5 Reasons Your Competitors Keep Getting the Bigger Jobs

Same town. Same certifications. Same years of experience. But somehow, your competitor keeps landing the $50,000 kitchen remodels while you’re stuck with $15,000 bathroom updates.

The contractors landing premium projects aren’t just good at their trade. They’ve mastered the factors that win homeowner trust before a single nail gets hammered.

“The biggest thing is going to be your initial impression,” says Ben Esensten, owner of Esensten Construction in Floyd, Virginia. “What we see with a lot of folks who are having issues standing out is they just don’t answer the phone and they don’t show up on time.”

Here’s what separates contractors who win bigger jobs from those who keep losing to the same competitors.

1. They answer the phone, and they answer fast

When a homeowner calls about a $35,000 roof replacement, they’re not just calling you. They’re calling three other contractors. Whoever responds first often wins.

Answering the phone matters more than most contractors realize. When booking a job, 64% of homeowners believe that answering the initial phone call is important, and 35% believe it is the most important thing. Even more telling is that almost 40% of homeowners said they rarely or never worked with a contractor that didn’t answer their first call.

“We live in a world where people are used to getting things right away,” Esensten says. “When you go on Google and you look for a contractor, you’re going to call those first three or four people. And if they’re not answering the phone or getting back to you within a day or so, you’re just going to move on to the next one.”

More than a quarter of all calls go unanswered by contractors, and fewer than 1 in 6 homeowners will bother leaving a voicemail. Miss the call, lose the job.

Your move: Commit to same-day responses. If you can’t answer during work hours, set up call forwarding to someone who can. Speed matters—60% of homeowners make a hiring decision within 72 hours—so response time directly determines whether you’re even in the running.

2. Their online presence screams “professional”

Before a homeowner ever picks up the phone, they’ve already decided whether you look like someone who handles $50,000 projects. 

“The younger generation coming in and especially in larger areas, it’s really a competition of where are you landing on that front page of Google?” Esensten says. “How does your website look? Does it look kind of like it was cobbled together for free or does it look really nice and polished?”

Online reviews build that reputation before you ever meet. An overwhelming 91% of homeowners rate online reviews as an important factor when choosing an HVAC contractor, with 26% saying online reviews are “extremely important,” 35% “very important,” and 30% “important”.

What this looks like:

• A website with high-quality project photos, not stock images
• An active Google Business Profile with frequent posts
• 20+ Google reviews with responses to every review within 2-3 days
• Video content showing your team and completed projects

Video is more impactful than you might think: 59% of homeowners are more likely to hire a contractor if their website has videos. Your competitors landing bigger jobs aren’t necessarily better at construction. They’re better at showing their work and building a local reputation. 

3. They show up looking like professionals

Homeowners are inviting strangers into their homes to do expensive work. Your appearance sets the tone for whether they trust you with a costly renovation.

“When I first started getting out there and doing this on a smaller scale, doing handyman stuff, smaller remodels. Obviously, you have all your meetings in the evenings. You might have been working all day. Your shirt’s kind of dirty. You know, your hair doesn’t look great,” Esensten says. “It just kind of tweaks that first impression if you can just take the five minutes to brush your hair back, keep a clean shirt in the truck to throw on, and just show up on time and look like you’re there in a professional manner.”

This extends beyond personal appearance. “People see your trucks out there. They see your crew,” Esensten says. “You want to make sure your trucks are clean, you know, all your tools are organized and just overall present a good image of the company that people are going to see around town.”

The details that matter:

• Clean company shirts for estimates
• Organized truck and tools
• Branded vehicle with clear contact info
• Professional business cards and marketing materials

These might seem like small things. But when a homeowner is deciding between two $45,000 bids, these “small things” determine who gets trusted with the bigger check.

4. They communicate clearly and consistently

Communication wins before, during, and after the job. When debating between two roofing companies, 67% of homeowners say better communication is the most important factor. 

Contractors winning premium projects go beyond communicating well—they communicate first. While your competitors are still putting together their estimates, you’re already building rapport with the client.

“A lot of what we’re seeing homeowners evaluate is who is actually going to be doing the work,” Esensten says. “Clients really like seeing the same people there every day. They see me there, they see my business partner there, and we’re actually at the site coordinating.”

Your communication protocol:

• Respond to inquiries within 2 hours during business hours
• Submit bids within 4 days
• Provide weekly project updates without being asked
• Follow up after job completion

More than three quarters of homeowners believe it is somewhat or very important that the company follow up after the appointment to determine satisfaction level. That simple phone call is how you turn a small $4,000 deck project into a referral for a $35,000 deck replacement.

5. They make it easy to say yes to bigger numbers

Here’s where most contractors lose the premium projects: A homeowner wants the $40,000 kitchen remodel, but they hesitate at the number. You assume they’re price shopping. They assume they can’t afford it. Everyone walks away.

Contractors landing bigger jobs are offering a solution to your would-be customer: “We offer financing options that let you start your project now and spread payments over time. Would you like to see what your monthly payment would look like?”

Suddenly, $40,000 becomes $350/month. “I can’t afford this” becomes “when can you start?”

Acorn Finance connects homeowners with multiple lenders competing for their business. You get paid upfront. The homeowner gets manageable monthly payments. And that bid you thought you’d lost? It’s back on your schedule.

Your script: “With projects over $25,000, many of our customers use financing. It lets you get exactly what you want now instead of compromising on cheaper materials or waiting years to save up. Would you like to see what your monthly payment would look like?”

Start winning the jobs you’re losing now

In the next 30 days:

Week 1: Set up call forwarding so every call gets answered within 2 hours. Audit your Google Business Profile and website. If it doesn’t look professional enough for a $50,000 project, fix it.

Week 2: Request reviews from your last 10 satisfied customers with direct Google links. Respond to every review. Clean your truck and get branded shirts.

Week 3: Create a communication template for faster bid submission. Practice your financing conversation. Add photos and videos to your website.

Week 4: Send follow-up emails to past clients asking how everything is going. Start posting weekly updates to your Google Business Profile.

The bottom line

Successful contractors winning bigger jobs aren’t doing anything you can’t do:

• They answer the phone fast, every time
• They look professional online and in person
• They communicate clearly throughout the project
• They make financing easy for homeowners who need it
• They build trust through transparency

The contractor down the street landing those $50,000 projects? They didn’t get lucky. They built systems that consistently demonstrate professionalism, responsiveness, and trustworthiness.

Your next premium project doesn’t require better skills. It requires following the playbook that’s already working for contractors who are winning bigger jobs.

Ready to help homeowners say yes to bigger projects? See how contractor financing turns hesitation into signed contracts.