Best answering service for contractors in 2026
Which answering service is best for a contractor? It depends on who you want on the phone. For a live person on every call, pick Ruby or Smith.ai's receptionists, at about $900 or more a month for 100 calls. For AI that books the job, pick Doug, Goodcall or Rosie, at about $80 to $150 a month for the same calls.
A contractor misses calls on every job, and most answering services charge by the call or the minute. We worked out what 100 calls a month costs with each service, from their own pricing pages on November 4, 2026. Doug is our product, so weigh that.
By Dylan, founder of Doug · Updated
Key takeaways
- Best for a live person on every call: Ruby. Plan on the $1,725 plan for 100 three-minute calls.
- Best for live people who also book and take payments: Smith.ai, about $915 a month for 100 calls.
- Best for booking from calls, texts and the website: Doug, $149 a month.
- Lowest cost for 100 calls: Goodcall at $79 a month, if they come from 100 or fewer different callers.
- AI services cost about a tenth of live ones at this volume.
| Who answers | Starting price | Cost for 100 calls a month | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ruby | Live people | $250 a month for 50 minutes | $1,725 (the 500-minute plan; the 200-minute plan is too small) |
| Smith.ai receptionists | Live people | $300 a month for 30 calls | About $915 (Basic, 90 calls plus 10 at $10.50), plus $1.50 per booking |
| Smith.ai AI Receptionist | AI, live people as an add-on | Free for 25 calls; Pro $150 for 75 | About $213 (Pro, 75 calls plus 25 at $2.50) |
| Doug | AI, hands off to you | $49 for website and email; $149 with calls and texts | $149 (Growth, 500 AI call minutes) |
| Rosie | AI | $49 a month for 250 minutes | $149 (Scale, 1,000 minutes, with booking) |
| Goodcall | AI | $79 a month for 100 unique callers | $79 if 100 or fewer different people call |
How did we work out these costs?
We took a contractor with 100 calls a month that last 3 minutes on average, so 300 minutes. About 40 of those calls book a job. We used the plans and per-call prices on each company's own pricing page on November 4, 2026. We did not count setup fees, taxes or trials. Where a company does not publish a price, we say so.
Your numbers will differ. Count last month's calls and their average length, then do the same sum for your short list.
The best answering services for contractors in 2026
1. Ruby, best for a live person on every call
Ruby's receptionists answer with your greeting, take messages, transfer calls and can schedule. Plans are $250 for 50 minutes, $395 for 100, $720 for 200 and $1,725 for 500. Its pricing page does not list a rate for extra minutes, so ask before you pick a smaller plan.
Best for: a contractor whose customers expect a person, and who can pay for it.
2. Smith.ai receptionists, best for live people who book and take payments
Smith.ai charges by the call. Starter is $300 for 30 calls, Basic $810 for 90 and Pro $2,100 for 300. Extra calls cost $11.50, $10.50 or $8.50 on those plans. Booking an appointment adds $1.50 a call, and taking a payment adds $1.00.
Best for: a contractor who wants live intake and booking without hiring.
3. Doug, best for booking from calls, texts and the website
Doug is our product. Growth is $149 a month with 500 AI call minutes, and he also answers texts, website chats and email. He books on your calendar with a Stripe deposit and passes the call to you when it needs a person. He answers with an AI voice, not a person.
Best for: a contractor who wants every channel answered and booked for one monthly price.
4. Smith.ai AI Receptionist, best for trying AI for free
Smith.ai's AI receptionist is free for 25 calls a month. Pro starts at $150 for 75 calls, then $2.50 a call. It books through Calendly and others, and can pass a call to Smith.ai's live receptionists for a per-call fee.
Best for: a contractor who wants to test AI with a path to live people.
5. Goodcall, best for many short calls
Goodcall does not meter minutes. It charges by unique callers: $79 a month for 100, $129 for 500 and $299 for 2,000. It books on your calendar and transfers calls, with a backup if you do not pick up.
Best for: a contractor with many calls from a steady group of customers.
6. Rosie, best low entry price
Rosie is $49 a month for 250 minutes. Booking and live transfers start at $149 for 1,000 minutes. Its pricing page does not show the price of extra minutes.
Best for: a solo contractor who needs messages taken.
Live answering service or AI?
Live people cost more because you pay for their time. At 100 calls a month, the live services here cost $900 or more, and the AI services cost $79 to $213. AI answers every call at once, at any hour. Live people handle the unusual call better.
Many contractors use AI for every call and forward the urgent ones to their own phone. Our guide on answering services and AI receptionists goes deeper.
Questions
- How much does an answering service cost for a contractor?
- For 100 calls a month, on November 4, 2026: about $915 with Smith.ai's live receptionists, and $1,725 with Ruby. AI services cost $79 to $213 for the same calls.
- Can an answering service book jobs?
- Some can. Smith.ai's receptionists book for $1.50 a call, and Ruby's can schedule. Doug, Goodcall and Smith.ai's AI receptionist book on your calendar, and Rosie books from its $149 plan.
- What is the cheapest answering service for a contractor?
- Of the services here, Rosie has the lowest entry price at $49 a month, and Smith.ai's AI receptionist is free for 25 calls. At 100 calls a month, Goodcall was the lowest at $79 if the calls come from 100 or fewer people.
- Does Doug answer calls with a live person?
- No. Doug answers with an AI voice on Growth and Scale and passes the call to you when it needs a person. For a live person on every call, use Ruby or Smith.ai.
