Text message marketing for home services, done right

Your customers already text you about appointments, running late and photos of the leak under the sink. Marketing by text can work well for a home service business too, because a well-timed tune-up reminder or a note about openings next week is genuinely useful. But marketing texts land in the most personal space someone has, and they're held to stricter rules and higher expectations than email. This guide covers how to get permission, how to handle opt-outs, what to send and how to set it all up properly.

Service texts and marketing texts are different

Business texts fall into two broad kinds:

Service texts are about a job the customer has already arranged: appointment confirmations, "on my way" messages, arrival windows, invoices and follow-up questions about the work you did.
Marketing texts promote something: seasonal offers, maintenance plan sign-ups, discounts, new services or "we have openings this week."

The rules for marketing texts are generally stricter, especially around consent. Some messages sit in a gray area, such as a "time for your yearly tune-up" reminder or a review request. When you're not sure, treat the message as marketing and make sure you have marketing permission.

The foundation of text marketing is simple: get clear permission before you send marketing texts, and be able to prove it.

A customer giving you their number to book an appointment is not the same as agreeing to receive promotions. Ask separately and specifically.

What a good permission request includes

Your business name
What kind of messages they'll get, such as seasonal reminders and offers
Roughly how often
That message and data rates may apply
How to opt out (reply STOP) and how to get help (reply HELP)
A link to your terms and privacy policy

Don't make agreeing to marketing texts a condition of getting service, and don't pre-tick the box.

Sample permission wording

Here's an example you can adapt for a checkbox on your booking form. Have someone who knows the rules where you operate review your final wording.

"Yes, send me seasonal reminders and offers from [Business Name] by text at the number above. Up to [number] messages a month. Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out or HELP for help. You don't have to agree to book a service. See our terms and privacy policy."

Where to collect permission

A checkbox on your online booking or quote form, unticked by default
A text-to-join keyword on invoices, leave-behind cards or truck signage, such as "Text TUNEUP to [number] for seasonal reminders," with an automatic reply that repeats the key details
A separate signed line on your work order or estimate, apart from the job approval
At the end of a visit, when the tech offers reminders and the customer confirms by replying YES to a text

Keep a record

For every contact, record when they agreed, how they agreed (form, keyword or paper) and the exact wording they saw. Good business texting tools store this for you. If yours doesn't, keep it yourself. A written, recorded agreement is far easier to prove than a remembered "sure, that's fine."

Never do these

Buy or rent a list of phone numbers
Text numbers you found online or got from another business
Upload your whole invoicing history and start texting everyone
Text someone who asked you to stop, even "just once more"

Make opting out easy

People who know they can leave easily are more comfortable staying. Build opt-out into everything:

Include opt-out instructions in your marketing texts, such as "Reply STOP to opt out."
Honor more than the word STOP. Treat UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, END, QUIT and plain requests like "please stop texting me" or "take me off your list" as opt-outs.
Send one short confirmation, such as "You're unsubscribed from [Business] texts and won't get more marketing messages," and then no more marketing texts.
Act right away. Rules can set deadlines for processing opt-outs, but there's no reason to wait.
Sync opt-outs everywhere. If a customer opts out in your marketing tool, your field service software, office phones and any tech who texts customers all need to know. This is one of the biggest risks of techs texting customers from personal phones.
Answer HELP with your business name, how to reach you and how to opt out.

If a customer opts out of marketing, you may still need to text them about a job they've booked, such as an arrival time. Keep those messages strictly about the job, and check how the rules where you operate treat them.

The rules that may apply to you

This isn't a complete list and it isn't legal advice, but these are the main rules to look into:

United States: The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and the Federal Communications Commission's rules under it cover marketing texts, including what consent you need. Several states have their own telemarketing and texting laws, some stricter than the federal rules, including limits on the hours you can send.
US carrier requirements: Mobile carriers and industry guidelines set their own expectations for business texting. If you text from a regular 10-digit business number through software, you'll usually need to register your business and the types of messages you send, a process often called A2P 10DLC registration. Your texting provider will walk you through it. Unregistered or non-compliant messages can be blocked.
Canada: Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) covers commercial electronic messages, including texts. It has its own rules on express and implied consent, on identifying who sent the message and on including a way to unsubscribe in every message.
Everywhere: Privacy laws may govern how you collect, store and use customers' phone numbers and other details.

Getting this wrong can be expensive, so an hour with a lawyer who knows the rules in your area is worth it before you launch.

What to send: messages customers are glad to get

The best marketing texts are useful, timely and short. Start each one with your business name so nobody has to guess who's texting.

HVAC, seasonal reminder: "[Business]: Hot weather is on the way. Want your AC checked before the busy season? Book a tune-up here: [link] or reply to this text. Reply STOP to opt out."

Plumbing, weather prep: "[Business]: A hard freeze is forecast this weekend. Disconnect garden hoses and open the cabinet doors under sinks on outside walls. Need help winterizing? Just reply. Reply STOP to opt out."

Pest control, plan reminder: "[Business]: Hi [First name], your quarterly treatment is due in [month]. Reply with a day that works and we'll confirm a time. Reply STOP to opt out."

Cleaning, open slots: "[Business]: We have two openings for deep cleans next Tuesday and Wednesday. Reply with the day you'd like and we'll confirm. Reply STOP to opt out."

Garage doors, annual check: "[Business]: It's been a year since we serviced your garage door. A quick tune-up keeps it running quietly and safely. Book here: [link]. Reply STOP to opt out."

Landscaping, spring kickoff: "[Business]: Spring cleanup bookings are open. Past customers get first pick of dates until [date]. Reply CLEANUP to get on the schedule. Reply STOP to opt out."

Any trade, referral thank-you: "[Business]: Thanks again for trusting us with your [job]. If a neighbor needs help, send them our way: [link]. Reply STOP to opt out."

A few writing tips:

Keep each text to one idea and one action.
Use the customer's first name when you have it.
Skip ALL CAPS, strings of exclamation points and "FREE!!!" They look like spam and can get filtered.
Emoji and some special characters can make a message count as more than one text, so check how your provider bills.
Link to your own website rather than using a generic link shortener, which carriers may filter.
Only claim limited availability when it's true.

For timing ideas across the year, see our seasonal promotion ideas.

How often and when

Frequency: tell customers how often to expect texts when they sign up, then stay within it. For most home service businesses, a handful of well-timed texts a year, tied to the seasons, beats a weekly blast.
Timing: send during reasonable daytime hours in the customer's time zone, and avoid early mornings, late evenings and holidays. Some rules set specific allowed hours, so check yours.
Context: don't send a promotion to someone with an open job or an unresolved complaint.

How to set it up

Use a business texting tool, not a personal phone. You need permission records, automatic opt-out handling, team access and carrier registration.
Register your business and message types as your provider requires.
Add permission requests to your booking form, estimates, work orders and invoices.
Import only customers with recorded permission. Ask everyone else at their next visit or by email.
Write your templates ahead of time, one for each season you plan to promote.
Set quiet hours in the tool so nothing goes out at the wrong time.
Track every send: replies, bookings and opt-outs. A jump in opt-outs means you're texting too often or sending things people don't care about.

Mistakes that get businesses in trouble

Texting the entire customer list the day the new tool is switched on
Treating "they gave us their number" as permission to market
Techs sending promotions from their personal phones
Leaving out the business name or the opt-out line
Ignoring "please stop" because it didn't use the word STOP
Sending at 9 p.m. because that's when the office finally catches up

Marketing permission collected separately from booking, with the box unticked
Permission records saved: date, method and exact wording
Opt-out instructions in every marketing text
STOP, other keywords and plain-language requests all handled
Opt-outs synced to every tool and phone that texts customers
Business registered with carriers through your provider, where required
Quiet hours set, and the rules for your area checked

Text works best as part of a wider plan that includes email and your website. Our guide to email marketing for home service businesses covers the other half.

Zome's email and SMS marketing is designed around permission-based reminders like the ones above.