3 Ways to Use AI as a Home Improvement Contractor

Within the past two years, AI has exploded onto the scene and transformed the way businesses operate. In fact, the adoption of this technology has been so widespread that as of 2024, 72% of businesses reported using AI for at least one function inside of their business. 

Home improvement might not be known for being early tech adopters, but that’s changing fast. Contractors who embrace AI are winning more jobs, working more efficiently, and boosting profits.

So if you’re running a home improvement business, you may ask yourself how you can stay ahead of the curve in an ever-changing marketplace. To help you get started, keep reading for three tips on how to use AI as a contractor.

1) Generating More (and Better) Leads

Let’s start at the very beginning of the customer lifecycle and talk about leads. As a contractor, your best customers will often come from past customers. As Pareto’s Principle indicates, 20% of your customers will generate 80% of your business. Use AI and your customer data from your CRM software to identify exactly who that top 20% is. 

By analyzing past customer behavior, demographics, and engagement, AI can pinpoint where your best leads come from – whether it’s referrals, organic search, or targeted advertising. When you use a CRM like Builder Prime with up-to-the-second and down-to-the-decimal accurate reports, you can easily pull the reports you need, upload them to AI, and ask for an analysis. 

A sample prompt you could try after uploading a completed project report is: “Please ingest this file to help with data analysis and visualization. You are a data analysis expert. I will ask questions. You need to reply with data-backed answers and graphs.” You can then go on to ask questions such as, “Which lead source produced the highest close ratio for projects completed last month?”  

Then, you can double down on what’s working. This data-driven approach ensures you're not just getting more leads, but the right leads. You’ll be able to attract more homeowners who are ready to sign on the dotted line, not just kick tires.

‍

2) Developing Systems and Strategies within the Business  

As Michael Gerber, author of The E-Myth Revisited, has said, “Systems permit ordinary people to achieve extraordinary results predictably.” Without systems, it’s impossible to scale your home improvement business. But how is a home improvement contractor supposed to go about creating those systems? 

That’s where AI can come in. Let’s say you want to create an automation strategy with templates for moving a lead through the system. You can ask AI to generate an omnichannel strategy for lead management or even request specific recommendations such as, “After we send an estimate, give me a strategy to get the estimate signed and win the job.”

You can try various suggestions before determining which AI-provided closing strategy works best for your business.

‍

3) Improving Communication with Clients and Prospects   

While you can’t replace authentic human connection in business, your team can utilize AI-powered communication tools to work more efficiently and effectively. 

For instance, left to their own devices, salespeople may spend unnecessary time trying to come up with the perfect response to a prospect or a client. Or worse – they may put off a response because they’re not sure what to say or don’t have the time to write back. In an industry where speed to lead is critical, you must provide your team with the tools to respond quickly.  

AI is the perfect solution for that. In fact, contractors who use Builder Prime as their all-in-one business management software get access to an AI-powered communication assistant called Robbie (yes, as in “robot”!). 

 So, let’s say you or your team is communicating with a prospect. They express interest in your services. Robbie will then automatically generate helpful suggested SMS/text message responses that you or your team can simply approve and send, or easily edit as needed and then send. Robbie can even check your team’s schedule for you and propose a time to meet with that prospect. 

You can also use Robbie to follow up after the sale and request 5-star reviews to help increase your search rankings and further improve your reputation. This can be one of the most essential aspects of your marketing – it’s important you and your team get it right! 

There’s no reason why communication with your prospects and clients cannot be easy, quick, and results-driven.

‍

Bottom Line: Start Experimenting with AI Now 

The sooner you integrate AI into your home improvement business, the sooner you’ll find which AI-powered tools and strategies work best for you. 

If you’re interested in getting a firsthand look at how to use AI in your business with a contractor software like Builder Prime, request a demo here. Our team can show you all of the capabilities that will empower you to make data-driven decisions to move your business forward. And we’ll even introduce you to Robbie! 

AI isn’t just for tech companies – it’s a game-changer for home improvement contractors, too. By integrating AI into your business, you can work smarter, improve customer service, and increase profits. Become an early adopter of AI technology now, and you can get lightyears ahead of the competition before they have a chance to catch up.