NovaVoice for Home Services

How Summit Roofing stopped wasting $18,000/month on unqualified leads — by letting AI pre-qualify every caller before they hit the CRM.

See the Results

CASE STUDY

HOME SERVICES

LEAD QUALIFICATION

Summit Roofing & Exteriors

A 12-person roofing company running $3.2M in annual revenue — with a sales pipeline full of leads that could never afford the work.

The Challenge

Summit Roofing spent heavily on Google Ads and local SEO to drive inbound calls. It was working — they were getting 80-100 calls per week. The problem was what happened next. Every call went into the CRM as a lead. A salesperson drove to the property for an estimate. But nearly half of those leads turned out to be unqualified: homeowners on a $5,000 budget for a $15,000 roof replacement, renters who didn't own the property, people looking for a quick patch job when the roof needed a full tear-off, or callers who were just price-shopping with no intent to buy.

47%

of leads in the CRM were unqualified — wrong budget, wrong scope, or no real purchase intent

$380

average cost per wasted site visit — including salesperson time, vehicle costs, and opportunity cost of not being with a qualified lead

$18K+

estimated monthly cost of chasing unqualified leads — nearly 7% of annual revenue spent on dead-end estimates

The sales team was demoralized. They were driving across town for estimates that had no chance of closing. The owner, Mike, had tried adding qualification questions to their website form — but most leads still came through the phone, and his office manager didn't have time (or the training) to ask the right qualifying questions under pressure. She was answering, getting a name and address, and sending the lead straight into the pipeline.

The Solution

We built a NovaVoice agent for Summit Roofing with one specific mission: assess every caller's budget readiness and project fit before a single lead enters the CRM or a salesperson's calendar. Only qualified, budget-ready leads get passed through.

Pre-Qualification That Feels Like a Conversation, Not an Interrogation

The key challenge was qualifying callers without making them feel like they're being screened out. Nobody wants to feel judged on the phone. Summit's NovaVoice agent was designed to gather qualification data through a helpful, consultative conversation — educating the caller about what their project might involve while naturally surfacing budget readiness.

Scope Assessment: The agent asks about the project — what's happening with the roof, when they first noticed the issue, how old the roof is, square footage of the home, number of stories, and what material the current roof is. These aren't interrogation questions — they're what a knowledgeable estimator would ask. The answers tell the agent whether this is a repair, partial replacement, or full tear-off.
Budget Readiness Assessment: Rather than asking "what's your budget?" — which callers rarely answer honestly — the agent uses a consultative approach. Based on the scope, it provides a realistic range: "For a full replacement on a 2,000 sq ft ranch with architectural shingles, most homeowners in your area are looking at $12,000 to $18,000. Does that align with what you were expecting?" This naturally surfaces budget mismatches without putting the caller on the spot.
Ownership & Decision-Maker Verification: The agent confirms the caller owns the property (not a renter), verifies they're the decision-maker (or that the other decision-maker is aligned), and checks whether they're working with insurance on a claim. Insurance jobs have different qualification criteria — the agent adjusts its questions accordingly.
Timeline & Intent Scoring: "When are you hoping to get this done?" and "Have you gotten any other estimates yet?" tell the agent whether the caller is ready to move or just casually exploring. Combined with scope and budget alignment, the agent assigns a lead score: hot, warm, or cold.
Conditional CRM Integration: This is the key differentiator. Only leads that meet Summit's qualification criteria — budget-aligned, property owner, decision-maker, realistic timeline — are pushed into the CRM with a full lead profile. Unqualified callers are politely guided: "Based on what you've described, a full replacement may not be in scope right now — but I can note your information and we'll follow up if we have any promotions or financing options that might help." They're not rejected — they're deferred.
Financing Awareness: For callers who are budget-constrained but otherwise qualified, the agent can introduce Summit's financing options: "We do work with financing partners who offer 12-month same-as-cash plans. Would you like me to include financing information when we schedule your estimate?" This converts some "cold" leads into warm ones by addressing the budget objection.

A Qualified Lead Call

NovaVoice Agent

Thanks for calling Summit Roofing & Exteriors! Are you calling about a roofing project?

Caller

Yeah, I think I need a new roof. We had some storm damage last month and now I've got a leak in the upstairs bedroom.

NovaVoice Agent

I'm sorry to hear about the storm damage. Let me ask a few questions so we can understand the scope and get you a proper estimate. First, do you know roughly how old your current roof is?

Caller

It was done about 18 years ago. Standard asphalt shingles.

NovaVoice Agent

Got it — at 18 years with storm damage, a full replacement is likely the best path rather than a patch repair. Can you tell me roughly how big your home is and whether it's a one-story or two-story?

Caller

It's a two-story colonial, about 2,400 square feet.

NovaVoice Agent

Thanks. For a 2,400 square foot two-story with architectural shingles, homeowners in your area typically see full replacement costs in the $14,000 to $20,000 range — depending on the complexity and any underlying damage. Since you mentioned storm damage, have you filed a homeowner's insurance claim? That often covers most or all of the replacement cost.

Caller

I haven't yet but my neighbor said his insurance covered everything. I was planning to file one. Does that price range sound about right? I was expecting somewhere around 15 to 18 thousand.

NovaVoice Agent

That's right in the range, and if your insurance covers it like your neighbor's, your out-of-pocket would likely just be your deductible. Summit works directly with insurance companies on claims, which makes the process much smoother. Are you the homeowner and the person who'd be making the decision on this project?

Caller

Yes, it's my house. My wife and I would decide together, but she's on board — we know we need to get it done.

NovaVoice Agent

Perfect. And when are you hoping to get this taken care of? Are you looking to move quickly given the active leak, or is there flexibility?

Caller

Sooner the better, honestly. The bucket in the bedroom isn't a long-term solution.

NovaVoice Agent

Completely understand. I'm going to get you set up for a free on-site estimate. We have availability this Thursday afternoon or Friday morning — one of our project managers will come out, inspect the roof and the interior damage, take photos for your insurance claim, and walk you through your options. Which works better?

Caller

Friday morning would be great.

NovaVoice Agent

You're all set for Friday morning. Can I get your name, address, and the best number to reach you?

Lead scored as HOT — budget aligned, homeowner, decision-maker engaged, urgent timeline, insurance likely. Full lead profile pushed to CRM with qualification notes and estimate appointment booked.

A Deferred (Unqualified) Call

NovaVoice Agent

...For a project like that — replacing the shingles on a 1,600 square foot ranch — homeowners in your area typically see costs in the $11,000 to $15,000 range. Does that align with what you had in mind?

Caller

Whoa, I was thinking more like four or five thousand. Can't you just patch the area that's leaking?

NovaVoice Agent

I understand — roofing costs can be higher than expected. With a 22-year-old roof that's showing leaks, a patch repair might buy some time but typically isn't a long-term solution. Summit does offer financing through our partners — 12-month same-as-cash plans that can spread the cost out. Would you like me to include financing information when we follow up with you?

Caller

I don't know... five thousand is really my max right now. Maybe next year.

NovaVoice Agent

That's completely fine. I'll save your information and we can reach out when we have seasonal promotions or if financing terms change. In the meantime, if the leak gets worse, don't hesitate to call us — we can always do a temporary tarp or emergency repair to protect the interior. Can I get your name and email so we can stay in touch?

Lead scored as COLD — significant budget gap, no insurance, deferring to next year. Contact saved to nurture list but NOT pushed to sales pipeline. No estimate appointment booked. Sales team's time protected.

The Results

After 90 days with NovaVoice pre-qualifying every inbound call:

Unqualified Leads in CRM

47%

Under 8%

Only budget-aligned, decision-ready leads enter the sales pipeline — the rest are routed to a nurture list

Estimate-to-Close Rate

22%

41%

Sales team closes nearly double the rate because they're only visiting qualified, budget-ready prospects

Wasted Site Visits Per Month

~48

40 fewer dead-end estimates per month — saving ~$15,200/month in salesperson time and vehicle costs

Sales Team Morale

Transformed

Salespeople go to estimates knowing the caller is qualified, budget-aware, and ready to move — not wondering if they're about to waste two hours

Estimated Annual Savings

$182,400

From eliminated wasted site visits, recovered salesperson time, and higher close rates on qualified leads

ROI on NovaVoice

23:1

At $639/month, NovaVoice delivers $23 in value for every $1 spent — just from lead qualification alone

"Before NovaVoice, my guys were driving to three or four estimates a day and coming back empty-handed half the time. Now every lead in our CRM is someone who knows what the project costs, has the budget or the insurance to cover it, and is ready to make a decision. Our close rate almost doubled. My best salesperson told me it's the first time in years he actually looks forward to going to estimates. That alone was worth it."

— Mike Callahan, Owner, Summit Roofing & Exteriors

Home Services Phone Calls — By the Numbers

62%

of inbound calls to home service companies go unanswered. When you're on a roof or under a sink, the phone is the last thing you can reach — and every missed call is a missed job.

$1,200

lost per missed call in home services — the highest of any industry. A single unanswered roofing inquiry could represent a $15,000+ job that went to your competitor.

74.1%

of calls to home service businesses went completely unanswered in a study of 13,175 calls by NextPhone. Nearly three out of four potential customers heard nothing but ringing.

10-15x

higher conversion rate from phone calls versus web leads. Inbound callers are ready to buy — they've already searched, compared, and picked up the phone. Qualifying them correctly is the difference between a closed job and a wasted estimate.

37%

of phone leads convert during the call itself. When a homeowner calls about a leaking roof, they want to book the estimate right now — not leave a voicemail and hope someone calls back.

47 hours

is the average business response time to inbound leads. Only 27% of leads are ever contacted at all. With NovaVoice, every caller gets an immediate response and qualified leads are in your CRM within seconds.

21x

less effective when you call a lead back after 30 minutes versus within 5 minutes (Harvard Business Review). Pre-qualification during the initial call eliminates the callback problem entirely.

85%

of callers who reach voicemail never call back. For home service businesses spending thousands on ads to generate those calls, every one that goes to voicemail is ad spend down the drain.

Sources: Invoca 2024 (60M+ calls), Sift Digital, NextPhone (13,175 calls analyzed), Harvard Business Review, BrightLocal 2025

The Qualification Framework

Summit's NovaVoice agent scores every caller across five dimensions before deciding whether to push the lead to the sales CRM or the nurture list:

Scope Fit

Is the project something Summit does? Roof replacements, repairs, gutters, siding — yes. Interior painting, landscaping — politely redirect. The agent also estimates project size to prioritize higher-value jobs.

Budget Alignment

Does the caller's budget expectation match the realistic cost of the project? The agent provides transparent pricing ranges and gauges the caller's reaction — not to screen out, but to ensure alignment before sending a salesperson.

Ownership & Authority

Does the caller own the property? Are they the decision-maker (or is the decision-maker aligned)? Renters, property managers shopping for owners, and callers whose spouses haven't agreed yet are deferred until the situation is clear.

Timeline & Urgency

Is the caller looking to move now, within a few weeks, or "maybe next year?" Active leaks and storm damage are hot. Spring cleaning research is warm. "Just curious what it would cost" is cold. Each gets a different follow-up path.

Insurance Status

Storm damage calls get special treatment. The agent asks about insurance claims, adjustor visits, and coverage status. Insurance-backed projects are automatically scored higher because budget is less of a barrier. The agent also notes whether Summit should help facilitate the claim, which is a value-add that builds trust and increases close rates.

Stop Sending Your Sales Team to Dead-End Estimates

Home service businesses miss 62% of calls and waste thousands on unqualified leads. NovaVoice answers every call, qualifies every lead, and only passes the real opportunities to your team.

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