Answering service cost calculator for contractors
Compare in-house receptionist, traditional answering service, voicemail, and OnCrew on one structured monthly worksheet. Use your own call volume, wage, and per-minute assumptions, then take the math to your team before you commit.
Overage is $0.99 per call past your plan. Plans are month-to-month.
Cost worksheet
Four ways to handle your phones, side by side
The table below uses the example assumptions further down so you can see how the math works. Swap your own wage, call volume, and provider rates into the formulas to get a number for your shop.
In-house receptionist (part-time)
- How it bills
- Hourly wage, payroll taxes, and benefits
- Example monthly cost
- $4,400
- Notes
- Covers business hours only. Idle time during slow days still costs you.
Traditional answering service
- How it bills
- Monthly base plus per-minute or per-call fees
- Example monthly cost
- $1,670
- Notes
- Per-minute rates can spike on storm weeks and after-hours overflow.
Voicemail and missed calls
- How it bills
- No direct cost, indirect cost in lost jobs
- Example monthly cost
- $0
- Notes
- Direct billing is zero. Use the missed call calculator to weigh job-loss risk.
OnCrew (AI answering service)
- How it bills
- Flat monthly plan, $0.99 per call past plan
- Example monthly cost
- $149
- Notes
- 24/7 coverage, transcripts, and team alerts on every plan.
Example assumes 250 monthly calls, $22/hour for 160 hours with a 25% loaded-cost multiplier, and a traditional service quoted at $120/mo plus $1.55 per minute at 4 minutes per call. Plug in your own numbers using the formulas below.
Plug in your own numbers
The formulas behind each line
Bring your own wage, monthly hours, vendor quote, and call volume. Each line is a planning calculation, not a guarantee.
In-house receptionist
Monthly cost = hourly wage x monthly hours x loaded-cost multiplier (typically 1.2 to 1.4 for taxes and benefits).
$22 x 160 x 1.25 = $4,400
Covers business hours. After-hours and weekends usually still need a backup answering plan.
Traditional answering service
Monthly cost = monthly base + (calls x average minutes per call x per-minute rate). Some providers bill per call instead. Confirm the exact billing model in your quote.
$120 + (250 x 4 x $1.55) = $1,670
Confirm holiday rates, transfer fees, and SMS or message-delivery surcharges before signing.
Voicemail and missed calls
Direct cost is $0. Indirect cost = unanswered calls x close rate x average job value. Use the missed call calculator to size that risk for your shop.
This is the option most contractors are paying for in lost work without realizing it.
Run the missed call calculatorOnCrew (AI answering service)
Monthly cost = plan price + (calls past plan x $0.99 overage). Pick the plan that matches your usual call volume.
- Starter: $49/mo, 100 calls included.
- Pro: $149/mo, 400 calls included.
- Multi-Truck: $349/mo, 1,000 calls included.
- Overage past plan: $0.99 per call.
Plans are month-to-month. See full plan details on the pricing page.
Worksheet inputs to gather before you compare
- Average monthly inbound call volume.
- Hourly wage you would pay a receptionist locally.
- Monthly hours of phone coverage you actually need.
- Loaded-cost multiplier for taxes and benefits.
- Traditional answering service quote: base + per-minute or per-call rate.
- Average call length for after-hours and overflow.
Once the math is clear
Try OnCrew on your real call volume
Start a 14-day free trial on your own number, or have our team walk through your trade, service area, and call workflow on a short guided call.
Prefer to talk now? Call (818) 578-4783.
OnCrew pricing at a glance
Flat monthly plans built for contractor call volume
Pick the included call volume that matches your shop. Overage past plan is $0.99 per call so a busy storm week does not blow up the bill.
Starter
$49/mo
100 included calls
$0.99 per call after
Solo operators and small crews who want 24/7 coverage without staffing a dedicated phone person.
Pro
$149/mo
400 included calls
$0.99 per call after
Growing shops handling steady call volume across multiple trucks and service areas.
Multi-Truck
$349/mo
1,000 included calls
$0.99 per call after
Multi-crew operations that need full daytime overflow plus dedicated nights and weekends.
See full plan details on the pricing page.
Answering service cost FAQ
How much does a contractor answering service cost per month?
It depends on the model. A part-time in-house receptionist often costs more per month than the worksheet's example once wage, taxes, and benefits are loaded in. Traditional live answering services typically bill a monthly base plus per-minute fees. OnCrew publishes flat monthly plans starting at $49/mo for 100 calls, with $0.99 per call past plan.
Is in-house cheaper than an answering service?
It depends on coverage hours and call volume. In-house tends to win on call quality during business hours and lose on after-hours and overflow, where idle time is expensive and weekends require on-call staffing.
How does AI answering service pricing work?
OnCrew bills a flat plan price and a per-call overage of $0.99 for calls past your plan. Use the published plan details as the baseline when comparing quotes that add per-minute, holiday, transfer, or message-delivery fees.
Are these numbers a guarantee for my shop?
No. The worksheet is a planning tool. Real wages, vendor quotes, and call volume vary. Use the worksheet to compare assumptions, then confirm vendor quotes before signing anything.