Answering Services for Contractors Compared (2026)

A water heater fails at 7 p.m. The homeowner calls the first plumber on Google, gets voicemail, and calls the second one. That's the whole case for an answering service, and it's why so many trade owners end up comparing Smith.ai, Ruby and the newer AI receptionists.

The options split three ways. Human receptionists like Ruby sound like a person because they are one, and they bill by the minute. AI services like Goodcall and Rosie answer every call for a flat monthly price. And field service apps like Jobber and Clevra now have their own AI receptionists that drop the call straight into your jobs.

This guide compares seven answering services for contractors. We make Clevra, so it's listed first. We'll also say where the dedicated services do more, because on booking during the call and human backup they do.

Prices were checked on each company's own site on October 28, 2026.

Answering services for contractors in one minute

• Clevra AI Receptionist: trade crews of 1 to 15 that want each call filed as a request on the right client, inside the app they estimate, schedule and invoice from. An add-on for Pro and Business.
• Smith.ai: AI or human receptionists, priced per call, with lead screening and Spanish.
• Ruby: live human receptionists, priced per minute, with no long-term contract.
• Goodcall: AI-only answering priced per unique caller, with Google Calendar booking.
• Rosie: low-cost AI answering priced by minutes, with English and Spanish.
• Jobber Receptionist: Jobber's AI add-on that answers calls and texts and books into the Jobber schedule.
• Housecall Pro CSR AI: Housecall Pro's AI call answering, sold separately.

Prices at a glance

• Clevra: AI Receptionist is an add-on for Pro ($49/mo, or $39 billed yearly, up to 5 users) and Business ($99/mo, or $79 yearly, up to 15). Book a demo to switch it on and get the add-on price.
• Smith.ai AI: Free for 25 calls ($3 per extra call); Pro $150 for 75 calls, $270 for 150, $500 for 300.
• Smith.ai human: $300 for 30 calls, $810 for 90, $2,100 for 300. Booking, Spanish and payments cost extra per call.
• Ruby: $250 for 50 minutes, $395 for 100, $720 for 200, $1,725 for 500. No setup fee or long-term contract.
• Goodcall: $79 for 100 unique callers, $129 for 500, $299 for 2,000.
• Rosie: $49 for 250 minutes, $149 for 1,000, $299 for 2,000. 7-day trial.
• Jobber Receptionist: $29 a month for 30 conversations, then $0.79 each, on top of a Jobber plan.
• Housecall Pro CSR AI: not published; sold separately on top of a Housecall Pro plan.

What 100 calls a month costs

Per-call, per-minute and per-caller pricing are hard to compare, so here's one busy month: 100 calls, about 3 minutes each.

• Smith.ai AI: the $270 plan covers 150 calls.
• Smith.ai human: $810 for 90 calls plus 10 extra calls at $10.50, about $915, before booking or Spanish fees.
• Ruby: about 300 minutes, which is past the 200-minute plan and into the $1,725 tier, or $720 plus overage Ruby doesn't publish.
• Goodcall: $79 if those are 100 different callers.
• Rosie: $149 for the 1,000-minute plan, which is also the first plan that books into a calendar.
• Jobber Receptionist: $29 plus 70 conversations at $0.79, about $84, plus your Jobber plan.

Human answering costs several times more than AI. What you're paying for is a person who can handle an upset caller or an odd request.

Seven options, in detail

1. Clevra AI Receptionist: for crews that want the call to land on the job

Clevra is field service software for trade crews of 1 to 15 people, and the AI Receptionist is built into it. It answers calls to your Clevra business number in your company's name while you're in a crawlspace, takes down what the caller needs and reads it back to them.

Where the call goes. Each call is filed as a request on the right client, or held for you to review, with a summary and the transcript on the client's activity. If it's an emergency, like a sewage backup or no heat in January, the receptionist puts the caller through to your emergency number. If the caller just wants to leave a message, it takes one.

What happens next. The request is already in the same app where you send the estimate, book the visit on the schedule, fill the inspection report and invoice the job. Nobody copies a message from an email into the system.

Pricing. The AI Receptionist is an add-on for Pro and Business. Book a demo to switch it on; the add-on price isn't published. The plans themselves are flat per company (compare plans):

• Free: $0 for 1 user, no time limit (no AI features)
• Pro: $49 a month, or $39 billed yearly, up to 5 users
• Business: $99 a month, or $79 billed yearly, up to 15 users
• Custom: unlimited users, pricing on request

Where Clevra falls short. The receptionist doesn't book the visit during the call; it files the request and you book it. There's no human backup if a caller wants a person, and it doesn't answer texts or web chat. It only answers your Clevra business number, it isn't on the Free plan, and the add-on price comes on a demo call rather than a public pricing page.

2. Smith.ai

Smith.ai has served small businesses since 2015 and sells both AI and human receptionists. Both answer around the clock in English and Spanish, screen leads and transfer calls. The AI plans start free for 25 calls and run $150 for 75 calls up to $500 for 300. Human plans run $300 for 30 calls up to $2,100 for 300, and booking, Spanish, payments and call recording are charged per call on top.

It books through Calendly and connects to Salesforce, HubSpot and Zapier, but not directly to Jobber, Housecall Pro or ServiceTitan. On Trustpilot, the recent complaints are about cancelling (30 days' notice), the AI misunderstanding callers, and spam calls using up the call allowance. It says more than 5,000 businesses use it.

3. Ruby

Ruby, a Portland company founded in 2003, sells live human receptionists. Its own site says AI answering "isn't how Ruby works"; AI only helps its people. Plans are $250 for 50 minutes, $395 for 100, $720 for 200 and $1,725 for 500, with no setup fee and no long-term contract. Minutes are billed in 60-second steps, rounded up.

Scheduling, Spanish and payment collection are listed on every plan. The common complaints are cost as call volume grows and being billed for hang-ups and robocalls. It says more than 15,000 businesses use it.

4. Goodcall

Goodcall grew out of a Google project and sells AI-only phone agents. It prices by unique caller rather than by minute: $79 for 100 callers, $129 for 500 and $299 for 2,000, with cheap overage. It answers 24/7, books into Google Calendar, transfers calls with a backup number, and texts the caller the booking details.

It connects through Zapier and HighLevel, not to field service apps. Its review base is small, and a few recent reviews mention price changes and billing after cancelling.

5. Rosie

Rosie is a newer AI answering service aimed at local businesses, with plumbing, HVAC and electrical pages. It answers in English and Spanish, filters spam and texts the caller. Professional is $49 for 250 minutes; calendar booking and live transfers start on Scale at $149 for 1,000 minutes. Annual billing gives two months free, and there's a 7-day trial.

It connects through Zapier. It says more than 2,000 small businesses use it.

6. Jobber Receptionist

Jobber's AI Receptionist went live in August 2025. It answers calls and texts around the clock, books, reschedules and cancels visits in the Jobber schedule, creates requests, texts back callers who hang up, and transfers the call or texts you when a caller says a keyword you set.

It's $29 a month for 30 conversations, then $0.79 each, and unlimited on Jobber's Plus plan. You need a Jobber plan underneath; Core starts at $49 a month billed monthly for one user. If you're already on Jobber, it's the easiest add. See our Jobber alternatives guide.

7. Housecall Pro CSR AI

Housecall Pro's CSR AI answers calls, books jobs and estimates, and transfers to your team or its live-agent service during business hours. Its help pages still mark some booking features and texting as coming soon, and it doesn't support Spanish.

It's sold separately with no published price, on top of a Housecall Pro plan from $59 a month billed yearly. See our Housecall Pro alternatives guide.

What to ask before you sign

1. Do spam calls and hang-ups count? Robocalls eat call and minute allowances on several services.
2. Does it book, or just take a message? A message still needs someone to call back. A booking or a filed request doesn't.
3. What happens in an emergency? A flooded basement at 2 a.m. needs a transfer to a phone, not a callback in the morning.
4. Where does the call end up? An email, a text, or a request in the software you run jobs from.
5. How do you cancel? Read the notice period before the first bill.

How to pick

• You want a real person on every call: Ruby or Smith.ai's human plans.
• You want the lowest-cost AI answering on its own: Rosie or Goodcall.
• You need calls screened and transferred, with Spanish: Smith.ai.
• You already run your business on Jobber or Housecall Pro: their own AI add-ons.
• You want each call filed as a request in the same app as your estimates, schedule, reports and invoices: Clevra.

Answering service FAQ

What is the best answering service for contractors?

For a live person on every call, Ruby or Smith.ai's human plans. For low-cost AI answering, Rosie or Goodcall. For calls that land as requests in your field service software, Clevra, Jobber or Housecall Pro's built-in receptionists.

How much does Smith.ai cost?

Smith.ai's AI receptionist is free for 25 calls, then $150 for 75 calls up to $500 for 300. Its human receptionists cost $300 for 30 calls up to $2,100 for 300, with extra per-call fees for booking, Spanish and payments.

How much does Ruby cost?

Ruby costs $250 for 50 minutes, $395 for 100, $720 for 200 and $1,725 for 500 minutes a month, with no setup fee or long-term contract.

Is an AI receptionist good enough for a plumbing or HVAC business?

For taking down the caller's name, address and problem, and putting emergencies through to you, yes. For angry callers or unusual requests, a human service handles more. Many crews start with AI and keep their own phone as the emergency line.

Is there a free AI receptionist?

Smith.ai's AI receptionist has a free plan for 25 calls a month. Clevra's AI Receptionist is an add-on for its Pro and Business plans; book a demo to hear it answer your own number.

Does Clevra's AI Receptionist book appointments?

Not during the call. It answers in your company's name, takes down and reads back the request, files it on the right client and puts emergencies through to your emergency number. You book the visit from the request in Clevra.

See the AI Receptionist on your own calls

Book a demo and we'll switch the AI Receptionist on, then call your Clevra number and watch the request land on the client. Or start on the Free plan and try Pro or Business free for 14 days, no card.

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