April 2026 · 7 min read

Contractor Lead Filtering System

You're not bad at closing. You're quoting the wrong leads.

Most contractors don't have a closing problem — they have a filtering problem. They quote every lead that calls, drive to every site that asks, and write proposals for customers who were never serious. The fix isn't a better sales script. It's a 5-minute qualification system that runs before any of that happens.


Choose Lead Score if…Choose No filtering system if…
Lead Score's 5-factor system tells you Great Fit, Possible Fit, Unclear Fit, or Bad Fit in 5 minutes — so you stop investing in leads that were never going to close.Without a qualification system, every lead gets the same treatment: a return call, a site visit, and a proposal. That's how contractors lose 10–20 hours per month.
You quote 3+ leads per week and your close rate is under 40%You only get 1–2 leads per month and personally know each one
You're tired of driving to estimates that go nowhereYou already have a formal qualification system that works
You want a repeatable system to replace gut instinct
Feature Comparison

Lead Score vs No filtering system

Lead Score was built around one insight: most contractors don't have a closing problem — they have a filtering problem. Fix the filter and the close rate follows.

FeatureLead ScoreNo filtering system
Lead qualification scoring 5-factor system in 5 min No system — gut feel only
Clear pass/fail result Great / Possible / Unclear / Bad Fit Not available
Close rate tracking By source and score tier Not available
Pipeline analytics Revenue, sources, close rate Not available
Works fully offline 100% local storage N/A
No account required Your device, your data N/A
Auto GPS mileage tracking Built in — per lead Separate app required
PDF estimates & invoices Built in Separate app required
Free tier First 3 leads, no card N/A
Monthly price $9.99/month N/A
30–40%of contractor work week lost to unqualified leads
5 minto score any lead before committing
$0to start — free tier, no card

The real problem

Every bad lead costs you more than the time you spent on it.

A bad lead isn't just a wasted hour. It's the estimate you wrote on Saturday morning. It's the 45-minute drive to a house where the homeowner had no intention of moving forward. It's the proposal you refined three times before they ghosted you. Add it up across a month and most contractors are spending 10–20 hours on leads that were never going to close.

10–20hours per month on leads that never close
45 minaverage drive to a qualifying visit you could have skipped
3–5bad-fit proposals written per month before filtering

Every bad lead you chase is a good lead you didn't have time for.

The pattern is always the same: a lead calls, it sounds promising enough, you go out, you quote, you follow up, you get ghosted — or worse, you get a counteroffer so low it insults you. Then you do it again next week with a different name and the same outcome.

The solution isn't working harder or following up more aggressively. It's deciding faster — in the first 5 minutes of the first call — whether this lead deserves your time at all.

"Stop chasing. Start filtering. The best contractors don't take every job — they take the right ones."

Lead Score: Filter for Profit

The Lead Score system

5 factors. 5 minutes. One clear answer.

Lead Score's qualification framework rates every lead on 5 factors during the first phone call: Project Fit (is this a job your business does well?), Budget Fit (does their budget match your pricing?), Decision Maker (are you talking to the person who can say yes?), Motivation (do they have a real reason to act now?), and Timeline (is this moving forward soon?). Each factor scores +1, 0, or -1. The total gives you a clear result: Great Fit, Possible Fit, Unclear Fit, or Bad Fit.

5 factorsrated in 5 minutes on the first call
4 resultsGreat, Possible, Unclear, or Bad Fit
Freetier — 3 leads, no card required

A Great Fit score means go all in — call back fast, book the site visit, write the proposal. A Bad Fit score means a polite no right now, before you've invested anything. Possible Fit and Unclear Fit get a follow-up question or a second call — not a full site visit.

After 30 leads your dashboard shows your close rate by lead source, your average deal value by score tier, and exactly which sources are sending you the most Bad Fit leads. That data changes how you market, how you answer the phone, and how you spend your time.


The Real Cost

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.

Typical contractor app stack — per month
MileIQ (mileage)$8.99
Joist or Invoice Simple (estimates + invoices)$8–32
HelloLeads or similar (lead tracking)$5
Expense tracking app$5–10
Monthly total$27–56/month
Lead Score replaces all of the above
Lead scoring + mileage + estimates + invoices + expenses$9.99/month
Your annual savings$204–552/year

Or go annual at $59.99/year — less than $5/month for the full stack.


Pricing

Clear pricing. No surprises.

No filtering system

Treat every lead the same

no qualification before quoting · 10–20 hours wasted per month

  • ✗ No lead qualification
  • ✗ No pipeline analytics
  • ✗ Separate tool — one workflow

Bottom Line

Who should use what.

Our Verdict

If you're quoting more than 3–4 leads per week and your close rate is below 40%, you almost certainly have a filtering problem, not a sales problem. Lead Score gives you the framework to fix it — starting with your next phone call.

The free tier lets you score your first 3 leads at no cost. Most contractors know within the first lead whether this changes how they work.


FAQ

What contractors ask before switching.

How do I know if I have a filtering problem vs a sales problem?×
A filtering problem looks like this: high quote volume, low close rate, frequent ghosting after proposals, and a sense that you're always busy but never profitable. A sales problem looks different — you get site visits but struggle to convert warm, qualified prospects. Lead Score solves filtering. If your close rate on genuinely qualified leads is also low, that's a separate conversation.
What are the 5 factors Lead Score uses?+
Project Fit — is this a job your business handles well and profitably? Budget Fit — does their stated or implied budget match your pricing? Decision Maker — are you speaking with the person who can approve the work? Motivation — do they have a clear, urgent reason to move forward? Timeline — is this project happening soon or someday? Each scores +1, 0, or -1.
How long does scoring a lead actually take?+
5 minutes or less on the first call. The 5 questions can be worked into any normal discovery conversation without sounding like a script. Most contractors score the lead while still on the phone — the result is there before they hang up.
What do I say to a Bad Fit lead?+
You don't need to reject anyone harshly. A simple 'Based on what you've described, I don't think I'm the best fit for this project — but here's who I'd recommend' is professional, kind, and takes 30 seconds. The goal isn't to burn leads — it's to protect your time for the ones worth winning.
Does Lead Score work for any trade?+
Yes. The 5-factor framework applies to any service business where leads call or inquire before a job is booked — roofing, remodeling, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, painting, landscaping, cleaning, pest control, solar, and more. The factors are the same; the scoring thresholds can be adjusted to match your trade's typical project profile.


Your next call is in 10 minutes. Will you know if it's worth your time?

Score your first 3 leads free. No card, no account. Know before you drive.

Free tier · No account required · iOS & Android · Works offline

© 2026 Contractor School · contractorschool.co

Written by the Contractor School team based on publicly available pricing and feature information. Last updated April 2026. Lead Score is not affiliated with or endorsed by No filtering system.