Best answering services for contractors in 2026
The best answering service for contractors in October 2026 depends on who should pick up and where the job gets booked. PATLive and AnswerForce put live agents on your calls and name Jobber, Housecall Pro and ServiceTitan. AnswerHero sells the cheapest live minutes in this list. Jobber and Housecall Pro shops can add their software’s own AI receptionist.
LobbyStack publishes this list and sells an AI receptionist. You’ll find it in the AI section with its limits spelled out, including the one many contractors care about most: it doesn’t sync with Jobber, Housecall Pro, ServiceTitan or JobNimbus.
Prices checked October 9 and 10, 2026. We read every price on the vendor’s own site, in US dollars before tax unless a line says otherwise. This list covers general contractors, remodelers, roofers and electricians. HVAC and plumbing companies have their own lists: the best HVAC answering services and the best plumbing answering services.
Which answering service is best for contractors?
Start with the call that costs you the most when it reaches voicemail. For a remodeler, that’s a kitchen estimate request. For a roofer, it’s the flood of leak calls the morning after hail. Then check where the booking lands, because retyping every lead into Jobber or JobNimbus eats the time the service saved you.
- PATLive, best for roofers and builders on AccuLynx, Buildertrend or Procore: live agents book inspections and estimates, from $49 a month plus $2.99 a minute.
- AnswerForce, best for remodelers on Improveit360, Jobber or Housecall Pro: human agents in English and Spanish, $349 a month for 200 minutes.
- AnswerHero, cheapest live minutes: bilingual agents on every plan, $279 a month for 250 minutes and no setup fee.
- Smith.ai, best for detailed estimate intake: live or AI receptionists that ask about scope, budget, timeline and permits.
- Jobber Receptionist, best for Jobber shops: a $29 add-on with 30 conversations a month.
- Sameday AI, best for roofers on JobNimbus or AccuLynx with a budget: an AI phone system from $449 a month for 500 minutes.
- OnCrew, lowest AI bill in our storm month: $49 for 100 calls, then $0.99 a call.
- LobbyStack (ours), best for Google Calendar shops on a small budget: $30 a month for 150 minutes with no setup fee. It answers each caller in their own language, from 70+ languages.
How do these contractor answering services compare?
These services bill per minute, per call or per conversation. The last two columns price each one at the same call pattern, once for a normal month and once for a storm month.
Assumptions: 4 minutes a call (our assumption, not vendor data, since estimate intake takes a few questions), 50 calls (200 minutes) in a normal month and 200 calls (800 minutes) in a storm month, every call answered, the cheapest plan or plan plus overage that covers the volume, no add-ons, US dollars before tax, prices as of October 2026.
| Service | Who answers | Entry price | Billing unit | Setup fee | Normal month (50 calls) | Storm month (200 calls) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PATLive | Live | $49/mo + $2.99/min | First minute, then 6-second steps | None listed | $349 | $1,296 |
| AnswerForce | Live, people only | $349/mo for 200 min | Per minute, rounded up | $75 on Intro only | $349 + $75 setup | $1,224 |
| AnswerHero | Live, bilingual | $39/mo for 10 min | Quarter minute, rounded up | None | $279 | $874 |
| Smith.ai Virtual Front Desk | Live receptionists | $300/mo for 30 calls | Per call | None | $530 | $1,965 |
| Posh | Live | CAD 65/mo + CAD 2.30/min, as shown to us | Not stated | Not stated | USD not verified | USD not verified |
| Jobber Receptionist | AI inside Jobber | $29/mo add-on for 30 conversations | Per conversation | None listed | $44.80 + Jobber plan | $163.30 + Jobber plan |
| Housecall Pro CSR AI | AI inside Housecall Pro | Not published | Not published | None listed | Not published | Not published |
| Sameday AI | AI for home services | From $449/mo for 500 min | Not stated | Not stated | From $449 | From $789 |
| OnCrew | AI for trades | $49/mo for 100 calls | Per call | None | $49 | $148 |
| Smith.ai AI Receptionist | AI, with live escalation | $0 for 25 calls | Per call | None listed | $75 | $385 |
| LobbyStack (ours) | AI | $30/mo for 150 min | Per second | None on any plan | $40 | $154 |
The cost section below shows the plan and the math behind each cell.
The best live answering services for contractors
Live agents handle the calls that don’t fit a script, like a homeowner describing water coming through a ceiling light. They cost more per minute than AI, and a storm month multiplies the bill.
PATLive: best for roofers and builders on AccuLynx, Buildertrend or Procore
PATLive’s construction page says its receptionists schedule service calls, inspections and estimates, screen out sales calls, and route by schedule, such as the dispatcher on weekdays and the on-call tech on weekends. It names ServiceTitan, Housecall Pro, Jobber, Service Fusion, FieldPulse, AccuLynx, Buildertrend and Procore, and its HVAC page adds JobNimbus. The construction page mentions weather-related surges but gives no capacity figure.
The pricing page lists 11 tiers, from $49 a month plus $2.99 a minute to 5,000 minutes, with $349 for 200 minutes. PATLive bills the first minute in full, then in 6-second steps, and charges the listed price on nights and holidays. Spanish costs nothing extra, the trial runs 14 days, and there’s no contract.
AnswerForce: best for remodelers on Improveit360, Jobber or Housecall Pro
AnswerForce’s contractor page says agents screen and qualify leads and book estimates into your calendar, in English or Spanish. It names Jobber, Housecall Pro, ServiceTitan, Workiz, Service Fusion, FieldPulse, Improveit360, Encircle, QuickBooks, HubSpot, Salesforce and Zapier. JobNimbus and AccuLynx don’t appear on the contractor page or the roofing page. After each call, a summary goes out by app, email or text.
Prices sit on an unlinked plans page: $349 for 200 minutes with a $75 setup fee, then $389 for 300 and $669 for 500 with no setup fee. Extra minutes cost $1.85 to $2.00. Calls round up to the minute, but the first 30 interactions under 30 seconds in each billing cycle cost nothing.
AnswerHero: cheapest live minutes
AnswerHero’s pricing page has the lowest live rates in this list: $39 for 10 minutes, $79 for 50, $149 for 100, $279 for 250 and $499 for 500, with extra minutes falling from $1.99 to $1.25 across those plans. Every plan lists bilingual agents, and its construction page mentions Spanish-speaking callers. No plan has a setup fee, a contract, or weekend or holiday fees.
Three details raise the bill: calls round up to the quarter minute, live transfers cost $0.06 a minute, and cancelling takes 30 days’ notice before the end of a billing cycle. The construction page covers 24/7 answering, lead capture, scheduling and urgent-call routing, but names no field service software. AnswerHero also sells an AI plan at $19 a month plus $0.79 a minute, and hybrid plans from $90.
Smith.ai Virtual Front Desk: best for detailed estimate intake
Smith.ai’s contractor page lists the intake its receptionists run: project type, residential or commercial, work needed, timeline, budget range, property location and access, and permit needs. Its AI schedules estimates and site visits, while live receptionists handle multi-step scheduling and emergencies that need dispatch.
The live Virtual Front Desk costs $300 for 30 calls, then $11.50 a call, and booking adds $1.50 a call. A 12-minute remodel conversation costs the same as a 1-minute one, and spam costs nothing as long as your forwarded lines pass caller ID. There’s no setup fee, and plans run month to month. Smith.ai’s help center has setup guides for ServiceTitan, Housecall Pro and Jobber.
Posh: first on Google, prices shown to us in Canadian dollars
Posh held the first organic spot for this search on October 10, 2026, and Google’s snippet of its contractor page mentions lead capture, appointments and plans from $65 a month. We couldn’t confirm that in US dollars. Posh served us its Canadian pricing page, which lists CAD 65 a month plus CAD 2.30 a minute and CAD 215 for 100 minutes, effective January 1, 2026. The same page’s FAQ quotes $64 plus $1.99 a minute.
Posh bills on a calendar-month cycle rather than every 28 days, has no long-term contract, and says every plan includes every feature. Ask for the US rate card in writing before you compare it with the others.
What are some AI answering services available for contractors?
Jobber and Housecall Pro sell AI receptionists inside their own software. Sameday AI lists ServiceTitan, JobNimbus and AccuLynx among its connections. OnCrew is built for trades and bills per call. Smith.ai puts live receptionists behind its AI. LobbyStack books into Google Calendar and transfers urgent calls to one number. Pick the AI service that books where your jobs already live.
Jobber Receptionist: best for Jobber shops
Jobber Receptionist is a $29 monthly add-on with 30 conversations, then $0.79 each, or you can pause it at the limit. Jobber Plus includes unlimited use and starts at $399 a month billed annually (help article, updated July 9, 2026). You need a Jobber plan and a Jobber phone number in the US, Canada or the UK, and you can forward your existing number to it.
It books jobs into the Jobber calendar through your online booking settings and submits requests through your request form. Trigger words such as “emergency” send your escalation contact a text with a transcript snippet, or transfer the call right away. It answers texts too. Spam and calls with no real conversation don’t count toward the limit. The help article doesn’t list languages.
Housecall Pro CSR AI: for Housecall Pro shops
CSR AI answers calls and chats 24/7, books jobs in Housecall Pro, and sends callers to a number you choose or to a Housecall Pro Assist Rep. Housecall Pro’s own guide to AI answering services says plans start at $59 a month with unlimited minutes, which matches its Basic plan price. Its help center calls CSR AI an optional paid add-on, though, and we found no add-on price. Ask what CSR AI adds to your bill before the free trial ends. The feature page says text answering isn’t available yet.
Sameday AI: best for roofers on JobNimbus or AccuLynx with a budget
Sameday’s homepage lists JobNimbus, AccuLynx, ServiceTitan (as a certified app), Housecall Pro, FieldRoutes and Service Fusion, plus lead sources such as Thumbtack, Google Local Services and Angi. It links a roofing page and a roofing customer story. Its example setup includes an “Emergency line” that rings every team member on nights and weekends, and an after-hours leads queue.
Pricing starts at $449 a month for 500 minutes and $789 for 1,000 (pricing page). Sameday publishes no overage rate, and multilingual voices come only on Enterprise. The pricing page names only ServiceTitan for scheduling, so ask Sameday to write a test job into JobNimbus or AccuLynx before you sign.
OnCrew: lowest AI bill in our storm month
OnCrew answers for HVAC, plumbing, electrical and roofing contractors and bills per call: $49 for 100 calls, $149 for 400 and $349 for 1,000, then $0.99 a call (pricing page). Emergencies trigger a text and email to your on-call team with the transcript and recording. Live transfers announce the caller before connecting, and plans include 4, 6 or 16 transfer destinations. If nobody answers within about 25 seconds, it takes a message.
Spanish is a free setting, and its AI answering page says English and Spanish are the only languages. OnCrew syncs with Google Calendar. Housecall Pro connects only on Housecall Pro’s MAX plan. Jobber and ServiceTitan receive one record per call through a webhook export, and OnCrew doesn’t book onto their schedules. The 14-day trial needs no card, and setup is included.
Smith.ai AI Receptionist: AI with live receptionists behind it
Smith.ai’s AI Receptionist has a Free plan with 25 calls a month, then $3.00 a call. Pro charges $2.00 a call for 75 calls ($150), $1.80 for 150 and $1.67 for 300, with extra calls at $2.17 to $2.50. Calls can transfer to a live receptionist in North America, and the pricing page lists no fee for that. Plans run month to month with 30 days’ notice to cancel, and you can remove up to 10% of each cycle’s calls from the bill as spam.
LobbyStack (ours): best for Google Calendar shops on a small budget
LobbyStack’s Starter plan costs $30 a month for 150 minutes, then $0.20 a minute. Pro costs $100 for 500 minutes, then $0.18. Billed annually, they cost $24 and $80 a month, and no plan has a setup fee. LobbyStack counts usage in seconds and doesn’t bill spam or calls under 10 seconds. Plans don’t limit how many calls it answers at once.
You get a number in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia or New Zealand and can forward your existing business number to it. It answers every call or only overflow or after-hours calls. It books estimate visits into Google Calendar and, with the caller’s consent, texts a confirmation and a 24-hour reminder to US and Canadian numbers. Every call’s summary, transcript and recording lands in the dashboard, and you get an email when it takes a message, with text alerts optional. Each call opens in the business’s default language (English, French, Spanish, Serbian, German, Brazilian Portuguese, Italian or Dutch), then the receptionist answers in the caller’s language: 70+ languages on OpenAI GPT-Live, Spanish included. The code is MIT open source, and you can self-host it.
It has no integration with Jobber, Housecall Pro, ServiceTitan, JobNimbus or any CRM, and Google Calendar is its only calendar. Signed webhooks for 6 events and a REST API can send call data elsewhere, but you build that connection. Transfers are blind and go to one number without a briefing. If a transfer can’t go through, it tells the caller, offers to take a message, and your team can get a “Live call transfer failed” alert. No human agents back it up, and the AI doesn’t reply to texts. Free gives you 30 voice minutes and a US or Canadian number free for 14 days, with no card. During the trial, transfers go only to the mobile number you verified. See how it handles storm calls on the roofing answering service page. LobbyStack also has pages for garage door companies, restoration companies, appliance repair and locksmiths.
How much does an answering service for contractors cost?
At 50 four-minute calls a month, the live services with published US prices cost $279 to $530, and the AI services cost $40 to $75, with Sameday AI from $449. In a 200-call storm month, live services cost $874 to $1,965 and AI services $148 to $385, with Sameday AI from $789. Jobber Receptionist also needs a Jobber plan.
Housecall Pro publishes no CSR AI price, and Posh showed us only Canadian dollars, so we left both out. For other industries, see what an answering service costs.
A normal month (50 calls) and a storm month (200 calls)
Each line shows the cheapest option for 200 minutes, then for 800 minutes:
- AnswerHero: $279 for 250 minutes; $499 + 300 x $1.25 = $874
- PATLive: $349 for 200 minutes; $759 + 300 x $1.79 = $1,296
- AnswerForce: $349 for 200 minutes plus $75 setup once, or $389 for 300 minutes with no setup fee; $669 + 300 x $1.85 = $1,224
- Smith.ai Virtual Front Desk: $300 + 20 x $11.50 = $530; $810 + 110 x $10.50 = $1,965. Booking on every call adds $75, then $300.
- Smith.ai AI Receptionist: Free plan, 25 extra calls x $3.00 = $75; Pro’s 150-call tier, 150 x $1.80 = $270, plus 50 x $2.30 = $385
- Jobber Receptionist: $29 + 20 x $0.79 = $44.80; $29 + 170 x $0.79 = $163.30, plus a Jobber plan
- OnCrew: $49; $49 + 100 x $0.99 = $148
- Sameday AI: from $449; from $789 for 1,000 minutes, because Sameday publishes no overage rate for the 500-minute plan
- LobbyStack (ours): $30 + 50 x $0.20 = $40; $100 + 300 x $0.18 = $154
Per-call pricing favors long calls, and per-minute pricing favors short ones. At 4 minutes a call, LobbyStack’s overage works out to $0.72 to $0.80 a call against OnCrew’s $0.99, but OnCrew’s included calls make it cheaper in our storm month.
Fees that change the bill
AnswerForce charges $75 setup on Intro. AnswerHero charges $0.06 a minute for live transfers and rounds calls up to the quarter minute. Smith.ai’s live plans charge $1.50 a call for booking and $1.00 a call for a dedicated Spanish line. PATLive charges $50 once to turn on business texting. Jobber Receptionist needs a Jobber plan, which starts at $29 a month billed annually for Core. OnCrew charges $0.05 per alert text past 150, 500 or 1,500 a month, depending on the plan.
LobbyStack has no setup fee on any plan. If you set a monthly overage spending cap and reach it, new calls get a busy signal, so set the cap with your storm months in mind.
Which services book estimates into Jobber, Housecall Pro, ServiceTitan or JobNimbus?
PATLive names all four across its construction and HVAC pages. AnswerForce names Jobber, Housecall Pro and ServiceTitan. Sameday AI lists ServiceTitan, Housecall Pro and JobNimbus. Jobber and Housecall Pro build their own receptionists. LobbyStack connects to none of them and books into Google Calendar.
| Service | Jobber | Housecall Pro | ServiceTitan | JobNimbus | Other contractor tools named |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PATLive | Named | Named | Named | Named on HVAC page | AccuLynx, Buildertrend, Procore, FieldPulse, Service Fusion |
| AnswerForce | Named | Named | Named | Not named | Improveit360, Workiz, Service Fusion, FieldPulse, Encircle |
| AnswerHero | Not named | Not named | Not named | Not named | Lists integrations as a feature, names none |
| Smith.ai | Setup guide | Setup guide | Named, setup guide | Not named | HubSpot, Salesforce, Zapier |
| Posh | Not checked | Not checked | Not checked | Not checked | Its contractor page didn’t load for us |
| Jobber Receptionist | Built in | No | No | No | Jobber only |
| Housecall Pro CSR AI | No | Built in | No | No | Housecall Pro only |
| Sameday AI | Not named | Named | Certified app | Named | AccuLynx, FieldRoutes, Service Fusion |
| OnCrew | One record per call by webhook | Connects on Housecall Pro MAX | One record per call by webhook | Not named | Google Calendar sync |
| LobbyStack (ours) | No | No | No | No | Google Calendar; signed webhooks for 6 events; REST API |
“Named” means the vendor lists the tool on its own page. It doesn’t tell you whether an agent types the job in by hand or the booking lands on your schedule during the call. Ask each finalist to book a test estimate into your software, then check the customer record, job type, address and notes.
With LobbyStack, someone in your office copies each booking from Google Calendar or the call summary into your software, or you build that step with the webhooks and API.
What happens after hours and during a storm surge?
Every service here answers nights and weekends, and none of the ones that state a policy charge more for them. The differences are who gets the urgent call and what a surge does to the bill. For coverage after you close, see after-hours answering for contractors.
| Service | Urgent calls go to | Nights and weekends |
|---|---|---|
| PATLive | Routing by schedule, such as the dispatcher on weekdays and the on-call tech on weekends | Listed price 24/7, holidays included |
| AnswerForce | Emergency answering day and night | 24/7 |
| AnswerHero | Team members you name | No weekend or holiday fees |
| Smith.ai | Live receptionists coordinate emergencies that need dispatch | Same price 24/7 |
| Jobber Receptionist | Trigger words send a text or a transfer to your escalation contact | 24/7 |
| Housecall Pro CSR AI | A number you choose or a Housecall Pro Assist Rep | 24/7 |
| Sameday AI | “Emergency line” rings every team member | Night, weekend and after-hours queues |
| OnCrew | Text and email to the on-call team; transfers announce the caller | 24/7 |
| LobbyStack (ours) | Your rules decide what’s urgent; blind transfer to one number; message and alert if it fails | Answers whatever your carrier forwards |
What a storm does to each kind of service
A regional storm hits every contractor in town at once, and a live service’s other clients in your area may call at the same moment you need it. Ask each one how it staffs a storm. PATLive’s construction page mentions weather-related surges and overflow handling. Sameday’s homepage shows staff asking its agent to rebook every job cancelled during a storm.
LobbyStack’s plans don’t limit how many calls it answers at once, and new calls get a busy signal only if you set an overage cap and reach it. Price your storm month from the cost table before the season starts.
Is an answering service worth it for a contractor?
It pays when the jobs you’d save cover the bill. Count the estimate requests that reached voicemail last month, multiply by the share that would have signed and by your margin per job, then compare that with the month’s price above.
Take an example with made-up inputs: 6 missed estimate requests, 1 in 3 signing and $1,500 of margin per job come to $3,000. A normal month costs $40 to $530 on the services with complete prices above. Try your own numbers in the missed-call revenue calculator.
Run the numbers for your slow season too. Low base fees keep a quiet month cheap: PATLive’s pay-as-you-go plan starts at $49, AnswerHero’s Economy plan at $39 and LobbyStack’s Starter at $30.
How do you choose an answering service for your trade?
1. Price your busiest and slowest months
Pull call counts and average call length for your busiest and slowest months from your phone bill. Per-call plans need the count, and per-minute plans need the minutes. Roofers should price a storm month.
2. Place three test calls before you sign
Call each finalist three times: a bathroom remodel estimate request, a 9 p.m. call about an active leak, and a Spanish-speaking caller. Check who answered, what the summary said, and whether the urgent call reached your phone. Trials: PATLive 14 days, OnCrew 14 days, Housecall Pro’s free trial, Smith.ai’s AI Free plan, and LobbyStack Free, with 30 minutes and a US or Canadian number free for 14 days.
3. Watch a booking land in your software
Ask each finalist to book a test estimate into Jobber, Housecall Pro, ServiceTitan, JobNimbus or AccuLynx while you watch. If it can’t, price the office time it takes to retype each lead.
4. Keep your number with call forwarding
Forward your existing number from your carrier for overflow, after-hours or every call, so the number on your trucks and yard signs stays the same. Jobber Receptionist needs a Jobber phone number, and you forward your business line to it. With LobbyStack, your carrier’s forwarding rule decides which calls it answers. Calls from your Google listing follow the same rule, and our guide to Google Business Profile calls shows how to track them.
Questions about answering services for contractors
Is there a free answering service for contractors?
No live service in this list is free; trials come closest. Smith.ai’s AI Free plan covers 25 real calls a month, then $3.00 a call. LobbyStack Free gives you 30 voice minutes and a US or Canadian number free for 14 days, with no card, so it can answer your business line for two weeks if you forward it.
Can an answering service book estimates for contractors?
Yes. PATLive, AnswerForce and Smith.ai say their receptionists book estimates, and Smith.ai lists the intake questions it asks. Jobber Receptionist and Housecall Pro CSR AI book inside their own software. OnCrew sends requests to your calendar for your team to confirm, or books open slots if you turn that on. LobbyStack books estimate visits into Google Calendar.
Can I use a contractor answering service only after hours?
Yes. Set your carrier to forward calls once you close, and the service answers only those calls. PATLive charges its listed price around the clock, and AnswerHero lists no weekend or holiday fees. LobbyStack answers whatever your carrier forwards, so your forwarding rule sets its hours, whether that’s nights, weekends or only the calls your office misses.
Does LobbyStack work with Jobber, ServiceTitan or JobNimbus?
No. LobbyStack has no integration with Jobber, Housecall Pro, ServiceTitan, JobNimbus or any CRM, and Google Calendar is its only calendar. Signed webhooks for 6 events and a REST API can send call data to other tools, but someone has to build that connection. If the job must land in your software during the call, pick another vendor.
Can a contractor answering service answer in Spanish?
Yes. PATLive, AnswerForce and OnCrew list English and Spanish, AnswerHero lists bilingual agents on every plan, and Smith.ai’s live plans charge $1.00 a call for a dedicated Spanish line. LobbyStack opens each call in your choice of eight languages, then answers in the caller’s language across 70+ languages, Spanish included.
How we checked these services
Updated October 10, 2026. We read each price, billing unit and setup fee on the vendor’s own pricing page, help center or industry page on October 9 or 10, 2026, and we compare different billing units only at the call pattern above. Posh served us Canadian prices, so we didn’t convert them. AnswerPro, which also ranks for this search, publishes no prices. A Message Center, MAP Communications, Specialty Answering Service and Ruby appear in our HVAC and plumbing lists. LobbyStack’s figures come from its pricing page. Our next price check is January 2027.
Sources, all read October 9 or 10, 2026:
- PATLive: pricing, construction page, HVAC page
- AnswerForce: plans, contractor page, roofing page
- AnswerHero: pricing, construction page
- Smith.ai: Virtual Front Desk pricing, AI Receptionist pricing, contractor page
- Posh: pricing (served in CAD)
- Jobber: Receptionist help article, pricing
- Housecall Pro: CSR AI, pricing
- Sameday AI: pricing, homepage
- OnCrew: pricing, AI answering page
Which answering service should your company pick?
- People on every call and bookings in AccuLynx, Buildertrend or JobNimbus: PATLive.
- A remodeler on Improveit360, or live agents writing jobs into Jobber or Housecall Pro: AnswerForce.
- Live agents at the lowest per-minute price: AnswerHero.
- Already on Jobber or Housecall Pro: try the built-in receptionist first.
- A roofer on JobNimbus or AccuLynx who wants AI: Sameday AI.
- Google Calendar booking for $30 to $100 a month, with callers in many languages: LobbyStack.
Want to hear LobbyStack take an estimate request before you pay? Create a free account and test it with 30 voice minutes and a free number for 14 days, no card needed. Paid plans have no setup fee. Then see how it covers nights and weekends on the after-hours answering for contractors page.