How much does an AI answering service cost for contractors?+
OnCrew is $49/month for Starter (100 included calls), $149/month for Pro (400 calls), and $349/month for Multi-Truck (1,000 calls), with $0.99 per overage call and a 30-day money-back guarantee. For comparison, Smith.ai receptionists start at $300/mo for 30 calls ($11.50 per call over 30), and its separate AI Receptionist is free for 25 calls a month ($3.00 per call after 25) or $150/mo for 75 calls ($2.50 per extra call); Ruby starts at $250/mo for 50 minutes (Smith.ai's pages checked October 16, 2026, Ruby's October 2, 2026).
Does OnCrew replace my team or my dispatcher?+
No. OnCrew replaces voicemail, not your team. It answers, captures, triages, alerts, and summarizes; it does not dispatch crews, assign technicians, quote jobs, process payments, or commit to arrival times. Urgent calls reach your on-call team by text and email.
Do I need 24/7 coverage or just after-hours?+
It depends on where calls go unanswered. If the office phone is covered 8 to 5, after-hours-only forwarding closes the gap. If the line rings out at 2pm as often as 2am, forward full-time. You set the rule at your carrier or VoIP layer: full-time, after business hours only, or overflow when nobody answers within a set number of rings. Callers keep dialing the same number, pricing is the same in every mode, and there is no after-hours or holiday surcharge: nights, weekends and overflow run on the same $49, $149 or $349 plan with $0.99 per call after the included volume.
Will my phone still ring first?+
Yes. Missed-calls forwarding is the default, so your office line or cell rings first, the way it does today, and OnCrew answers only the calls you don't pick up or that find the line busy. You can forward every call instead if you want. With live transfer switched on in Settings, a caller who asks for a person is put through to the numbers you list.
Will callers know they are talking to an AI?+
Some will, and that is fine. OnCrew answers in your business name, sounds natural, and identifies itself as an AI assistant when asked. The caller hears a real conversation, gets the issue acknowledged, and ends the call knowing your team will follow up. Every greeting tells the caller the call is recorded, and a business in a state where one side of a call can consent may limit that notice to callers from states that require it.
Does it work with Jobber, ServiceTitan, or Housecall Pro?+
Yes, in two ways. Housecall Pro connects from your OnCrew dashboard. It needs Housecall Pro's MAX plan (their tier, not an OnCrew plan). Each real caller lands there as a customer and a lead tagged OnCrew, with the call summary, callback number and service address. Jobber, ServiceTitan and other tools get one record per real call (summary, callback number, service address and a link to the call) through the webhook export. Connect it yourself with Zapier, or we set it up with you at no extra charge. It does not book onto your Jobber or ServiceTitan schedule. Google Calendar sync is live. QuickBooks is not integrated.
Do I have to change my phone number or carrier?+
No. OnCrew sits behind your existing business number by call forwarding, so callers keep dialing the number on your trucks and your Google profile. If your number lives in an app that cannot forward calls (Sideline, Index or TextFree), you can move it to OnCrew instead and we handle the port. To test it, start the 14-day trial with no card, forward one call, and listen to the recording in your dashboard, or call (818) 578-4783 and Sarah can set your line up with you on the call.
Does it work with my office phone system?+
Yes. OnCrew takes the calls your existing line does not pick up, so your number and your phones stay as they are. It takes forwarded calls from a cell (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile), a landline (Verizon, AT&T, Spectrum, CenturyLink) and office systems and VoIP services such as Verizon One Talk, Nextiva, 8x8, Dialpad, Ooma Office, GoTo Connect, Grasshopper, Zoom Phone, Comcast Business Voice, RingCentral, Google Voice and Vonage. Your setup page shows the exact step for your system; on an office system it is a forwarding setting, not a keypad code.
Can it transfer a caller to a person?+
Yes, when you switch it on in Settings. A caller who asks for someone on your list is connected to that person's phone, and a caller whose need matches a listed person's area can be offered that person. In the default handoff, if nobody picks up within about 25 seconds, or the 45 or 60 seconds you choose, Sarah comes back on the line and takes a message; with the direct handoff, the caller stays on that phone, voicemail included. Plans include 4 live transfer destinations on Starter, 6 on Pro, and 16 on Multi-Truck.
Does it answer Spanish-speaking callers?+
Calls are handled in English by default. Spanish (Latin American) is a setting you switch on in your dashboard at no extra charge. English and Spanish are the languages Sarah speaks today. If many of your callers speak Spanish, test it on your own line before you forward everything.
Does it text my callers?+
Only with SMS Follow-Ups on in your dashboard (new accounts start with it on). The caller gets one confirmation text after the call, and a caller who hangs up before speaking gets one text inviting a reply. Texts come from OnCrew's texting number with your company name, replies are forwarded to your phone, and there is no text conversation.
What is the best AI receptionist for a contractor?+
The one that handles your trade's calls, so test each against five things. Does it know your trade's urgent calls (a no-heat call, a burst pipe, sparking, an active roof leak) without you writing the rules, and give the 911-first safety line where it applies? What is one billed unit (a call, a minute or a unique customer), and what does a busy week cost at that rate? How does an urgent call reach your on-call team: by text, by email, or both, with the recording? What lands in your field software after each call? And what happens when a caller asks for a person? Place a test call with your own most common emergency to each one before you forward your line.