You already have a sales workflow. You run the lead, give the bid, follow up, and sign the contract. The problem isn’t your process. The problem is that price is killing deals you should be winning.
Here’s the fix: you don’t need a new workflow. You need to drop contractor financing solutions into the workflow you already run. A monthly payment on the quote. A line about it at the table. A reminder in your follow-up. That’s it.
When you do this, homeowners stop hearing “$12,000” and start hearing “$210 a month” (This is an example only). That one change moves more jobs across the line. Contractors who offer financing close jobs at a much higher rate — one survey of more than 1,000 contractors found close rates jumped from 38% to 49% once financing entered the conversation. Same job. Same customer. Different number said first.
Below is where to add financing at every step. Just the spots that matter.
Step 1: Put it in your marketing — before the estimate
Most contractors hide financing. They wait until the homeowner flinches at the price, then mention it like a backup plan. That’s backwards.
Homeowners are already shopping for payments, not prices. Put “affordable monthly payments available” in your ads, on your flyers, on your Google Business Profile, and at the top of your homepage — right next to your phone number. Don’t bury it in a footer.
Why this matters: 78% of jobs go to the first contractor who responds. If your ad says “monthly payments available” and the next guy’s doesn’t, you’re the one who gets the call.
The line to use: “Financing available — ask about low monthly payments.” Put it everywhere a homeowner sees your name. You can also use Hearth’s AI Assistant Harper to generate posts for you!
Step 2: Show a monthly payment on every quote
This is the single biggest change you can make. Every estimate should show two numbers: the total price and the estimated monthly payment.
When a homeowner sees “$199/mo” sitting next to “$8,500,” the job feels doable instead of scary. You’re not lowering the price. You’re changing how it lands.
List your payment options right on the quote: cash, check, card, or monthly payments. Make the monthly payment as easy to find as the total. This is where most contractors leave money on the table — the price is there, but the payment isn’t.
Pro tip: Say “affordable monthly payments,” not “financing.” Some folks tense up at the word financing. Same thing, easier ears.
Step 3: Offer it at the table
The best time to close is while you’re standing in the kitchen. Don’t send the homeowner off to “think about it” and shop banks for two weeks. That’s how you lose the job.
Good contractor financing solutions let a homeowner apply on a phone in minutes and get a decision right there. No paper. No bank visit. A soft credit check that doesn’t ding their score. You hand them the phone, they tap through, and they know what they’re approved for before you leave.
This is what closes the bigger ticket. When the money isn’t a lump sum, homeowners say yes to the upgrade. They add the second bathroom. They pick the better roof. That’s why contractors who offer financing see about 30% larger average jobs.
Step 4: Add a financing reminder to your follow-up
The #1 reason homeowners don’t move forward isn’t quality or timing. It’s price. And most contractors never follow up after the bid. That’s the gap.
A simple follow-up that reminds them financing is available turns a “not right now” into a signed contract. You don’t need a fancy system. You need one text or email that says the payment is small and the approval is fast.
The follow-up line to use: “Hey [name] — just a reminder we can break this into low monthly payments. Most folks get approved in about two minutes. Want me to send the link?”
If you’ve got stalled bids sitting in your inbox right now, lead your next follow-up with the payment, not the price. It’s one of the easiest wins available.
Step 5: Tie it to your contract and invoice so the money moves fast
Once the homeowner says yes, financing should speed up your cash — not slow it down. With a solid financing partner, the lender pays you, usually within a day or two of the job being done, while the homeowner pays them over time.
That means you’re not the bank. You’re not chasing a final balance for three months. You get paid on your normal schedule, and your cash flow stays healthy enough to cover materials, payroll, and the next job.
Build the financing option right into your contract and invoice so there’s no scramble at signing. The homeowner picks their plan, authorizes the funding, and you’re funded fast. Edward, a homeowner working with a Hearth contractor, had an $11,282 loan funded overnight with zero human involvement.
Watch the fees — they decide if this actually pays off
Here’s where a lot of contractors get burned. Many financing companies charge a dealer fee or merchant fee on every funded job — often 5% to 20% of the loan. Close a $20,000 job and you could hand back $1,000 to $4,000. The more you grow, the more it costs you.
Hearth works differently. It’s a flat annual subscription with no per-job dealer fees. You connect to 18+ lenders through one application, your homeowner gets matched to the best offer, and you keep more of every job you close. The math gets better as you grow, not worse.
The bottom line
You don’t have to rebuild your sales process to add financing. You just have to put it where the decisions happen — on the quote, at the table, in the follow-up, and in the contract.
Do that and the numbers move: more jobs closed, bigger average tickets, faster cash, and fewer deals lost to “let me think about it.” The contractors winning right now aren’t working harder. They’re saying the monthly payment first.
The only real question is whether you’re the one offering it — or whether your customer goes and finds it somewhere else, and finds a different contractor while they’re at it.
Add financing to your workflow — and keep more of every job. See How Hearth Works →
Frequently asked questions
What are contractor financing solutions?
Contractor financing solutions let your customers pay for a project over time in monthly payments instead of one lump sum. You offer the option during your sales process, the homeowner applies and gets a decision fast, and a lender funds the job. You get paid; they pay over time.
How do I add financing to my quotes?
Show two numbers on every estimate: the total price and an estimated monthly payment. List your payment options — cash, check, card, or monthly payments — and make the monthly payment as easy to find as the total. Seeing “$199/mo” next to “$8,500” makes the job feel doable.
Will offering financing actually help me close more jobs?
Yes. One survey of more than 1,000 contractors found close rates rose from 38% to 49% once financing was part of the conversation. Contractors who offer financing also report about 30% larger average jobs, because homeowners say yes to upgrades when they’re paying monthly.
Does customer financing cost the homeowner’s credit score?
Checking offers usually uses a soft credit pull, which does not hurt the homeowner’s score. They can see what they qualify for before committing to anything.
What does financing cost the contractor?
It depends on the provider. Many charge a per-job dealer or merchant fee, often 5% to 20% of each funded loan, which grows as you do. Hearth instead uses a flat annual subscription with no per-job dealer fees, so you keep more of every job you close.
