What is the best AI answering service for contractors?

OnCrew is a purpose-built AI answering service for HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and roofing contractors. Unlike generic services such as Smith.ai or Ruby, OnCrew understands trade-specific emergencies, triages calls by urgency, and alerts your team so urgent calls get a fast callback. Plans start at $49/month with a 14-day free trial.

How much does an AI receptionist cost for plumbers?

OnCrew offers AI receptionist service for plumbers starting at $49 per month for up to 100 calls. This is significantly less than traditional answering services that charge $200-$500/month or per-minute fees. OnCrew's AI is trained on plumbing terminology and can distinguish a burst pipe emergency from a routine faucet repair request.

Can AI answer phones for HVAC companies?

Yes. OnCrew's AI phone agent is specifically trained for HVAC companies and answers calls 24/7 in your company's name. It understands HVAC emergencies like no-heat calls, AC failures, and furnace malfunctions, and can alert your team for urgent follow-up. The AI handles after-hours calls and helps HVAC contractors reduce missed after-hours jobs that would otherwise hit voicemail.

OnCrew is an AI-powered phone answering service designed for home service contractors including HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and roofing businesses. It answers calls 24/7, triages emergencies from routine requests, alerts your team for urgent follow-up, and gives you call transcripts and summaries. Plans start at $49/month.

How does AI phone answering work for contractors?

When a customer calls your business number, OnCrew's AI answers in your brand's voice. It asks questions to determine whether the call is urgent or routine. For emergencies like burst pipes or power outages, it alerts your team workflow and captures safety details. For non-urgent calls, it captures appointment requests or messages.

Is AI better than a live answering service for plumbers?

For plumbing contractors, AI answering services like OnCrew offer several advantages over live answering services. OnCrew answers quickly with reduced hold time, operates 24/7/365 without staffing gaps, starts at $49/month with no per-minute billing, and is specifically trained on plumbing emergencies. Live services often use generic scripts and charge $1-$2 per minute.

How much do contractors lose from missed calls?

A missed emergency call can send a high-value job to a competitor. OnCrew helps answer after-hours calls, collect the details, and alert your team so urgent callers are not left at voicemail.

What is the cheapest answering service for electricians?

OnCrew is one of the most affordable answering services for electricians at $49/month for 100 calls. Traditional live answering services charge $200-$500/month, while per-minute services like Smith.ai and Ruby can exceed $300/month for the same volume. OnCrew is also purpose-built for electrical contractors, understanding panel failures, outages, and wiring emergencies.

Does OnCrew work with ServiceTitan?

OnCrew works standalone at launch. During setup, we help route call summaries, urgent alerts, and appointment requests into the workflow your team already uses, without requiring you to switch platforms.

How fast does OnCrew answer calls?

OnCrew answers calls quickly with reduced hold time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Callers reach a live AI agent instead of waiting on hold or leaving a voicemail, so emergency details get captured and the on-call team is alerted.

AI Answering for Contractors

Stop losing emergency jobs to voicemail.

An AI receptionist trained for HVAC, plumbing, and electrical work. Answers after-hours calls 24/7, separates real emergencies from routine requests, and hands the full transcript and details straight to your team.

Start 14-Day Free Trial Call the AI Demo·(818) 578-4783

Demo line: (818) 578-4783

14-day free trialNo charge todayCancel anytime

Or try first

Uses your microphone. Hear Sarah handle an emergency call.

Prefer guided setup? Talk to us

OnCrew · Call Intake

AI Active

Emergency · Burst Pipe

Mike R.

(323) 555-0147

Tonight

11:47 PM

Caller said

“Water coming through the basement ceiling. I think a pipe burst. It's getting worse.”

Urgent details capturedBurst pipe / water

Address captured1847 Maple Dr

Callback request sent to on-call teamSMS + email handoff

Caller heard callback timingTranscript preserved

Callback request sent to on-call team

Sent

Trade-specific triage

HVAC · Plumbing · Electrical

$0.99 / overage call

No per-minute billing

Founder-led setup

Dialed to your business

Transcript + team handoff

Full call record sent to your team

Try the AI Demo

Skeptical? Good. Call our AI and judge the call yourself.

Dial the demo line, tell the AI you have a burst pipe, and hear how it handles a real emergency intake: voice, triage, and details captured.

Call the AI demo line

(818) 578-4783

Or try it from your browser:

Uses your microphone. Hear Sarah handle an emergency call.

The same AI agent that answers calls for contractors 24/7.

Live Demo

This Is What Your Customers Hear at 2 AM

While you sleep, Sarah picks up, captures the urgent details, and hands the callback request to your on-call team.

11:47 PM

●●●•🔋

Emergency Call

Burst pipe · Burbank, CA

Homeowner

Hi, I have water spraying everywhere. I think a pipe burst in my basement. It's really bad.

Sarah (AI)

I'm so sorry to hear that. You've reached the right place. My name is Sarah and I'm going to help right away. Can I get your name?

Homeowner

It's Maria. Maria Gonzalez.

Sarah (AI)

Thank you, Maria. I'm sending these details to the on-call team now. What's the address?

Sarah (AI)

Your callback request is in. The on-call team has the address and the urgent details, and will follow up as soon as they're free. Keep the water shut off if you can, and stay clear of any standing water near outlets.

See the full conversation →

Callback request capturedTeam handoff sentSafety notes preserved

Want to hear it live?

Call (818) 578-4783

The Problem

This Happens Every Night to Contractors Like You

Without AI Answering

8:47 PM

Burst pipe. Homeowner calls your number.

8:47 PM

Phone’s on silent after a 12-hour day.

8:48 PM

Voicemail. They hang up.

8:49 PM

They call a competitor. Someone picks up.

8:55 PM

Competitor wins the callback. You hear about it Monday.

Callback missed

Slipped through while you slept

With OnCrew

8:47 PM

Burst pipe. Homeowner calls your number.

8:47 PM

AI picks up quickly. Recognizes the emergency.

8:48 PM

Captures the address and the urgent details.

8:48 PM

Sends the callback request to your on-call team by text + email.

8:49 PM

Caller hears the callback timing. You see the full transcript in the morning.

Callback request captured

Urgent details preserved while you slept

Same call.Same customer.Different outcome.

Operating posture

Built for the moments your phone can't answer

Generic answering services can't tell a gas leak from a thermostat question. Three commitments shape the way OnCrew answers your calls.

Always answering

24/7

Always on

Nights, weekends, holidays, and the hours your phone is on silent. No coverage gap, no voicemail dead-end.

No per-minute traps

$0.99

Per overage call

100 calls included on Starter. Predictable per-call overage. No per-minute hold-time billing, no padded transcripts.

Built for the trades

Trade-trained

HVAC, plumbing, electrical, roofing

Hears the difference between a burst pipe and a routine quote request. Captures safety details and routes urgent jobs first.

14-day free trialCard on file, no charge todayCancel anytime

How It Works

From Call Intake to Team Handoff

No per-minute billing. Guided setup. No platform switch required.

1
From the first ring
Customer calls, AI answers
Your same number. AI picks up in your brand's voice, knowing your trade.
Brand voiceTrade-awareNo hold music
2
While they're still on the line
Emergencies triaged, callback handoff sent
Burst pipe? Callback request sent to on-call team. Quote request? Captured for the morning. The AI knows the difference.
Urgency detectedDetails capturedHandoff sent
3
Real-time in your dashboard
You see everything as it happens
Full transcripts, call status, analytics. Every call recorded and actionable.
TranscriptStatusAnalytics

Integrations

Works With Your Existing Tools

Designed for practical setup with your existing call, calendar, CRM, and team-notification workflow.

Field Service CRM

Calendar Handoff

Job Summaries

Invoice Notes

Urgent Alerts

Pipeline Review

SMS Updates

Team Routing

Payment Handoff

Phone System

Features

Built Exclusively for Contractors

Not law firms, not dentists, not generic call centers. Built for emergency home-service contractors: HVAC, plumbing, electrical, roofing, and crews like yours.

The breakthrough

Knows a gas leak from a thermostat call

Trade-trained AI that hears the difference between a real emergency and a routine quote request, then routes each one the way it should be handled.

Trained on HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and roofing emergencies
Captures safety details and callback context as it goes
Sends a callback request to your on-call team with the full transcript

Answers nights, weekends, and holidays

Multiple calls at once. No hold music, no voicemail dead-ends.

Routine requests captured for the morning

Quote requests, scheduling questions, and non-urgent calls saved with full context.

Hands off to your existing workflow

Standalone at launch. Setup help routes summaries into the tools your team already uses.

Recorded, transcribed, summarized

Every call kept on file with a clean summary, searchable transcript, and the audio.

Callback details ready for your team

Caller name, address, urgency, and the question, packaged for fast follow-up.

Comparison

How We Compare

Real prices. Real features. See why contractors switch to OnCrew.

Feature	OnCrew AI	Smith.ai	Ruby	Goodcall
Starting Price	Starts at $49/mo	$300/mo (30 calls)	$235/mo (50 calls)	$79/mo (100 customers)
Per-Call / Overage Fees	100 included + $0.99/call	$11.50/call overage	Per-minute billing	$0.50/customer overage
24/7 Coverage
Setup Time	48 hours	1-2 weeks	1-2 weeks	Self-service
Contractor-Specific
Emergency Triage & Alerts
Fast Emergency Alerts
Workflow Handoff		Partial	Partial
Contract Required	Month-to-month	Monthly minimum	Monthly minimum	No

OnCrew: 100 included calls. $0.99 overage. No contracts.

Starting Price

OnCrewStarts at $49/mo

Smith.ai$300/mo (30 calls)

Ruby$235/mo (50 calls)

Goodcall$79/mo (100 customers)

Per-Call / Overage Fees

OnCrew100 included + $0.99/call

Smith.ai$11.50/call overage

RubyPer-minute billing

Goodcall$0.50/customer overage

24/7 Coverage

OnCrew

Smith.ai

Ruby

Goodcall

Setup Time

OnCrew48 hours

Smith.ai1-2 weeks

Ruby1-2 weeks

GoodcallSelf-service

Contractor-Specific

OnCrew

Smith.ai

Ruby

Goodcall

Emergency Triage & Alerts

OnCrew

Smith.ai

Ruby

Goodcall

Fast Emergency Alerts

OnCrew

Smith.ai

Ruby

Goodcall

Workflow Handoff

OnCrew

Smith.aiPartial

RubyPartial

Goodcall

Contract Required

OnCrewMonth-to-month

Smith.aiMonthly minimum

RubyMonthly minimum

GoodcallNo

OnCrew: 100 included calls. $0.99 overage. No contracts.

Switch & Save

Switching from Smith.ai, Ruby, or Goodcall?

You're already paying for an answering service. Pay less, get more.

Provider	Starting Price	Calls Included	Per-Call Cost	Per-Minute Billing
OnCrew Recommended	$49/mo	100 calls	$0.99 each	Never
Smith.ai	$300/mo	30 calls	$11.50 each	Per-call billing
Ruby	$235/mo	50 calls	Varies	Per-minute billing
Goodcall	Variable	Per-customer caps	$0.50/customer over 100	Varies

OnCrewRecommended

Starting: $49/mo
Calls: 100 calls
Per-call: $0.99 each
Per-minute: Never

Smith.ai

Starting: $300/mo
Calls: 30 calls
Per-call: $11.50 each
Per-minute: Per-call billing

Ruby

Starting: $235/mo
Calls: 50 calls
Per-call: Varies
Per-minute: Per-minute billing

Goodcall

Starting: Variable
Calls: Per-customer caps
Per-call: $0.50/customer over 100
Per-minute: Varies

Start Your Free Trial Prefer guided setup? Talk to us

Switching from a specific service?Smith.ai Ruby Goodcall

Assumption worksheet

Sketch your own missed-call math

Plug in your own numbers and decide whether a pilot is worth testing. Nothing here is a guarantee or an industry average.

Missed-Call Assumption Worksheet

Plug in your own numbers to size up a pilot.

After-hours calls / week: 5
Job value you enter: $4.2k
At-risk calls / week: 2

Plan comparison

At-risk calls / month

Starter plan (100 calls included)

$49/mo

Calls to protect / week

Your input

Per-call overage after included

$0.99/call

Use your numbers to decide whether a pilot is worth testing.

Founder-Assisted Pilot

Not a Self-Serve Black Box.

We review your setup with you, configure the answering workflow for your trade, and walk through a clear handoff plan before any call is sent to the AI.

Setup review with you

We sit down together to confirm hours, services, service area, and how you want callers greeted, so the AI matches the way you actually run the business.

Workflow configured to your trade

We tune the answering flow, urgency cues, and where alerts land (text, email, or the inbox your team already watches) so it fits your process, not ours.

Clear handoff before you rely on it

Before go-live we agree on what counts as urgent, who gets notified, and how to flag anything that looks off in a transcript. You stay in control.

Pilot customers work directly with the founder during onboarding. No ticket queues, no guesswork, and you decide when the AI is ready to take live calls.

Start Free Trial Prefer guided setup? Book a demo

Pricing

Simple, Transparent Pricing

14-day free trial. Guided setup. Predictable per-call overage at $0.99.

24/7 emergency triage and team handoff

Full transcripts plus the audio of every call

Predictable $0.99/call overage. No per-minute billing.

Starter

$49/mo

Solo contractors · 100 calls/mo

$0.99/call after included calls

Best for solo contractors testing after-hours coverage.

14-day free trial

1 AI phone number
Emergency triage & alerts
Call transcripts & recordings
SMS notifications
Basic analytics

Start 14-day Free Trial

Card on file. No charge today. Cancel anytime.

Prefer guided setup? Talk to us

OnCrew Recommended

14-Day Free Trial

14 days free. Review captured calls, emergency alerts, and transcripts before your subscription starts.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens during the 14-day free trial?

We set up your AI phone agent with your business name, hours, services, and service area. You forward your after-hours calls to us and see real results, including captured emergencies, appointment requests, and full transcripts, before paying anything.

Can callers tell they’re talking to AI?

In most cases, no. Our AI uses natural conversation in your brand's voice. Don't take our word for it. Click "Talk to Our AI Live" at the top of this page, or call (818) 578-4783 and judge for yourself.

How is this different from Smith.ai, Ruby, or Goodcall?

Those are generic answering services that serve law firms, dentists, and everyone else. We’re built exclusively for emergency home services. Our AI knows HVAC error codes, plumbing emergencies, and electrical hazards. It triages emergencies vs. routine calls and alerts your team for urgent follow-up. No generic service does that. And we cost a fraction of the price.

How long does setup take?

Setup is guided by our team after your pilot intake. We handle the technical configuration. You tell us about your business, hours, and service area.

Does it work with my existing software?

OnCrew works standalone at launch. During setup, we help route summaries and urgent alerts into the workflow your team already uses, with no platform switch required.

What if I go over my call limit?

Overage calls are $0.99 each, still under $1 per call. You’ll get a notification at 80% so there are no surprises.

Can I cancel anytime?

Yes. Month-to-month. No contracts, no cancellation fees. Cancel with one click from your dashboard.

Still have questions?

Call us: (818) 578-4783

Get Started

Tonight, someone in your service area has an emergency.

Your voicemail, or your AI call handler? One emergency job can outweigh a year of OnCrew.

Start 14-Day Free Trial Call AI Demo·(818) 578-4783

Demo line: (818) 578-4783

Uses your microphone. Hear Sarah handle an emergency call.

Prefer guided setup? Talk to us

14-day free trialNo charge todayGuided setupCancel anytime

Stop losing emergency jobs to voicemail.

Skeptical? Good. Call our AI and judge the call yourself.

This Is What Your Customers Hear at 2 AM

This Happens Every Night to Contractors Like You

Built for the moments your phone can't answer

Always on

Per overage call

HVAC, plumbing, electrical, roofing

From Call Intake to Team Handoff

Customer calls, AI answers

Emergencies triaged, callback handoff sent

You see everything as it happens

Works With Your Existing Tools

Built Exclusively for Contractors

Knows a gas leak from a thermostat call

Answers nights, weekends, and holidays

Routine requests captured for the morning

Hands off to your existing workflow

Recorded, transcribed, summarized

Callback details ready for your team

How We Compare

Switching from Smith.ai, Ruby, or Goodcall?

Sketch your own missed-call math

Missed-Call Assumption Worksheet

Not a Self-Serve Black Box.

Setup review with you

Workflow configured to your trade

Clear handoff before you rely on it

Simple, Transparent Pricing

14-Day Free Trial

Frequently Asked Questions

Tonight, someone in your service area has an emergency.