Disclosure: we make an AI answering service for contractors, and it's in this list. We've kept competitors' published prices and strengths as they are and linked our sources. Prices were checked in October 2026; confirm with each vendor before you buy.
What an HVAC answering service needs to do
An HVAC answering service isn't just a message pad. On a 98° Saturday it has to tell a gas smell from a warm-air complaint, get the right calls to your on-call tech, and turn the rest into booked jobs before the caller dials the next contractor on Google.
- Answer on the first ring, 24/7, including holidays and heat waves.
- Triage emergencies by your rules: gas smell or CO alarm, no heat with vulnerable people, water leaking from the air handler.
- Book routine calls into your calendar or field service software, not just take a message.
- Collect the details your techs need: address, system type and age, what it's doing.
- Handle Spanish-speaking callers.
- Cope with spikes: on the first hot day, everyone calls at once.
Comparison table
| Service | Type | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Our AI (this site) | Voice AI platform: receptionist, outbound caller, website chat | Free trial, then $149–$497/mo | Contractors who want to be live today |
| Smith.ai | AI receptionist, or AI plus human receptionists | AI from $97.50/mo; AI + human from $292.50/mo plus a $95 setup fee | Businesses that want live human backup behind the AI |
| Ruby | Human virtual receptionists | $250/mo for 50 minutes, up to $1,725/mo for 500 minutes | Brands that want every call answered by a person |
| Rosie | AI answering service | $49–$299/mo | Solo operators who want the lowest monthly price |
| Goodcall | AI receptionist | $59–$249/mo | Small shops that want a self-serve AI receptionist |
| AnswerConnect | Human answering service | About $325/mo for roughly 200 minutes | 24/7 live overflow coverage |
| Avoca | AI front office for the trades | Custom pricing (estimated $1,000–$5,000+/mo) | Large, multi-location shops on ServiceTitan |
| Sameday | AI front office for home services | Reported around $449/mo or about $1.25 per call | $1M+ revenue shops on field service software |
The options, one by one
AI Call (us): best for contractors who want to be live today
A self-serve voice AI platform. Sign up and in about 2 minutes you have an AI receptionist, an outbound caller and a website chat agent built from your business details and website. It answers every call, reads your safety script for emergencies and transfers to your on-call tech, and books routine jobs into Google Calendar or Outlook. Every account starts with 30 free call minutes; plans are $149, $297 and $497 a month, month-to-month, with all three agents on every plan.
Smith.ai: best for businesses that want live human backup behind the AI
AI receptionist, or AI plus human receptionists. Published price: AI from $97.50/mo; AI + human from $292.50/mo plus a $95 setup fee.
- Strength: Human receptionists available as backup.
- Strength: Long-established answering service brand.
- Strength: Serves many industries, not only the trades.
- Watch out: The hybrid plan costs roughly double the AI-only plan.
- Watch out: Not built specifically around trade emergencies.
- Watch out: Usage-based pricing, so busy months cost more.
Ruby: best for brands that want every call answered by a person
Human virtual receptionists. Published price: $250/mo for 50 minutes, up to $1,725/mo for 500 minutes.
- Strength: Real people on every call.
- Strength: Polished, friendly receptionists.
- Strength: Good fit for low call volumes.
- Watch out: About $3.45–$5.00 per minute at published rates.
- Watch out: Takes messages rather than running your emergency rules and booking.
- Watch out: Gets expensive fast in a heat wave or storm.
Rosie: best for solo operators who want the lowest monthly price
AI answering service. Published price: $49–$299/mo.
- Strength: Low entry price.
- Strength: Self-serve setup.
- Strength: Built for small service businesses.
- Watch out: You set it up yourself.
- Watch out: Lower tiers include limited minutes.
- Watch out: Less trade-specific emergency handling out of the box.
Goodcall: best for small shops that want a self-serve AI receptionist
AI receptionist. Published price: $59–$249/mo.
- Strength: Published, flat monthly tiers.
- Strength: Quick self-serve setup.
- Watch out: You configure it yourself.
- Watch out: Generic across industries.
AnswerConnect: best for 24/7 live overflow coverage
Human answering service. Published price: About $325/mo for roughly 200 minutes.
- Strength: Live agents around the clock.
- Strength: Handles overflow well.
- Watch out: About $1.60+ per minute.
- Watch out: Message-taking more than job booking.
Avoca: best for large, multi-location shops on ServiceTitan
AI front office for the trades. Published price: Custom pricing (estimated $1,000–$5,000+/mo).
- Strength: Deep ServiceTitan integration.
- Strength: Outbound campaigns, coaching and analytics.
- Watch out: No published pricing.
- Watch out: More platform than a small shop needs.
Sameday: best for $1M+ revenue shops on field service software
AI front office for home services. Published price: Reported around $449/mo or about $1.25 per call.
- Strength: Phones, AI agents, texting and coaching in one place.
- Strength: Field service software integrations.
- Watch out: Pricing not clearly published.
- Watch out: Aimed at larger operations.
How to choose
- Want to be live today without a sales call: a self-serve AI platform like ours.
- Want the lowest monthly price: Rosie or Goodcall.
- Must have a human on every call: Ruby, or Smith.ai's hybrid plan.
- Multi-location on ServiceTitan with a call center: Avoca or Sameday.
Whatever you pick, call it yourself before you go live. Try a no-heat call, a gas-smell call and a Spanish call, and check that each one ends where you want it: a booked job, a live transfer, or a message on your phone.