Contact form questions for builders: a template you can use

For a builder's website enquiry form, start with the customer's name, a way to reply, the job postcode, a short description and their preferred timing. Add budget or plans questions when those answers help you decide what to do next.

You need enough information to start a useful conversation. Someone asking about a small repair shouldn't have to complete the same brief as someone planning an extension.

Decide what you need before calling back

Think about the questions you usually ask when a new enquiry arrives. If you always need to check whether the job is in your area, ask for the postcode. If you only take on certain work, make those services clear above the form.

The Federation of Master Builders' guide to qualifying enquiries recommends checking the type of project, available plans, timing and budget before spending time on a quote. You can collect some of that on the website and discuss the rest on a call.

For every field, ask yourself: “What will I do with this answer?” Remove questions you don't use. This follows the GOV.UK Design System's guidance to ask only for information you need and let people say they're unsure where that's a valid answer.

A short enquiry form to start with

This is a made-up template for a small building business. Adapt the wording to your services or send it to your web designer as a brief. It isn't a working form.

Heading and introduction

Tell us about the job

Let us know what you'd like done and where the property is. A few sentences are enough to start. We'll get in touch to discuss the next step.

1. Your name

Use one name field. You can address the reply without needing separate title, first-name and surname boxes.

2. Email address or phone number

Ask for the contact detail you'll use. If you reply by email, make email required and phone optional. If you normally call, do the reverse and say so above the field.

If your form lets people choose phone or email, ask for the number or address to use. Check that someone can't send the form with neither filled in.

3. Job postcode

What's the postcode of the property where you need the work?

The job may be at a different address from where the customer lives. Ask for the property you would visit. You can collect the full address when arranging a visit if you don't need it earlier.

4. What would you like done?

Use a message box with this prompt below its label:

Tell us which part of the property needs work and what you'd like to change. Rough sizes are helpful if you know them.

For example, this fictional enquiry gives you something to discuss:

We'd like to replace the steps from our back door to the garden. There are three steps at the moment. We're looking for advice on the layout and a quote for the work.

Keep a free-text option even if you add a list of job types. Customers may not know which category to choose.

5. When would you like the work done? (optional)

Offer broad choices such as As soon as you have availability, Within the next three months, Later on and Not sure yet. Add a space for a particular date if it matters.

A preferred date helps you discuss availability. It shouldn't appear to reserve a slot in your diary.

Extra questions for extensions and larger projects

If you mainly handle larger projects, these may be useful before the first conversation. For a general repairs business, you can usually leave them for the reply.

Have you set a rough budget? (optional)

Share a range if you have one. It's fine if you're still working it out.

Let people answer “Not sure yet”. If you use price bands, choose ranges that fit your business. Don't present them as estimates of what a particular job will cost.

Do you have drawings or plans? (optional)

Let us know what you have so far. You can send documents after we've replied.

That tells you what you can look at together, without making customers find files before they can contact you. Ask what they already have; leave planning requirements out of the form.

Would you like to add photos? (optional)

If your website supports uploads, explain which file types and sizes it accepts. Let people send the enquiry without a photo. If uploads aren't available, offer to request pictures in your reply instead.

Say what happens after they press send

Use a button such as Send enquiry. Use booking wording only if the customer really is booking an appointment.

Show a confirmation after the website has successfully received the message. This made-up example suits a business that reviews enquiries before arranging a visit:

Thanks, we've received your enquiry. We'll contact you to discuss the job and whether we can help. A visit or start date hasn't been booked yet.

If you include a response time, choose one you can keep. Only promise a confirmation email if your website actually sends one.

For errors, explain what needs fixing beside the relevant field. “Enter an email address we can reply to” is more useful than “Invalid input”. W3C's guidance on form notifications covers clear error messages and confirmation of successful submissions.

Test the whole enquiry on your phone

Before putting the form on your website, send a test using contact details you control:

Read every field label after you've typed into the box. Labels should stay visible and be properly connected to their fields, as W3C's form labelling guidance explains.
Leave optional questions blank and check the enquiry still sends.
Miss a required field and check the form tells you how to fix it without losing the rest of the message.
Confirm the enquiry reaches the inbox or dashboard you actually check. Look in spam if it's missing.
Check the success message matches what happened. Receiving an enquiry, sending an email and booking a visit are separate actions.
Try the phone or email link beside the form, so there's another way to contact you.

If you're choosing a website provider, ask them to show you this whole process. Our tradesman website checklist covers enquiry delivery, mobile use and the other questions to ask before paying.