At a glance
Answering service prices, side by side.
| Service | Who answers | Starting price | Included each month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blumeo | AI receptionist (it tells callers it's automated), with emergencies and anything it can't handle passed to you | $197/month (Starter) | 100 calls and 500 texts on Starter; spam, wrong numbers and hang-ups aren't counted |
| Smith.ai | An AI receptionist, live receptionists, or a hybrid, depending on the plan | AI: $0 (25 calls) or $150/month (Pro). Live: $300/month (Starter) | AI Pro: 75 calls. Live Starter: 30 calls |
| Ruby | Live US-based receptionists; no AI-only plan | $250/month | 50 receptionist minutes (plans up to 500 minutes for $1,725) |
| AnswerForce | Live receptionists only, mostly US-based | Not published (you share your contact details to see plans) | A set number of minutes; the first 30 calls under 30 seconds each month are free |
| Rosie | AI only | $49/month (Professional) | 250 minutes (Scale: 1,000 minutes for $149) |
| Upfirst | AI receptionist; no live receptionist plans | $24.95/month (Starter) | 30 calls (plans up to 600 calls for $299) |
| Abby Connect | Human receptionists, an AI receptionist, or both on one call | $164/month (Starter) | 50 Abby Minutes; a minute with the AI uses half a minute |
From each company's own site, checked November 12, 2026.
What matters on the job
How we looked at them.
Four things decide whether an answering service pays for itself for a contractor: it picks up at night and on weekends, it books the job rather than just taking a message, it gets emergencies to you fast, and the bill doesn't jump in your busiest month.
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Blumeo
BlumeoAn AI receptionist built for HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and roofing contractors. It answers on the first ring at any hour, books the job into Google Calendar and sends emergencies to your on-call phone.
- Best for
- Owner-operators and small crews who want every call booked for a set monthly price.
- Price
- $197/month with 100 calls; $297/month adds review requests and estimate follow-up. 7 days free, no contract.
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Smith.ai
Their websiteSmith.ai sells an AI receptionist, live North America-based receptionists, and a hybrid of the two, all billed per call.
- Best for
- Businesses that want the option of a live person on some calls, or a free AI plan for very low call volume.
- Price
- AI: free plan with 25 calls, Pro from $150/month for 75 calls ($2.50 per extra call). Live receptionists from $300/month for 30 calls ($11.50 per extra call).
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Ruby
Their websiteRuby is a live, US-based virtual receptionist service, billed by the minute, with AI used to support its receptionists rather than replace them.
- Best for
- Owners who want a real person on every call and don't mind paying by the minute.
- Price
- From $250/month for 50 receptionist minutes, up to $1,725/month for 500. Billed per minute, rounded up.
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AnswerForce
Their websiteAnswerForce is a live answering service with receptionists based mostly in the US. It uses real people only, never AI, and bills by the minute.
- Best for
- Owners who want a person on every call and dispatch to on-call techs, and who are fine with per-minute billing.
- Price
- Prices aren't published; you give your contact details to see plans. Billed per minute, with partial minutes rounded up.
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Rosie
Their websiteRosie is an AI answering service for small businesses, sold as monthly plans with a set number of minutes.
- Best for
- Small businesses that want a low-priced AI answering service and a free website chat widget.
- Price
- From $49/month for 250 minutes; booking into your calendar starts on Scale at $149/month for 1,000 minutes. 7-day free trial.
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Upfirst
Their websiteUpfirst is an AI receptionist and answering service with low-priced call plans for small businesses, billed per call.
- Best for
- Very low call volumes, or callers in many languages.
- Price
- From $24.95/month for 30 calls ($1.50 per extra call) to $299/month for 600 calls. 14-day free trial.
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Abby Connect
Their websiteAbby Connect offers US-based human receptionists, an AI receptionist, or both on one call, billed by the minute.
- Best for
- Owners who want a human receptionist team with AI as backup, and native field-service integrations.
- Price
- From $164/month for 50 Abby Minutes (an AI minute counts as half). 14-day free trial, card required.
Prices and plans as listed on each company's site on November 12, 2026. They change, so check before you decide. Blumeo: $197/month (Starter), 7 days free, no contract.
By trade
What to ask, trade by trade.
Whichever service you're weighing up, these are the questions that tell you whether it suits your kind of work.
What to ask an HVAC answering service
The calls that can't wait in HVAC work: no-heat and no-AC calls. How Blumeo handles HVAC calls.
- Does it treat no heat in a cold snap and no AC in a heat wave as emergencies, or only take a message?
- Can it book tune-ups and maintenance visits straight into your calendar when the season turns and the phone doesn't stop?
- When three calls come in at once on the first hot day, does the third caller get an answer or a busy signal?
- Does a long call with a worried homeowner cost more than a short one?
Services with a page of their own for HVAC work: Smith.ai, AnswerForce, Rosie, Upfirst.
What to ask a plumbing answering service
The calls that can't wait in plumbing work: burst pipes, backed-up drains and no hot water. How Blumeo handles plumbing calls.
- Does it know a burst pipe or a sewage backup can't wait until morning, and get it to whoever is on call?
- Does it take the address and what's happening, so you know what to load on the truck?
- Can it book the routine jobs, a dripping tap or a water-heater quote, without waking anyone up?
- What does a 2am call cost you compared with one at 2pm?
Services with a page of their own for plumbing work: Rosie.
What to ask an electrical answering service
The calls that can't wait in electrical work: power outages, tripping breakers and burning smells. How Blumeo handles electrical calls.
- Does it recognise the calls that are a safety risk, a burning smell, sparks or a hot panel, and pass them on straight away?
- Does it stay out of diagnosing over the phone and leave that to you?
- Can it book panel upgrades, EV-charger installs and estimates into your calendar?
- Will it answer while you're on a ladder with both hands full, every time?
What to ask a roofing answering service
The calls that can't wait in roofing work: active leaks and storm damage. How Blumeo handles roofing calls.
- After a storm, when every past customer calls the same morning, does each caller get an answer?
- Does it treat an active leak as urgent and a quote for a new roof as something to book?
- Does it take the address and what the caller is seeing, so you can sort the day's inspections?
- Can it book inspections and estimates into your calendar while you're up on a roof?
Questions
What contractors ask about answering services.
Something else on your mind? Ask support, 24/7
How much does an answering service for contractors cost?
It depends on how you're billed: by the minute, by the call, or a flat monthly plan. Starting prices for the services on this page, checked November 12, 2026: Blumeo, $197/month (Starter); Smith.ai, AI: $0 (25 calls) or $150/month (Pro). Live: $300/month (Starter); Ruby, $250/month; AnswerForce, Not published (you share your contact details to see plans); Rosie, $49/month (Professional); Upfirst, $24.95/month (Starter); Abby Connect, $164/month (Starter). Blumeo's $197 includes 100 calls, with $1 for each call after that, and spam, wrong numbers and hang-ups aren't counted.
Should a contractor use an AI receptionist or a live answering service?
A live service puts a person on every call, which some owners prefer, but many take a message rather than book the job. An AI receptionist picks up on the first ring, can take several calls at once and books straight into your calendar. Plenty of owners start by forwarding only the calls they miss, and see how it does.
Can an answering service handle emergencies after hours?
Most can pass an emergency on; the question is how. Blumeo recognises the urgent calls in each trade (no-heat and no-AC calls for HVAC; burst pipes, backed-up drains and no hot water for plumbing; power outages, tripping breakers and burning smells for electrical; active leaks and storm damage for roofing), takes the caller's details and address, and rings your on-call phone with a summary, so you decide whether to roll a truck.
Can I keep my business number?
With Blumeo, yes. You forward your existing number, either every call or only the ones you don't pick up, and you can turn forwarding off at any time.
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