How do I track leads and jobs in a small contracting business?

Use a single system with five stages: Lead (first contact), Quoted (estimate sent), Followed Up (3-touch sequence active), Won (deposit paid, job scheduled), Paid (final invoice cleared). Log every lead within 24 hours of first contact, attach a follow-up date to every quote, and review the board daily. A Kanban-style tool like Contractor Revenue Hub automates the follow-ups; a spreadsheet works for the first 10–20 jobs.

What's the difference between a lead and a job?

A lead is anyone who has expressed interest but not yet accepted a quote — a phone call, a site visit, a quote sent. A job starts the moment they accept the quote and pay a deposit (or sign the contract). Tracking them as separate stages matters because the activities are different: leads need follow-ups, jobs need scheduling and invoicing.

Should I use a spreadsheet or software to track leads?

A spreadsheet works for the first 10–20 jobs a year. Past that, things start falling through the cracks — quotes don't get followed up, invoices age, and you lose visibility into what's profitable. A focused tool like Contractor Revenue Hub costs A$19/month and typically pays for itself in the first saved job.

How often should I review my lead and job pipeline?

Daily for the lead and quote stages — it takes 5 minutes and is where most revenue leaks. Weekly for the active job and invoice stages. Monthly for revenue intelligence: which sources convert best, which clients pay late, which trades have the highest margin.

What information should I capture on every lead?

Six fields cover 90% of the value: name and contact, source (referral, Google, Facebook, etc.), trade type, estimated job size, date of first contact, and next-action date. Anything more is usually optional. The single most important field is the next-action date — it's what stops leads from going cold.

How to track leads and jobs in a small contracting business (2026 guide)

By Lee Stephens · Founder, Contractor Revenue Hub

Short answer: Track leads and jobs in five stages — Lead, Quoted, Followed Up, Won, Paid — with one system, daily reviews of the lead/quote stages, and an automated 3-touch follow-up on every quote. A spreadsheet works for the first 10–20 jobs; past that, a focused tool like Contractor Revenue Hub stops revenue leaking and pays for itself in one saved job.

This guide is the step-by-step system. No fluff.

More guides on the Contractor Revenue Hub blog.