Why Your Contractor Emails Are Ending Up in Spam (And How to Fix It)
Imagine sending 100 emails to potential clients this week, but only 20 of them actually see your message. The other 80? They’re sitting in spam folders, and your customers have no idea you even reached out.
This is happening to contractors and local businesses every single day.
You might be doing everything right—sending professional emails, following up on leads, and staying in touch with customers. But if your emails are landing in spam folders instead of inboxes, all that effort disappears. Your customers don’t respond because they never see your message. You lose jobs. Your business suffers.
The frustrating part? It’s usually not your fault. Most contractors don’t know that email delivery depends on way more than just sending an email. Hidden technical requirements determine whether your message reaches the inbox or the spam folder.
In this article, you’ll learn exactly what those requirements are and how to fix them. By the end, you’ll understand why email providers filter messages, how to check your domain’s health, and what to do when your emails don’t reach customers. Apply this information, and you’ll get your emails back in front of your customers where they belong.
How Email Providers Decide Whether Your Emails Get Seen or Filtered
When most contractors think about spam, they picture scam emails or shady marketing messages. But spam filtering isn’t really about intent—it’s about trust.
Email providers like Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo receive billions of emails every day. To protect their users, they rely on automated systems that constantly evaluate which emails appear legitimate and which ones seem risky. These systems don’t know who you are or how honest your business is. They only see signals.
When enough signals suggest uncertainty, email providers filter your messages—even by mistake.
That’s why legitimate business emails sometimes land in spam folders. You can write professional messages, follow up responsibly, and communicate with real customers, but if email providers aren’t confident in your domain or sending behavior yet, they err on the side of caution.
For contractors and local businesses, this matters more than most people realize. When a customer doesn’t see your email, they don’t consciously decide to ignore you. They assume you never replied, move on, and hire someone else.
One filtered email can mean a missed estimate. A missed estimate can mean losing a job worth thousands of dollars.
Email deliverability isn’t a marketing bonus—it’s a business requirement. If your emails aren’t reliably reaching inboxes, the rest of your follow-up process breaks down no matter how good your service is.
Understanding how email providers make these decisions is the first step to fixing the problem—and it starts with knowing what signals they actually care about.
Why Your Domain’s Reputation Matters More Than Your Email Provider
One of the biggest misconceptions contractors have about email deliverability is assuming that using a professional email service automatically solves spam problems. In reality, email providers don’t judge your emails in isolation—they evaluate your entire domain.
Think of your domain as a reputation profile. Everything connected to it contributes to how much email providers trust you. That includes your email configuration, your website, the IP addresses tied to your hosting, and your overall sending behavior over time.
When you send an email, providers look beyond the mail server itself. They check whether your website’s server IP has a history of spam issues, whether your domain has proper authentication in place, how long the domain has existed, and how your site appears across search engines — signals that are often addressed through ongoing search engine optimization. If enough of these factors raise concern, email providers will filter your messages even if you use a fully legitimate email provider.
This is why deliverability issues can feel confusing. A contractor can have Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 set up correctly, with proper authentication records, and still see emails land in spam. If a blacklisted website IP or other reputation issues affect the domain, email filters treat all outgoing email more aggressively.
We’ve seen this happen firsthand. In one case, a spam database had flagged a contractor’s website server IP even though his email setup was technically perfect. Because email providers associate domain reputation across services, that single issue was enough to hurt inbox placement.
The takeaway is simple but critical: email deliverability is a domain-wide issue, not just an email-server issue. To fix spam problems, focus on the full health of your domain rather than just where your inbox is hosted.
A Real Example of Emails Going to Spam Despite Proper Setup
We recently worked with a contractor who was using a professional email service (like Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, GoDaddy, Zoho Mail, or Bluehost). His email setup was perfect. His authentication records were correct. But his emails were still going to spam.
Why? A spam database had blacklisted his website’s server IP, so email filters associated his domain with that IP and aggressively filtered his emails—even though he was sending them through a legitimate email provider.
The lesson: You can have perfect email records and still have deliverability problems if your domain’s overall health is poor. This applies whether you’re using Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, GoDaddy, Zoho Mail, Bluehost, a custom mail server, or any other email service.
The Email Records You Need to Know About
Email deliverability relies on a handful of behind-the-scenes records that tell email providers who you are and whether they should trust your messages. You don’t need to memorize how these records work, but understanding what each one does makes it much easier to diagnose spam problems and know what to fix.
MX Records: Where Your Email Lives
MX stands for “Mail Exchange.” This record tells the internet where to send emails for your domain.
Your MX records should point to wherever your email is hosted. Google Workspace points MX records to Google’s servers. Microsoft 365 points them to Microsoft’s servers. GoDaddy, Zoho Mail, and Bluehost point them to their respective servers. A different provider or custom mail server points MX records to that service’s servers.
Think of it like a mailing address. If someone wants to send you a letter, they need to know where to send it. MX records are your email address on the internet.
Why it matters: If your MX records are wrong or missing, emails won’t reach you at all. They’ll bounce back to the sender.
SPF Records — Permission to Send
SPF stands for “Sender Policy Framework.” This record tells email providers which servers can send emails on behalf of your domain.
For example, if you use Google Workspace, your SPF record should authorize Google’s servers to send emails from your domain. Using Microsoft 365 requires your SPF record to authorize Microsoft’s servers. GoDaddy, Zoho Mail, and Bluehost each require authorization for their own sending servers. Any other email provider requires your SPF record to authorize that provider’s servers. In all cases, if someone else tries to send an email pretending to be from your domain, the SPF record will catch it.
Why it matters: SPF helps prevent people from impersonating your domain. It also helps email providers trust that your emails are legitimate.
DKIM Records — A Digital Signature
DKIM stands for “DomainKeys Identified Mail.” This record adds a digital signature to your emails, kind of like signing a letter with your unique signature.
When you send an email, DKIM adds a code that proves the email really came from your domain. Email providers verify this signature to confirm the message hasn’t been tampered with.
Why it matters: DKIM proves your emails are authentic. It’s one of the strongest signals you can send to email providers that you’re legitimate.
DMARC Records: The Policy
DMARC stands for “Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance.” This record sets a policy for what should happen if an email fails SPF or DKIM checks.
You can tell email providers to quarantine suspicious emails, reject them, or just monitor them. You can also ask for reports about what’s happening with your emails.
Why it matters: DMARC protects your domain from being impersonated. It also gives you visibility into what’s happening with your emails.
Reverse DNS — Your Domain’s Name
Reverse DNS (also called a PTR record) is like a name tag for your IP address. It tells the internet what domain an IP address belongs to.
If your website’s server IP doesn’t have a reverse DNS record, email providers might think it’s suspicious.
Why it matters: Reverse DNS is a small signal, but it adds to your overall reputation. It shows you’ve properly configured your infrastructure.
How to Check Whether Your Email Setup Is Actually Working
You don’t need to understand DNS or be technical to verify your email setup. A few free tools reveal whether your domain is properly configured or quietly hurting your deliverability.
These tools scan your domain the same way email providers do and highlight missing or misconfigured records.
Free tools you can use right now:
- Google Admin Toolbox – Checks MX, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records in one place
- MXToolbox – Provides a comprehensive scan of email records, DNS issues, and common configuration problems
- DMARC Analyzer – Helps interpret DMARC status and reporting data
Running these checks takes just a few minutes and gives you a clear snapshot of your email health.
When reviewing the results, here’s what you should confirm:
- MX records are present – Your domain is correctly routed to your email provider
- SPF record exists and is valid – Authorized servers are allowed to send email on your behalf
- DKIM record is active – Emails are being digitally signed for authenticity
- DMARC record is in place – Email providers know how to handle failed authentication
- Reverse DNS is configured – Your domain and IP are properly associated
If any of these are missing or flagged with warnings, that’s a sign your emails may be filtered more aggressively. If everything checks out clean, that’s a good foundation—but it doesn’t guarantee inbox placement on its own. Domain reputation and blacklist status still play a role, which is why these checks are only one part of the overall picture.
The Real Problem Most Contractors Miss — Blacklists
A blacklist tracks IP addresses known for sending spam. Email providers check these blacklists to decide whether to trust an IP address.
The most important blacklist is Spamhaus, which is used by most major email providers. If your IP is on Spamhaus, your emails will likely go to spam.
Here’s the problem: Your IP might be blacklisted even if you’ve never sent spam. A previous owner may have sent spam, your hosting provider could have a poor reputation, or a simple mistake may have caused the listing.
How to Check If You’re Blacklisted
You can check if your domain’s IP is blacklisted using free tools:
- Spamhaus Lookup (spamhaus.org/lookup/) – Check if your IP is listed
- MXToolbox Blacklist Check (mxtoolbox.com/blacklists.aspx) – Check multiple blacklists at once
Just enter your IP address and the tools will tell you if you’re blacklisted.
What If You’re Blacklisted?
If you find your IP on a blacklist, don’t panic — most services allow you to request delisting. Most blacklist services have a process for removing legitimate IPs.
For Spamhaus, you can visit their lookup page and request delisting. They’ll review your request and usually respond within 24–48 hours.
What Are Spam Scores?
A spam score shows how likely email providers are to mark your message as spam. Different email providers use different scoring systems, but the concept is the same.
A low spam score is good. A high spam score means your emails are more likely to end up in spam folders.
How Spam Scores Are Calculated
Email providers look at dozens of factors:
- Your domain’s age – Older domains are more trusted
- Your sending history – Do you send a lot of emails? Do people mark them as spam?
- Your email records – Are SPF, DKIM, and DMARC set up correctly?
- Your domain’s reputation – Is your IP blacklisted? Is your domain associated with spam?
- Your email content – Does it look like spam? Does it have suspicious links?
- Recipient engagement – Do people open your emails? Do they click links?
All of these factors combine to create your spam score.
Why You Should Check Your Spam Score
You can’t improve what you don’t measure. By checking your spam score, you can identify problems before they hurt your business — and when assessing quality and relevance, it also helps to consider broader principles like cornerstone content that strengthen your overall site authority.
Tools like MailTester (mailtester.com) let you send a test email and get a detailed spam score report. It will tell you exactly what’s hurting your score and how to fix it.
What NOT to Do: Mistakes That Destroy Email Deliverability
Even when your email setup is technically sound, a few common mistakes can quietly undo all that work. These behaviors signal risk to email providers and train spam filters to treat your messages with suspicion. Avoiding them is just as important as configuring your records correctly.
Never Buy Email Lists
Buying email lists is one of the fastest ways to destroy your email reputation. These lists are full of inactive addresses, spam traps, and people who never agreed to hear from you.
When you send emails to these addresses, email servers bounce them back or mark them as spam. Email providers see this and think “this sender doesn’t know what they’re doing” or “this sender is a spammer.”
Instead: Build your own email list from people who actually want to hear from you. Use opt-in forms on your website and analyze your contact data to understand where your best customers are coming from — a tactic similar to how contractors optimize geographic focus in CRM zip code targeting. Ask customers for permission before adding them to your list.
Never Send Bulk Emails to Random People
Sending the same email to 5,000 people at once is a red flag. Email providers see this as spam behavior.
If you need to send emails to multiple people, do it in smaller batches. Space them out over time. Make sure everyone on your list actually wants to hear from you.
Instead: Segment your email list. Send targeted emails to specific groups. Send fewer emails more frequently rather than huge batches all at once.
Never Ignore Unsubscribe Requests
Remove anyone from your email list immediately when they ask.
Ignoring unsubscribe requests is illegal (it violates the CAN-SPAM Act) and it destroys your reputation.
When people mark your emails as spam instead of unsubscribing, email providers notice. They see that people don’t want your emails and start filtering them more aggressively.
Instead: Make it easy for people to unsubscribe. Honor unsubscribe requests within 10 days. Keep your email list clean.
Never Use Misleading Subject Lines
Don’t trick people into opening your emails. Subject lines like “URGENT: Your Account Has Been Compromised” when you’re just sending a sales pitch will get you marked as spam.
People will mark your emails as spam, and email providers will see this. Your reputation will suffer.
Instead: Use honest, clear subject lines that accurately describe what’s in the email, and structure your message in a way that feels intentional and easy to follow—similar to how strong content is built in the anatomy of a blog post.
Never Send Emails Without Permission
Only send emails to people who have agreed to receive them. This opt-in approach forms the foundation of good email practices.
If you send emails to people who never signed up, they’ll mark you as spam. Email providers will see this and start filtering your emails.
Instead: Use opt-in forms on your website and establish reliable routines across all customer touchpoints — a strategy many contractors refine with dedicated business growth coaching to improve both systems and conversions.
The Complete Checklist: Getting Your Emails to the Inbox
Once you understand what causes emails to land in spam, the fix becomes much more straightforward. This checklist walks through the exact steps contractors and local businesses can use to improve deliverability, protect domain reputation, and make sure important messages consistently reach the inbox.
Step 1: Set Up Your Email Records
- Check your MX records are correct
- Add or verify your SPF record
- Add or verify your DKIM record
- Add or verify your DMARC record
- Add a reverse DNS (PTR) record if possible
Verify your setup using Google Admin Toolbox or MXToolbox.
Step 2: Check Your Domain’s Health
- Check if your domain’s IP is blacklisted on Spamhaus
- Check if your domain is blacklisted on other services
- Request delisting if you find any blacklists
- Check your spam score with MailTester
Step 3: Review Your Email Practices
- Only send emails to people who opted in
- Make unsubscribe easy
- Honor unsubscribe requests immediately
- Use honest subject lines
- Send emails in reasonable batches, not all at once
- Never buy email lists
Step 4: Monitor Your Results
- Send test emails to different providers (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo)
- Check if they land in the inbox or spam folder
- Monitor your email bounce rates (should be below 2%)
- Monitor complaint rates (should be below 0.1%)
Why Email Deliverability Matters for Your Business
Email is one of your most powerful marketing tools. It helps you follow up with leads, stay in touch with past customers, and generate repeat business.
But email only works if your emails actually reach people’s inboxes.
By taking the time to set up your email records correctly and maintain a good domain reputation, you’re investing in your business. You’re making sure your marketing efforts actually work. You’re making sure your customers can hear from you.
The contractors who do this get more leads. They get more repeat business. They grow faster.
The contractors who ignore this? They wonder why their emails aren’t working, waste time sending messages recipients never see, and lose business to competitors who did the work.
What to Do Next to Fix Email Deliverability
This week, take these three steps:
- Check your email records by using Google Admin Toolbox to verify MX, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. This takes 10 minutes.
- Visit Spamhaus.org/lookup to check your domain’s IP and request delisting if necessary.
- Send a test email to yourself at Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo. Check if it lands in the inbox or spam folder. If it’s in spam, you know there’s a problem to fix.
That’s it. Three simple steps that will tell you if your email deliverability is working or if there’s a problem.
Resources to Help You
- Google Admin Toolbox – toolbox.googleapps.com/apps/checkmx/
- MXToolbox – mxtoolbox.com
- Spamhaus Lookup – spamhaus.org/lookup/
- MailTester – mailtester.com
- Google Workspace Support – support.google.com/a/
Email Deliverability Is Fixable — If You Take Ownership
Your emails matter. They connect you with customers, support your follow-ups, and play a direct role in how your business grows.
Don’t let them disappear into spam folders. Take the time to set up your email records correctly, monitor your domain’s health, and follow proven best practices. Small fixes in the right places can make a noticeable difference in whether customers actually see your messages.
If email deliverability issues feel overwhelming or you want help improving the systems behind your outreach, working with a team that understands domain reputation, technical setup, and long-term visibility can save you time and frustration. Our marketing services focus on building trust signals that help businesses communicate more reliably and grow without fighting avoidable technical problems.
Your future customers are waiting to hear from you. Make sure your message reaches them.
