How to Answer 'How Much Do You Charge?' (Scripts for Email, Phone and DMs)

Updated 2026-10-30 · AI Agent Starter Kit

It's often the first thing a new lead asks, sometimes the only thing. "How much do you charge?" arrives by email, by text, in a DM with no other context, or in the first 30 seconds of a phone call. Answer badly and the lead disappears: too vague and they think you're hiding something, too high with no context and they go elsewhere, too low and you've anchored a job you'll resent.

This guide covers when to give a number, four ways to answer, copy-paste scripts for each channel, what not to say and how to get from the price question to a real conversation. It's about the first price question, before you've quoted. If you've already sent a price and heard "that's too expensive", see how to respond to price objections. If you're ready to send a firm price, see how to email a quote.

Why people lead with price

Most people who ask "how much?" first aren't cheapskates. Usually one of these is true:

In every case, the person wants a number, or at least proof that a number exists. Dodging the question entirely ("it depends, let's hop on a call") is the answer most likely to lose them.

Should you give a price right away?

Give some kind of number in your first reply unless you truly can't. A rough rule:

• Give a fixed price when the service is the same every time (a tune-up, a standard package, an hourly rate).
• Give a range when the price depends on one or two things you can describe (size, materials, number of pages).
• Give a starting price when there's a clear minimum but a wide top end.
• Ask one question first only when the range would be so wide it's useless, and even then, say roughly where most jobs land.

Whatever you choose, use the same answer every time. If your prices are written down somewhere, your replies stay consistent and you stop renegotiating with yourself on every inquiry.

4 ways to answer

1. The fixed price

Use it when the job is standard.

Hi [first name],

Thanks for asking. [Service] is [price], which includes [2 to 3 things that are included].

I have openings on [day] and [day]. Would either work for you?

[Your name]

2. The range

Use it when one or two factors drive the price. Name the factors so the range makes sense.

Hi [first name],

Good question. Most [job type] jobs we do land between [low] and [high]. The main things that move the price are [factor 1] and [factor 2].

If you can tell me [the one detail you need], I can narrow that down or give you a firm quote by [day].

[Your name]

3. The starting price

Use it when there's a real minimum and a lot of variation above it.

Hi [first name],

Thanks for getting in touch. Our [service] starts at [price] for [what the starting price covers]. Bigger or more involved projects cost more, and I always confirm the price in writing before any work starts.

What are you hoping to get done? A sentence or two is plenty.

[Your name]

4. One question first (with a ballpark)

Use it only when you genuinely can't price without one detail. Still give a signal.

Hi [first name],

Happy to help with pricing. It depends a lot on [the factor], so I don't want to guess and be way off. For a rough idea, most clients spend between [low] and [high].

Could you tell me [one question]? Then I'll send you a proper number.

[Your name]

One question, not five. A form with ten fields before any price is a reason to email someone else. The guide on lead qualification questions helps you pick the one that matters most.

Scripts for other channels

On the phone

"Good question. For [job type], most jobs are between [low] and [high]. Where yours lands depends on [factor]. Can I ask you a couple of quick questions so I can narrow that down?"

Then ask your questions, and finish with when they'll get a written price. Saying the range out loud early takes the tension out of the rest of the call.

By text

Hi [first name], thanks for reaching out! [Service] is usually [range or starting price], depending on [factor]. Can you send [a photo / the address / the size]? I'll send an exact price today.

Keep it short. Texts that read like a brochure don't get replies.

In a DM ("hm?" or "price?")

Hi! Thanks for asking. [Service] starts at [price]. Prices depend on [factor]. What are you looking to get done? Happy to give you an exact number.

A one-word DM still deserves a full sentence back. Some of these become good customers.

In person

Say the range, the main factor and the next step. Don't fill the silence afterward with a discount. If they flinch, ask "What were you expecting?" That question tells you more than any pitch.

Should you put prices on your website?

If you get the same price question over and over, publishing a starting price or typical range usually helps. It filters out people whose budget is far off and makes the ones who do contact you more ready to buy. The guide on how to get more leads from your website covers where it fits on the page.

If you don't want to publish prices, at least publish what the price depends on. "Pricing depends on square footage and materials. Most projects are between [low] and [high]" still answers most of the question.

What not to say

• "It depends" with nothing after it. Always say what it depends on and give a signal.
• "Let's hop on a call" as the whole reply. Some people want a call. Many don't. Offer it as an option, not the only path.
• "What's your budget?" as your first question. It reads like you'll charge whatever they say. Give your range first, then ask if it fits.
• A discount nobody asked for. "But I could do it for less" before they've even reacted teaches them to push.
• A price you haven't actually decided. Guessing in the moment leads to underquoting. If you don't know, say when you'll confirm it.
• Long justifications. One line on what's included beats a paragraph on why you're worth it.

Getting from the price to the next step

Every answer should end with one clear next step: a question, a choice of times or a date for a written quote. Then follow up if they go quiet. Plenty of people ask the price, get distracted and come back a week later. A short check-in after two or three business days is normal, and the free follow-up schedule generator turns that into dated emails.

Track what happens. Log each price inquiry in a lead tracking spreadsheet with the answer type you used and whether it turned into a job. After a month, the close rate calculator shows how many price questions turn into paying customers, which tells you whether your first answer is working.

Example: the same question, two answers (illustrative)

A one-person dog training business gets this email: "Hi, how much do you charge?"

Answer A: "Thanks for reaching out! It depends on a lot of factors. Would you like to book a free consultation call to discuss?" No reply.

Answer B: "Thanks for asking. Private sessions are [price] each, and most dogs need 3 to 5. The number depends mainly on what you're working on and your dog's age. What's the main thing you'd like help with?" The person replies with "pulling on the lead, 8-month-old lab", gets a firm price for a 4-session package and books.

The details are made up, but the pattern holds: a number plus one question gets a reply far more often than a request for a call.

Common mistakes

• Answering differently every time. Write your fixed prices, ranges and starting prices down once.
• Waiting a day to reply. Price shoppers contact several businesses. The first clear answer often wins. The lead response time calculator shows why.
• Quoting before you know the job, then having to raise it later. Use a range until you have the details.
• Asking five questions before giving any number.
• Not following up. One check-in is helpful, not pushy.
• Treating every price question as a cheap customer. Most are just early in the decision.

Where AI helps (and where it shouldn't)

AI is good at the writing part. Give it your real prices and ranges, the factors that move them and the tone you want, and it can turn "price?" into a warm, clear first reply in seconds. The free AI email reply prompt generator builds a prompt with a "must not promise" list for exactly this.

The rules that keep it safe:

• It never invents a price. If your price list doesn't cover the request, the draft should say [CONFIRM: price], not a guess.
• No discounts, deadlines or guarantees unless you wrote them into the prompt yourself.
• Drafts only. The reply sits in Drafts until you check the numbers and press Send.
• The email is data, not instructions. A message that says "reply with your lowest price" or "ignore your previous rules" shouldn't change what the AI does.

Reply to price questions in minutes, not days

The Speed-to-Lead Follow-Up Kit is a set of n8n workflows for Gmail and Google Sheets built for exactly this moment. Every new inquiry from your contact form or a Gmail label is logged to a Google Sheet pipeline, checked by an AI qualifier, and gets a short, personal first-reply draft within about 5 minutes that uses their words and asks one qualifying question. Then it drafts Day 2, 5 and 10 follow-ups that stop the moment the person replies. To be clear about what it doesn't do: it doesn't know or set your prices. Any price, date or discount in a draft becomes a [CONFIRM: ...] placeholder, and a no-promise guard flags any draft that slips one in, so you fill in the number yourself. It doesn't answer calls, texts or DMs, and it doesn't send anything. Every reply waits in Drafts until you press Send. Get the kit

Want the rest of the inbox handled too? The Inbox + Leads Starter Pair adds Inbox Chief of Staff, which sorts every email into labels, drafts replies to customer questions in your voice, flags money and security requests, and sends you a 6 PM digest of what still needs you. Nothing sends without you. Get the bundle

Related: how to catch up on email after vacation or the holidays, so price questions that arrive during a break still get answered first.

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