How much does an AI receptionist cost for a plumber or HVAC company?

On November 4, 2026, entry plans ran from $49 a month (Rosie, 250 minutes) to $150 a month (Smith.ai Pro, 75 calls). Doug is $149 a month with calls, texts and website chat. Avoca does not publish prices.

Can an AI receptionist book jobs on my calendar?

Most can. Doug, Smith.ai and Goodcall book on your calendar, and Rosie books from its $149 plan. Doug also takes a Stripe deposit at booking.

Which AI receptionist works with ServiceTitan?

Of the tools here, Avoca is the one that names ServiceTitan on its site, as a certified app. Check with each company for other field service software.

Should I use an AI receptionist or a live answering service?

Use AI if most calls are bookings and common questions, since it answers every call at a lower cost. Use live people if your callers expect a person. Our guide on answering services and AI receptionists compares the two.

Why is Doug on this list if you make Doug?

Because owners ask us how he compares. We put him on the list with the same checks as the others and said where he falls short.

Best AI receptionist for home service businesses in 2026

Which AI receptionist is best for a home service business? It depends on your size and your software. A small shop that wants calls, texts and website chats booked with a deposit should look at Doug. A larger shop that runs on ServiceTitan should look at Avoca. For the lowest phone bill, look at Rosie or Goodcall. For a live person on every call, look at Ruby.

We compared six tools that plumbers, HVAC companies, roofers and electricians use to answer the calls they miss on a job. Doug is our product, so we say plainly where each of the others is the better pick. All prices are from each company's own website on November 4, 2026.

By Dylan, founder of Doug · Updated November 4, 2026

Key takeaways

Best for a small shop that books from calls, texts and the website: Doug, $149 a month with calls.
Best for a larger shop on ServiceTitan: Avoca. It does not publish prices.
Lowest price for phone answering: Rosie at $49 a month for 250 minutes, or Goodcall at $79 a month for 100 callers.
Best for a live person on every call: Ruby, from $250 a month for 50 minutes.
Before you pick, call each one yourself with an emergency, a price question and a booking.

	Best for	Starting price (November 2026)	Books on your calendar	Field service software named on its site
Doug	Small shops that book from calls, texts and the website	$149 a month with calls and texts (500 AI call minutes); $49 for website and email only	Yes, with a Stripe deposit	None; books on Google Calendar, Calendly or Cal.com
Avoca	Larger shops on ServiceTitan	Not published; sales demo	Yes	ServiceTitan (certified app), Housecall Pro, FieldRoutes
Smith.ai AI Receptionist	Shops that want AI now and live people as a backup	Free for 25 calls; Pro from $150 a month for 75 calls	Yes, with Calendly and others	None named
Rosie	The lowest entry price	$49 a month for 250 minutes; booking from $149	On the $149 plan and up	None named
Goodcall	Many short calls at a flat price	$79 a month for 100 unique callers, no minute limit	Yes	None named; HighLevel and Zapier
Ruby	A live person on every call	$250 a month for 50 minutes	Its receptionists can schedule	None named

How did we pick and score these?

We looked for tools a home service owner would actually consider, then checked each company's own website on November 4, 2026. We did not use review sites or affiliate lists for prices. Where a company does not publish a fact, the table says so instead of guessing.

We scored each tool on what decides a missed call for a trade business:

Price at a real call volume, not only the entry price.
Whether it books the job on your calendar, or only takes a message.
Whether a person can take over when the job is urgent.
Whether it works with the field service software you already use.
Whether it also answers texts and website chats, where many customers start.
How fast you can try it without a sales call.

The best AI receptionists for home service businesses in 2026

1. Doug, best for small shops that book from every channel

Doug is our product. He answers website chats and emails on every plan. On Growth ($149 a month, 500 AI call minutes) he also answers calls and texts on his own local number. He books open times on your calendar, takes a Stripe deposit that comes off the bill, and passes the call or chat to you when it needs a person.

He also answers leads you forward from Angi, Thumbtack or Google Local Services, by text, within a minute. Every week he checks how you show up on Google, Maps and in AI answers, and fixes what he can. Where he falls short: he does not connect to ServiceTitan or Housecall Pro, and he answers with an AI voice, not a person.

Best for: an owner-run shop that wants calls, texts and web chats booked in one place, with a 7-day trial and no card.

2. Avoca, best for larger shops on ServiceTitan

Avoca calls itself an AI front office for service businesses. Its site names HVAC, plumbing, electrical, roofing, garage door and pest control among its trades. It lists an AI CSR that books jobs, web chat, speed to lead, outbound campaigns and call scoring. It is a certified ServiceTitan app, and its site also shows Housecall Pro and FieldRoutes.

Avoca does not publish prices. You book a 20-minute demo to get a quote.

Best for: a multi-truck company with a dispatch board in ServiceTitan.

3. Smith.ai AI Receptionist, best for AI with live people as a backup

Smith.ai names home services and general contractors as industries it serves. Its AI receptionist books appointments through Calendly and other tools and warm-transfers callers to your team. If a call needs a person, Smith.ai can pass it to its own live receptionists as a per-call add-on.

It is free for 25 calls a month. Pro starts at $150 a month for 75 calls, with extra calls at $2.50 each.

Best for: a shop that wants to start with AI and keep a path to live receptionists.

4. Rosie, best for the lowest entry price

Rosie starts at $49 a month for 250 minutes. Calendar booking and live transfers start on its Scale plan at $149 a month for 1,000 minutes, and Growth is $299 for 2,000 minutes. Its pricing page does not show what extra minutes cost.

Best for: a solo pro who mostly needs messages taken while on a job.

5. Goodcall, best for many short calls at a flat price

Goodcall does not meter minutes. It prices by unique callers: Starter is $79 a month for 100, Growth $129 for 500 and Scale $299 for 2,000. It checks your calendar, books the job, texts the details and transfers calls with a backup if nobody picks up. Its site uses a plumbing company as an example.

Best for: a shop with steady call volume and simple calls.

6. Ruby, best for a live person on every call

Ruby is live receptionists, not AI. Plans start at $250 a month for 50 minutes and go to $1,725 for 500 minutes. Its site says optional AI features come with every plan at no extra cost.

Best for: a company whose customers expect a person on the phone.

Which AI receptionist fits your business?

Start from the problem you want to fix:

Missed calls while you are on a roof or under a sink: Doug, Rosie or Goodcall.
No-shows on booked jobs: Doug, because he takes a deposit at booking.
Leads from Angi or Thumbtack going to the first pro who answers: Doug, Avoca.
A dispatch board in ServiceTitan: Avoca.
Emergency calls at night that must reach a person: Ruby, or Smith.ai's live receptionists.
The smallest budget: Rosie at $49, or Smith.ai's free 25 calls.

What should you test before you pick?

Call each tool on your short list and run the same test:

Call as a customer with an emergency, like a burst pipe or no heat. Does it reach you fast?
Ask for a price. Does it use your real prices, or make one up?
Book a job. Does it land on your real calendar with the address and the problem?
Ask something it should not know. Does it say so and take your details?
Work out the cost at your real call volume, with overages.

Questions

How much does an AI receptionist cost for a plumber or HVAC company?: On November 4, 2026, entry plans ran from $49 a month (Rosie, 250 minutes) to $150 a month (Smith.ai Pro, 75 calls). Doug is $149 a month with calls, texts and website chat. Avoca does not publish prices.
Can an AI receptionist book jobs on my calendar?: Most can. Doug, Smith.ai and Goodcall book on your calendar, and Rosie books from its $149 plan. Doug also takes a Stripe deposit at booking.
Which AI receptionist works with ServiceTitan?: Of the tools here, Avoca is the one that names ServiceTitan on its site, as a certified app. Check with each company for other field service software.
Should I use an AI receptionist or a live answering service?: Use AI if most calls are bookings and common questions, since it answers every call at a lower cost. Use live people if your callers expect a person. Our guide on answering services and AI receptionists compares the two.
Why is Doug on this list if you make Doug?: Because owners ask us how he compares. We put him on the list with the same checks as the others and said where he falls short.