Tyre kickers are people who want a price but are not ready, or not able, to go ahead. You filter them by asking five plain questions before you quote: what the job is, where it is, when they want it done, what budget they have in mind, and who decides. Three minutes by phone or text is enough.
The aim is not to turn people away. A homeowner who is early in their thinking is not a bad person. They just need a different kind of reply from the one a ready buyer gets, and they should not cost you a day.
Not all tyre kickers are the same
The term covers people with very different reasons. It helps to separate them, because you treat them differently:
- The early researcher. Months from building. Wants a rough figure to see if the idea is realistic. Fair enough.
- The price collector. Gathering a pile of quotes with no clear idea of the job. Hard to win, easy to waste a day on.
- The mismatch. Wants something you do not do, or is outside your area.
- The not-the-decision-maker. Asking for a partner, parent or landlord who has not agreed to anything.
Only the second costs you time by habit. The rest are people who may be good enquiries later, or with someone else. Filtering is about timing and fit, not character.
The five questions
- What is the job? “Tell me what you have in mind.” Listen for detail. Someone who has thought about it can describe it.
- Where is it? The suburb, and whether it is a house they own and live in. This tells you if it is in your area and whether the work can be done at their place.
- When do they want it done? “When are you hoping to start?” A date or a season is good. “Sometime” is worth noting.
- What budget do they have in mind? Ask for a range, and say why: “So I only price what suits what you want to spend.” If they do not know, offer ranges and let them react to a number.
- Who decides? “Is it just you, or is someone else involved in the decision?” If there is a partner, ask to include them in the visit.
Add a sixth if you like: “Who else are you getting a price from?” It is not a trap. It tells you how many quotes you are up against and how far along they are.
Asking without sounding like a bank
Say why you ask: “I ask a few questions first so I give you a number that is useful, not a guess.” Ask one at a time, use their words back to them, and do not rush to a figure. Answering “how much?” in the first minute teaches people to shop on price. The guide on how to qualify a building enquiry goes further into tone and what to do with the answers.
What a good answer sounds like
| Question | Sounds ready | Sounds early |
|---|---|---|
| The job | Specific: size, materials, what is wrong with what is there now | “Just thinking about options” |
| Where | An address or suburb, and they own it | Unsure, or still looking for a property |
| When | A season or date, with a reason | “Sometime this year” |
| Budget | A range, and they know where it comes from | No idea, or a number that moves when you push |
| Who decides | “Me and my partner, we have talked” | “I need to ask someone” |
One early answer is normal. Two or three means they are not ready for a detailed estimate yet.
When to say no, politely
You do not have to quote everyone. A clear, kind answer is better than silence, and better than a long estimate that goes nowhere.
- Early: “It sounds like you are a few months off. Based on what you have said, jobs like this commonly fall in a wide range. I can give you a ballpark, and when you have a date and a budget, ring me and we will price it properly.”
- Outside your work or area: “That is not something we do. I would rather say so than waste your time.”
- Price collector: “I am happy to price it properly, and that takes a day of my time. I do that after a site visit, and for some jobs it is a paid preliminary agreement.” See charging for preliminary work.
Keep a note of every no and every “ring me later”: the date, the reason and when to follow up. Some of the early researchers come back ready, and they remember who was straight with them.
Make it automatic when you are on the tools
You will not ask five questions on a ladder. Two ways to do it without you:
- Send the questions by text after a missed call, in one message, and ring those who reply. Missed call text back for tradies has wording.
- Use an enquiry form that asks the same five things, so the answers are in front of you before you ring.
PreBuild does this for its clients. We ring every homeowner who enquires and check six things: a real number, a request for a quote, that they want the job done and not just a price, that they are in your area, that the job can be done at their place, and that they make the decision. Each one goes to one business only. See how enquiries are handled, or read what a verified lead is.
Common questions
What does tyre kicker mean?
In Australia it means someone who asks for a price or a look but is not really ready, or able, to buy.
Is it rude to ask a homeowner about budget or timing?
Not if you say why, such as “so I only price what suits what you want to spend”. Most people prefer a quick question to waiting a week for a quote that misses.
How long should the first call take?
About three minutes for the five questions. If the job sounds right, book a site visit; if not, offer a ballpark range or a polite no.
Can I filter by text instead of a call?
Yes: send the questions in one message and see who replies. Then ring the ones who reply, because tone tells you things text does not.