

Start with your own first phone call. List the questions you always ask before you can give a rough price or book a visit. For most service businesses, they fall into four groups:

Then add contact details: a name, one way to reach them and their preferred way to be contacted. Everything else can wait for the first conversation. Our answer on contact form fields covers the general contact form, and this guide covers the extra questions a quote needs.

The W3C’s forms tutorial sums up the rule: “Only ask users to enter what is required to complete the transaction or process.”

Use ranges and choices, not blank boxes

“Roughly how many rooms?” with choices of 1–2, 3–4 and 5 or more is quicker to answer than a blank box. It’s also easier to sort and route. Keep one optional box at the end for “anything else we should know.”

Ask about budget carefully

Some businesses ask for a budget range to filter out jobs that won’t fit. If you do, make it optional and offer plain ranges plus “not sure yet.” A required budget question puts many people off.

How do I show only the questions that apply?

Use conditional logic: a question appears only when an earlier answer makes it relevant. Choose “Roof repair,” and you’re asked about the roof type. Choose “Gutters,” and you see a different question.

In Gravity Forms, open a field’s settings, find Conditional Logic, and turn on Enable Conditional Logic. Then choose whether the field shows or hides when all or any of your conditions match, as its conditional logic guide describes. Other plugins have similar settings, sometimes only in paid versions; see choosing a form plugin.

The same job-type answer can also route the lead to the right person. See routing form leads to the right person.

Should I split it into steps?

If the form has more than about six questions, splitting it into short steps can make it feel lighter. The W3C’s guide to multi-page forms says to divide long forms into logical groups and show people where they are, for example “Step 2 of 3.”

Two rules make steps work:

• Put the easy questions first. Job type and town, then details, then contact information.
• Never make people type the same thing twice. WCAG 2.2’s Redundant Entry criterion says information already given in the same process should be filled in automatically or offered to select.

How do I handle photos and files?

Photos help you quote, but required uploads stop people on phones and slow connections. Make them optional, and say what helps: “A photo of the damage helps us price it faster.”

In Gravity Forms, the File Upload field lets you set Allowed file extensions and a Maximum File Size, and turn on Enable Multi-File Upload. Allow only the types you need, such as jpg, png, heic and pdf. Gravity Forms checks that a file’s real type matches its extension and rejects mismatches.

Uploaded files sit on your website, and limiting file types isn’t the same as limiting who can open them. Gravity Forms’ file upload security page says its download links are obscured, but anyone who has a link can usually open the file unless the site is set to require sign-in before downloads, a setting a developer adds. Have that checked before you invite photos of people or documents with personal details, and don’t ask for sensitive files through the form until it’s been tested. Include uploads in your deletion schedule; our privacy guide on how long to keep form submissions explains why.

Why does a good quote form matter?

A vague form gives you a vague lead. You call back, ask the same five questions, and find out the job is outside your area. A good quote form lets you reply with something useful the first time, and lets you call the urgent, well-matched jobs first.

What are the common mistakes?

• Copying a long paper form onto the website. Online, every extra required field loses people.
• Required fields that aren’t needed to quote. Address, company name and “how did you hear about us” can wait, or be optional.
• Exact measurements. Most people don’t know them. Ask for ranges.
• No “not sure” option. People who can’t answer leave.
• Hidden questions that are still required. If conditional logic hides a required field, test that the form still submits.
• No reply expectation. Say when and how you’ll respond.

What if people start the form but don’t finish?

Test it yourself on a phone, with one thumb, on mobile data. Time how long it takes. Then cut or make optional anything you don’t use when you quote. If you track form starts and submissions in Google Analytics, compare them; the Google Analytics guide to key events explains how. And if most people just want a time slot, see online booking or a contact form.

How much does it cost, and how long does it take?

Conditional logic and file uploads are included in some plugins and in paid tiers of others. Planning the questions takes an hour with the person who usually takes quote calls. Building and testing a quote form usually takes a few hours.

How does E-3 handle this?

Adding or changing forms is one of the most common requests in our support history. We start from the questions you already ask on the phone and build the form on a staging copy first, with conditional questions and routing. Every path is worth testing, and trying it yourself before it goes live is the best check. Our leads and follow-up service can then send each quote request to one leads inbox.

Related questions

• How do I make my forms accessible?
• How do I route form leads to the right person?
• Should I use online booking instead of a contact form?
• How do I see which page each lead came from?
• Back to the complete guide to forms and lead follow-up

Sources

1. Forms tutorial (W3C Web Accessibility Initiative)
2. Multi-page forms (W3C Web Accessibility Initiative)
3. Enable conditional logic (Gravity Forms documentation)
4. File upload security (Gravity Forms documentation)
5. File Upload field (Gravity Forms documentation)
6. Understanding Success Criterion 3.3.7: Redundant Entry (W3C)