Most contractors chase every lead. The profitable ones know which ones to ignore.
Lead qualification is the skill that separates contractors who are always busy from contractors who are always profitable. This guide covers the 5-factor framework that filters bad jobs in under 5 minutes — before you waste time on proposals that go nowhere.
| Choose Lead Score if… | Choose HelloLeads if… |
|---|---|
| Lead Score makes the 5-factor qualification framework automatic — score every lead in 5 minutes on the first call, before you ever drive out. | Qualifying on gut instinct means spending 10–20 hours per month on leads that were never going to close. A repeatable system changes that. |
| You want a qualification system, not gut instinct | You only get 1–2 leads per month and don't need a system |
| You want to know yes/no in 5 minutes per lead | You already have a formal qualification process that works |
| You want to track outcomes by lead source | You run a high-volume call center with dedicated qualifiers |
| You want offline-first, free to start | You only receive 1–2 leads per month and know each caller personally |
Lead Score vs HelloLeads
Lead Score was built around one question: 'Is this lead worth my time?' The 5-factor framework is the answer. We built it into an app so the answer is automatic.
| Feature | Lead Score | HelloLeads |
|---|---|---|
| Structured qualification framework | ✓ 5-factor scoring system | ✗ No framework — gut feel only |
| Score before you drive | ✓ In under 5 minutes | ✗ Find out on-site after wasting time |
| Great Fit / Bad Fit result | ✓ Clear signal every time | ✗ No signal — all leads look equal |
| Win/loss reason capture | ✓ Built in — improves over time | ✗ Not available |
| Close rate by lead source | ✓ Dashboard insight | ✗ Not available |
| Pipeline stage tracking | ✓ Customizable stages | ✗ Not available or basic |
| Activity log per lead | ✓ Timestamped entries | ✗ Not available |
| Works during a phone call | ✓ Quick Add — score in real time | ✗ Manual entry after the fact |
| Free tier to test the framework | ✓ First 3 leads, no card | ✗ No equivalent |
Every bad lead you chase costs you more than the time you spend on it.
Contractors rarely think about the cost of bad leads because the cost is indirect. You don't write a check to a tire kicker. The cost shows up as: 45 minutes of drive time, 2 hours of estimating time, a weekend afternoon on a proposal, and the mental overhead of tracking a lead that was never going to close.
The cost isn't obvious. It shows up as weekends on proposals that go nowhere.
The bigger cost is opportunity cost. Every hour you spend chasing a bad lead is an hour you're not returning calls from good ones, not following up with past customers, not getting better at the parts of your business that compound over time.
Lead qualification solves this. Not by turning away work — by making sure the work you pursue is worth the effort before you invest effort in it.
"Stop chasing. Start filtering. Instead of the customer qualifying you, you qualify the customer."
— Lead Score: Filter for Profit
Score every lead on these 5 factors before you commit to a single minute.
Factor 1 — Project Fit: Is this the kind of job you do well and profitably? Score +1 if it's your wheelhouse, 0 if borderline, -1 if it's outside your core work. Factor 2 — Budget Fit: Has the customer indicated a realistic budget, or are they fishing for a ballpark? A customer who says 'I've set aside $40,000' is a different conversation than one who wants to 'know roughly what it costs.'
Factor 3 — Decision Maker: Are you talking to the person who will sign? Score +1 if the decision maker is in the conversation, 0 if unclear, -1 if you know you're not talking to the right person. Factor 4 — Motivation: How urgent is this for the customer? A leaking roof in November is urgent. A kitchen remodel 'sometime next year' is not.
Factor 5 — Timeline: Is their timeline aligned with your availability? Score each factor +1, 0, or -1. A total of +3 or higher is a Great Fit. Below 0 is a Bad Fit. The middle is where your judgment fills in.
What your current app stack actually costs.
Most solo contractors run 4–5 separate apps. Here's the monthly total — and what Lead Score costs to replace all of them.
Or go annual at $59.99/year — less than $5/month for the full stack.
Clear pricing. No surprises.
HelloLeads
$5
no scoring system · $60/year
- ✗ No lead qualification
- ✗ No pipeline analytics
- ✗ Separate tool — one workflow
Lead Score
$9.99
$59.99/year or $99 lifetime
- ✓ 5-factor lead scoring
- ✓ Auto GPS mileage tracking
- ✓ PDF estimates and invoices
- ✓ No account — local storage
- ✓ Works fully offline
- ✓ First 3 leads free
Who should use what.
The 5-factor framework works on paper, in a spreadsheet, or in Lead Score — which automates the scoring, tracks outcomes over time, and shows you which lead sources and job types close at the highest rates. After 30-50 scored leads, your dashboard starts showing you patterns your gut would have taken years to develop.
The goal isn't to turn away work. It's to make better decisions about which work to pursue — faster. A contractor who can identify a Bad Fit lead in 5 minutes and move on is more productive, more profitable, and less stressed than one who finds out on the drive home from a wasted qualifying visit.
What contractors ask before switching.
Put the framework to work on your next lead.
Lead Score applies the 5-factor system automatically. Score your first 3 leads free — no card, no account.
Free tier · No account required · iOS & Android · Works offline
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