AI receptionists for contractors: guides, trade pages, and honest comparisons

Six and a half months of real calls to a working painting company: how many were robocalls, when real customers call, and how many come after hours. With how we counted.

Sixteen products in one table: price, metering, booking, follow-up, outbound, review replies. Each row links to a full comparison.

A worked calculation for painters, roofers, HVAC and plumbing companies: how many calls you miss, what each one was worth, and what it adds up to in a year. With a fix that doesn't involve hiring.

The follow-up sequence a painting contractor uses on every unsigned quote: timing, exact texts, what to say to 'too expensive' and 'need to think about it', and how to automate it without sounding like a robot.

A quarter of a service company's calls come in outside business hours, and most ring out. What those calls are worth, why voicemail loses them, and the options from on-call rotations to AI answering.

Live answering services and AI receptionists solve the same missed-call problem in different ways. A contractor's comparison of cost per call, what each can and can't do, and the cases where humans still win.

Why replying to every Google review matters for a home-service company, what to say to good, mixed and bad reviews, the mistakes that make a bad review worse, and how to keep up with it when you're on a job site.

How missed-call text-back works for a home-service business, the exact texts that get replies, compliance basics, and why it recovers some callers but doesn't book any of them.

What to ask, how to give a range by truck volume, which items never get a phone price, and how to book the pickup on the same call. With published 2026 price ranges.

Since October 1, 2026, a Local Services Ads call that rings past 20 seconds with nobody answering can be charged. What was already charged, why a separate LSA number is the wrong fix, and three ways to answer on one number.

The Zapier setup, step by step: leads in, finished jobs and sent quotes back, and what each tool can and can't pass along today.

Thumbtack sends each request to several pros. How Alex texts the lead first, books the estimate, and what it can't do inside Thumbtack.

Angi matches each lead with up to 4 pros. The setup email, the connected-numbers setting that decides whether texts arrive, and the credit rule to know.

Request a Quote leads through Zapier: what happens with and without a phone number, and why you still reply inside Yelp.

Pay-per-lead goes to up to 4 contractors. The one question to ask your Networx rep before you count on it.

AI Front Desk Helper was built inside a working painting company. It answers every estimate call, books it on your calendar, follows up on every quote that goes quiet, and shows you which lead source is producing paid jobs.

Roofing calls come in bursts and go to whoever answers first. AI Front Desk Helper answers every call at once, books the inspection on your calendar, follows up on every quote, and tracks which lead source paid.

HVAC calls are urgent and after-hours. AI Front Desk Helper answers every emergency, books it on your calendar, rings your on-call tech on the true emergencies, follows up on every system quote, and tracks which lead source paid.

Plumbing calls are urgent and unscheduled. AI Front Desk Helper answers every call 24/7, sorts emergency from routine, books on your calendar, rings your on-call tech on true emergencies, follows up on every quote, and tracks lead sources.

Electrical calls range from a dead circuit at 9 pm to a $4,000 panel upgrade. AI Front Desk Helper answers 24/7, triages by your rules, rings your on-call tech on true emergencies, books the rest on your calendar, and follows up every quote.

Landscaping and fencing are seasonal and referral-driven. AI Front Desk Helper answers every spring call, books estimates on your calendar, follows up on quotes, and runs outbound reactivation to past customers before the season starts.

Alex answers every lawn call from the mower seat: gives a ballpark from your price sheet, books the right route day and sets up weekly mowing.

Remodeling leads are high-ticket and slow to close. AI Front Desk Helper answers every call, qualifies budget and scope, books the consultation on your calendar, and follows up on every proposal until the customer decides.

Junk removal callers want a rough price and a time on the first call. AI Front Desk Helper gives a ballpark by truck volume from your price sheet, books a same-day arrival window, assigns the crew, and follows up on every quote.

Window cleaning callers want a price before they'll book. AI Front Desk Helper asks inside or out and how many windows, gives a ballpark from your per-window rates and minimum, and books an arrival window your crews can make.

Pressure washing callers want a price for the driveway, the house or the deck before they book. AI Front Desk Helper gives a ballpark from your price sheet for each surface, books an arrival window, and follows up on every quote.

Cleaning callers want a price and a regular day. AI Front Desk Helper quotes by bedrooms and bathrooms from your price sheet, books the first clean, and sets up weekly, every-2-weeks or monthly visits on the same call.

Pest callers want a price and a fast visit. AI Front Desk Helper quotes one-time treatments and plans by home size, books inspections for termites, bed bugs and rodents, and keeps quarterly or monthly visits booked.

Answers every pool call on the route, books openings, green-pool cleanups and repairs, and keeps weekly service on a repeating schedule.

Answers every pool inquiry, asks budget, timeline and yard access, books the design consultation, and follows up every proposal until they decide.

Answers every flooring call, asks rooms, square footage and material, books the in-home measure on your calendar, and follows up every quote.

Answers every garage door call 24/7, gives a ballpark for springs, openers and new doors from your price sheet, and books the repair.

Answers every water damage call 24/7, sends active leaks to your on-call crew with a briefing, gets the insurance details, and books inspections.

Answers every tree call, even from the bucket. Sends storm emergencies to your crew, books removal and trimming estimates, and follows up quotes.

Answers every call from the pour, asks size, tear-out and access, books driveway, patio and flatwork estimates, and follows up every quote.

Answers every window call, asks how many windows, their age and timeline, books the in-home consultation, and follows up every window quote.

AI Front Desk Helper and My AI Front Desk (Frontdesk AI) are unrelated companies. Here's what each does, published 2026 pricing, and which one fits a home-service contractor.

Sameday AI and AI Front Desk Helper are both built for home-service companies. Published 2026 pricing, where each wins, and which one fits your size of shop.

Goodcall is a low-cost, any-industry AI phone agent with unlimited minutes. Here's how it compares to AI Front Desk Helper for home-service contractors, with published 2026 pricing.

Rosie (heyrosie.com) is a simple, well-liked AI answering service from $49/month. Here's how it compares to AI Front Desk Helper for contractors, with published 2026 pricing.

Jobber's AI Receptionist is a $29/month add-on that answers calls and texts and books through Jobber's online booking. Here's how it compares to AI Front Desk Helper for contractors already on Jobber.

Smith.ai pairs an AI receptionist with live North American agents, billed per call. Here's how it compares to AI Front Desk Helper for home-service contractors, with published 2026 pricing.

Dialzara is a low-entry, per-minute AI answering service from $29/month. Here's how it compares to AI Front Desk Helper for home-service contractors, with published 2026 pricing.

Housecall Pro's CSR AI answers calls and books jobs inside Housecall Pro. Here's how it compares to AI Front Desk Helper for contractors on Housecall Pro, with published 2026 pricing.

Avoca AI is a venture-backed AI front office for large HVAC, plumbing and electrical shops on ServiceTitan. Here's how it compares to AI Front Desk Helper for smaller contractors.

Signpost pairs 500 AI minutes with live receptionists and lead responders for Angi, Thumbtack and Facebook. Here's how it compares to AI Front Desk Helper for contractors, with published 2026 pricing.

Podium bundles reviews, messaging and payments with an AI Employee, sold on annual contracts. Here's how it compares to AI Front Desk Helper for home-service contractors, with what businesses report paying in 2026.

ServiceTitan's AI Virtual Agent books straight onto the dispatch board for shops already on ServiceTitan Pro. Here's how it compares to AI Front Desk Helper, and who each is really for.

Ruby is a live, human virtual receptionist service from $250/month for 50 minutes. Here's how it compares to AI Front Desk Helper for home-service contractors, with published 2026 pricing.

Workiz's Genius Answering is an AI receptionist add-on for Workiz users that books jobs onto technicians' calendars. Here's how it compares to AI Front Desk Helper, with what Workiz publishes.

RingCentral's AI Receptionist is a $39–$49/month add-on with 100 minutes for businesses on RingEX. Here's how it compares to AI Front Desk Helper for contractors, with 2026 pricing.

Bland AI is a per-minute platform for building AI phone agents. How it compares to AI Front Desk Helper for contractors, with 2026 pricing.

Nextiva's XBert AI receptionist is $99 for 100 interactions, $0.99 each after. How it compares to AI Front Desk Helper for contractors.

net2phone's AI Agent is sold in credit packs from $99.99/month. How it compares to AI Front Desk Helper for home-service contractors.

Ring Savvy is a live human answering service in New York. How it compares to AI Front Desk Helper for home-service contractors.

ContractorSites is a contractor CRM with a 24/7 AI call agent from $297/mo. How it compares to AI Front Desk Helper, and which one fits your shop.

Wakeman catches missed and after-hours calls for plumbing, HVAC and electrical shops from $149/month and books into Jobber. How it compares, with published pricing.