Buyer guide
Best answering service for plumbers in 2026 (AI picks for emergencies, after hours and freeze weeks)
A plumbing shop loses work on the calls nobody answers: a burst pipe at 2am, a sewer backup on a Sunday or the tenth no-heat, frozen-pipe call of a cold snap while every truck is out. This editorial shortlist considers the 53 plumbing-tagged vendors in our directory and picks by job. Prices, billing units, overages, trials and integrations come from the catalog at build time. Picks are editorial and never paid; sponsored placements play no part in them.
How we picked
- Built for the trades. The vendor's own record describes a trades or home-services product, or a setup a plumbing shop can run. Records that carry the plumbing tag as one use case among many (2 records listed under 15 or more industries, or named generalists) are on the full list, not picks: Hailey and Sarah 24/7.
- Field service software as listed. ServiceTitan, Housecall Pro and Jobber come from each vendor's integrations as recorded. We record what each vendor lists. We have not tested write-back.
- Emergency routing as the vendor describes it. We note what each vendor says it does with urgent calls. We have not tested call handling.
- Published price, with its billing unit and overage. Prices are the vendor's own plan text, shown with the overage beside them. Quote-only products can be picks but are never ranked on price. Non-USD prices stay in their own currency and are left out of USD comparisons.
- Trial. Trial length and card terms come from each record.
These are vendor claims, not call-quality ratings. Read our methodology.
Quick picks for plumbers (editorial, not paid)
| Use case | Pick | Why (from our data) | Plan and price as published | Overage and usage | Trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your FSM's own receptionist | Jobber Receptionist | Built into Jobber. Books visits using Jobber online booking settings; Keyword-based urgent call escalation. | Receptionist add-on $29/mo on Jobber Core, Connect and Grow, included on Plus | No overage rate in our record | Trial with conditions (not free); Jobber platform trial: 14 days on the Grow plan, no credit card; Receptionist is a $29/mo add-on on Grow (included on Plus) |
| Your FSM's own receptionist | Housecall Pro CSR AI | Built into Housecall Pro. Books jobs into the Housecall Pro schedule; Custom scripts, hours and escalation rules. | Not published (quote only) | No overage rate in our record | Trial with conditions (not free); Housecall Pro 14-day free trial (a trial of the platform) |
| Your FSM is named in the record | CallCatcher | Lists ServiceTitan, Housecall Pro and Jobber on its own site. | Starter $49/mo (100 min then $0.25/min) | then $0.25/min | Free trial, 7 days; 7-day free trial with 30 minutes included on all plans; cancel anytime |
| Your FSM is named in the record | Sameday | Lists ServiceTitan and Housecall Pro on its own site. | Launch from $449/mo (500 min, 3 locations) | No overage rate in our record | Not stated |
| Your FSM is named in the record | ConvoForms (Gus) | Lists Jobber on its own site. | $49/mo including 600 minutes | $0.30 per extra minute only if you opt in | Free trial, 14 days, no card required; 14-day free trial, no card |
| Low-cost after-hours plan for a solo plumber | Claudessa | Built for home-services trades. The entry plan bills per call, so a quiet night costs little. | Flex $29/mo (50 calls, then $0.49/call) | then $0.49/call | Free trial, 14 days, no card required; 14-day or first-30-calls trial; no card required for organic trials; booked-job guarantee can extend the free period |
| Low-cost after-hours plan for a solo plumber | Ringing.io | After-hours and overflow coverage. Live call transfer and on-call rotation on Scale+. | Starter $99/mo (250 min) | Overage $0.30/min | Free trial, no card required; 25 free call minutes to start; no credit card |
| Multi-truck shops | OnCrew | A plan named for multi-truck shops. On-call tech text alerts and live transfers. | Multi-Truck $349/mo (1,000 calls, 1,500 alert texts) | $0.99 per extra call and $0.05 per extra alert text | Free trial, 14 days, no card required; 14-day free trial, no credit card; 30-day money-back guarantee |
| Multi-truck shops | Voniq | Its largest published plan, which adds outbound voice campaigns. | Fleet $597/mo (1,500 min, $0.50/min over) | $0.50/min over | Free trial, 7 days, no card required; 7-day free trial, no credit card |
| Quote only (not ranked on price) | Avoca AI | Lists ServiceTitan on its own site. Emergency escalation. | Not published (quote only) | No overage rate in our record | Not stated |
| Quote only (not ranked on price) | Hatch | Lists ServiceTitan on its own site. Real-time ServiceTitan booking sync. | Not published (quote only) | No overage rate in our record | Not stated |
- Your FSM's own receptionist
- Pick: Jobber Receptionist
- Why (from our data): Built into Jobber. Books visits using Jobber online booking settings; Keyword-based urgent call escalation.
- Plan and price as published: Receptionist add-on $29/mo on Jobber Core, Connect and Grow, included on Plus
- Overage and usage: No overage rate in our record
- Trial: Trial with conditions (not free); Jobber platform trial: 14 days on the Grow plan, no credit card; Receptionist is a $29/mo add-on on Grow (included on Plus)
- Your FSM's own receptionist
- Pick: Housecall Pro CSR AI
- Why (from our data): Built into Housecall Pro. Books jobs into the Housecall Pro schedule; Custom scripts, hours and escalation rules.
- Plan and price as published: Not published (quote only)
- Overage and usage: No overage rate in our record
- Trial: Trial with conditions (not free); Housecall Pro 14-day free trial (a trial of the platform)
- Your FSM is named in the record
- Pick: CallCatcher
- Why (from our data): Lists ServiceTitan, Housecall Pro and Jobber on its own site.
- Plan and price as published: Starter $49/mo (100 min then $0.25/min)
- Overage and usage: then $0.25/min
- Trial: Free trial, 7 days; 7-day free trial with 30 minutes included on all plans; cancel anytime
- Your FSM is named in the record
- Pick: Sameday
- Why (from our data): Lists ServiceTitan and Housecall Pro on its own site.
- Plan and price as published: Launch from $449/mo (500 min, 3 locations)
- Overage and usage: No overage rate in our record
- Trial: Not stated
- Your FSM is named in the record
- Pick: ConvoForms (Gus)
- Why (from our data): Lists Jobber on its own site.
- Plan and price as published: $49/mo including 600 minutes
- Overage and usage: $0.30 per extra minute only if you opt in
- Trial: Free trial, 14 days, no card required; 14-day free trial, no card
- Low-cost after-hours plan for a solo plumber
- Pick: Claudessa
- Why (from our data): Built for home-services trades. The entry plan bills per call, so a quiet night costs little.
- Plan and price as published: Flex $29/mo (50 calls, then $0.49/call)
- Overage and usage: then $0.49/call
- Trial: Free trial, 14 days, no card required; 14-day or first-30-calls trial; no card required for organic trials; booked-job guarantee can extend the free period
- Low-cost after-hours plan for a solo plumber
- Pick: Ringing.io
- Why (from our data): After-hours and overflow coverage. Live call transfer and on-call rotation on Scale+.
- Plan and price as published: Starter $99/mo (250 min)
- Overage and usage: Overage $0.30/min
- Trial: Free trial, no card required; 25 free call minutes to start; no credit card
- Multi-truck shops
- Pick: OnCrew
- Why (from our data): A plan named for multi-truck shops. On-call tech text alerts and live transfers.
- Plan and price as published: Multi-Truck $349/mo (1,000 calls, 1,500 alert texts)
- Overage and usage: $0.99 per extra call and $0.05 per extra alert text
- Trial: Free trial, 14 days, no card required; 14-day free trial, no credit card; 30-day money-back guarantee
- Multi-truck shops
- Pick: Voniq
- Why (from our data): Its largest published plan, which adds outbound voice campaigns.
- Plan and price as published: Fleet $597/mo (1,500 min, $0.50/min over)
- Overage and usage: $0.50/min over
- Trial: Free trial, 7 days, no card required; 7-day free trial, no credit card
- Quote only (not ranked on price)
- Pick: Avoca AI
- Why (from our data): Lists ServiceTitan on its own site. Emergency escalation.
- Plan and price as published: Not published (quote only)
- Overage and usage: No overage rate in our record
- Trial: Not stated
- Quote only (not ranked on price)
- Pick: Hatch
- Why (from our data): Lists ServiceTitan on its own site. Real-time ServiceTitan booking sync.
- Plan and price as published: Not published (quote only)
- Overage and usage: No overage rate in our record
- Trial: Not stated
Free trial without a card, from the trial records of the picks: Claudessa (14-day or first-30-calls trial; no card required for organic trials; booked-job guarantee can extend the free period), ConvoForms (Gus) (14-day free trial, no card), OnCrew (14-day free trial, no credit card; 30-day money-back guarantee), Ringing.io (25 free call minutes to start; no credit card) and Voniq (7-day free trial, no credit card). More options: AI receptionists with a free trial.
Billing unit and overage
A freeze week is when the billing unit matters: a burst of short emergency calls costs differently on a per-call plan than on a per-minute plan, and both bill past the allowance.
| Vendor | Plan and price as published | Billing unit | Overage as published |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jobber Receptionist | Receptionist add-on $29/mo on Jobber Core, Connect and Grow, included on Plus | Monthly add-on; included calls or minutes not published | No overage rate in our record |
| Housecall Pro CSR AI | Not published (quote only) | Not published (quote only) | No overage rate in our record |
| CallCatcher | Starter $49/mo (100 min then $0.25/min) | Per minute | then $0.25/min |
| Sameday | Launch from $449/mo (500 min, 3 locations) | Per minute | No overage rate in our record |
| ConvoForms (Gus) | $49/mo including 600 minutes | Per minute | $0.30 per extra minute only if you opt in |
| Claudessa | Flex $29/mo (50 calls, then $0.49/call) | Per call | then $0.49/call |
| Ringing.io | Starter $99/mo (250 min) | Per minute | Overage $0.30/min |
| OnCrew | Multi-Truck $349/mo (1,000 calls, 1,500 alert texts) | Per call | $0.99 per extra call and $0.05 per extra alert text |
| Voniq | Fleet $597/mo (1,500 min, $0.50/min over) | Per minute | $0.50/min over |
| Avoca AI | Not published (quote only) | Not published (quote only) | No overage rate in our record |
| Hatch | Not published (quote only) | Not published (quote only) | No overage rate in our record |
- Jobber Receptionist
- Plan and price as published: Receptionist add-on $29/mo on Jobber Core, Connect and Grow, included on Plus
- Billing unit: Monthly add-on; included calls or minutes not published
- Overage as published: No overage rate in our record
- Housecall Pro CSR AI
- Plan and price as published: Not published (quote only)
- Billing unit: Not published (quote only)
- Overage as published: No overage rate in our record
- CallCatcher
- Plan and price as published: Starter $49/mo (100 min then $0.25/min)
- Billing unit: Per minute
- Overage as published: then $0.25/min
- Sameday
- Plan and price as published: Launch from $449/mo (500 min, 3 locations)
- Billing unit: Per minute
- Overage as published: No overage rate in our record
- ConvoForms (Gus)
- Plan and price as published: $49/mo including 600 minutes
- Billing unit: Per minute
- Overage as published: $0.30 per extra minute only if you opt in
- Claudessa
- Plan and price as published: Flex $29/mo (50 calls, then $0.49/call)
- Billing unit: Per call
- Overage as published: then $0.49/call
- Ringing.io
- Plan and price as published: Starter $99/mo (250 min)
- Billing unit: Per minute
- Overage as published: Overage $0.30/min
- OnCrew
- Plan and price as published: Multi-Truck $349/mo (1,000 calls, 1,500 alert texts)
- Billing unit: Per call
- Overage as published: $0.99 per extra call and $0.05 per extra alert text
- Voniq
- Plan and price as published: Fleet $597/mo (1,500 min, $0.50/min over)
- Billing unit: Per minute
- Overage as published: $0.50/min over
- Avoca AI
- Plan and price as published: Not published (quote only)
- Billing unit: Not published (quote only)
- Overage as published: No overage rate in our record
- Hatch
- Plan and price as published: Not published (quote only)
- Billing unit: Not published (quote only)
- Overage as published: No overage rate in our record
Enter your monthly calls and average call length in the AI receptionist cost calculator to compare plans at your own volume.
If your FSM is named in the record
Jobber Receptionist and Housecall Pro CSR AI are the platforms' own receptionists. Other vendors list ServiceTitan, Housecall Pro or Jobber on their own site:
| Field service software | Plumbing vendors that list it on their own site |
|---|---|
| ServiceTitan | Avoca AI, CallCatcher, CallJolt, dolfyn, Hatch, Lippy AI, Nextiva XBert, Phantom Desk AI, Sameday |
| Housecall Pro | Ansa, BuzzWisely, CallCatcher, dolfyn, Housecall Pro CSR AI, Lippy AI, Nextiva XBert, Phantom Desk AI, QuickVOC, RingReady, Sameday |
| Jobber | Ansa, CallCatcher, CallJolt, ConvoForms (Gus), dolfyn, Jobber Receptionist, Lippy AI, Phantom Desk AI |
- ServiceTitan
- Plumbing vendors that list it on their own site: Avoca AI, CallCatcher, CallJolt, dolfyn, Hatch, Lippy AI, Nextiva XBert, Phantom Desk AI, Sameday
- Housecall Pro
- Plumbing vendors that list it on their own site: Ansa, BuzzWisely, CallCatcher, dolfyn, Housecall Pro CSR AI, Lippy AI, Nextiva XBert, Phantom Desk AI, QuickVOC, RingReady, Sameday
- Jobber
- Plumbing vendors that list it on their own site: Ansa, CallCatcher, CallJolt, ConvoForms (Gus), dolfyn, Jobber Receptionist, Lippy AI, Phantom Desk AI
We record what each vendor lists. We have not tested write-back. Ask whether a booked job lands in your schedule during the call or arrives as a lead for the office to finish. Weighing the native add-on against a trades specialist? Read Jobber Receptionist vs OnCrew.
Emergency routing: burst pipes, sewer backups and gas smells
An answering service does not assess a leak or give safety advice. What vendors describe is call routing: following the rules your shop sets, it can flag a burst pipe or a sewer backup as urgent, alert or transfer to the on-call plumber and take the details for the morning. What the records say:
- Avoca AI: Emergency escalation.
- Jobber Receptionist: Keyword-based urgent call escalation.
- OnCrew: Emergency triage with your rules; On-call tech text alerts and live transfers.
- Ringing.io: Live call transfer and on-call rotation on Scale+.
- Callbook: Urgent job routing.
- CallJolt: Emergency call detection and alerts.
- Heyfield: Lead qualification and urgency tagging.
- RingDesk: Job qualification and emergency routing.
- Yapper: Emergency detection and transfer to your number.
Before you go live, write the rules yourself: which words send a call to a person, who is on call each night, what the script tells a caller who reports a gas smell (most shops send that call straight to a person and to the gas utility's emergency line, by the shop's own wording) and what happens when the on-call plumber does not answer. Test each path with real calls after hours.
Shops outside the US
These plumbing-tagged vendors publish prices in another currency. They are shown as published and are not part of any USD comparison on this page.
| Vendor | Pricing as published | Currency | Billing unit | Overage as published | Trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alayic | From GBP 89.99/mo with inclusive minutes (Professional cites 450 free minutes); higher tiers from GBP 199.99/mo (1,000 minutes). No setup fees, pay monthly, cancel anytime. Overage billed per minute | Currency as published (GBP); not included in USD comparisons | Per minute | Overage billed per minute | Trial with conditions (not free); Free account with test calls to hear your voice agent in action; payment required to go live |
| Phone Phoebe | Basic £39/mo; Professional £89/mo; Premium £189/mo. All plans include unlimited minutes, AI phone answering, email and text notifications, and calendar bookings. No per-call charges, no contracts. Prices in GBP | Currency as published (GBP); not included in USD comparisons | Flat (unlimited as published) | No overage rate in our record | Free trial, 7 days, no card required; 7-day free trial on all plans; no card required |
| Ringroo | Starter A$19.95/mo (10 calls, then A$1.50/call); Growth A$69.95/mo (50 calls, then A$1.20/call); Pro A$169.95/mo (200 calls, then A$0.99/call). Local Australian number included. All prices in AUD. Cancel anytime | Currency as published (AUD); not included in USD comparisons | Per call | then A$1.50/call | Free trial, 14 days, no card required; 14-day free trial; no credit card; free trial covers up to 7 calls then asks callers to text |
| Sayora | £49/mo flat, no VAT added, no setup fee, no contract. Unlimited minutes under fair use; dedicated local or 03 UK number included. Prices in GBP | Currency as published (GBP); not included in USD comparisons | Flat (unlimited as published) | No overage rate in our record | Free trial, 7 days, card required; Free test mode first (up to 15 calls or 30 connected minutes, no card); card taken when you claim the receptionist, then 7 free days before £49/mo billing |
| Waboom AI | AI receptionist: NZ$130/mo platform fee (excl. GST) plus prepaid call credit, starting with NZ$500 of credit at NZ$0.95/min and dropping to as low as NZ$0.77/min with larger credit loads; credit tops up automatically and never expires. Australia: A$500 credit plus A$130/mo, 95c down to 71c/min. Prices in NZD, excl. GST. Outbound sales agent plans from NZ$990/mo are a separate product | Currency as published (NZD and AUD); not included in USD comparisons | Per minute (prepaid credit) | No overage rate in our record | Not stated; 30-day money-back guarantee on every voice agent plan; no free trial stated |
- Alayic
- Pricing as published: From GBP 89.99/mo with inclusive minutes (Professional cites 450 free minutes); higher tiers from GBP 199.99/mo (1,000 minutes). No setup fees, pay monthly, cancel anytime. Overage billed per minute
- Currency: Currency as published (GBP); not included in USD comparisons
- Billing unit: Per minute
- Overage as published: Overage billed per minute
- Trial: Trial with conditions (not free); Free account with test calls to hear your voice agent in action; payment required to go live
- Phone Phoebe
- Pricing as published: Basic £39/mo; Professional £89/mo; Premium £189/mo. All plans include unlimited minutes, AI phone answering, email and text notifications, and calendar bookings. No per-call charges, no contracts. Prices in GBP
- Currency: Currency as published (GBP); not included in USD comparisons
- Billing unit: Flat (unlimited as published)
- Overage as published: No overage rate in our record
- Trial: Free trial, 7 days, no card required; 7-day free trial on all plans; no card required
- Ringroo
- Pricing as published: Starter A$19.95/mo (10 calls, then A$1.50/call); Growth A$69.95/mo (50 calls, then A$1.20/call); Pro A$169.95/mo (200 calls, then A$0.99/call). Local Australian number included. All prices in AUD. Cancel anytime
- Currency: Currency as published (AUD); not included in USD comparisons
- Billing unit: Per call
- Overage as published: then A$1.50/call
- Trial: Free trial, 14 days, no card required; 14-day free trial; no credit card; free trial covers up to 7 calls then asks callers to text
- Sayora
- Pricing as published: £49/mo flat, no VAT added, no setup fee, no contract. Unlimited minutes under fair use; dedicated local or 03 UK number included. Prices in GBP
- Currency: Currency as published (GBP); not included in USD comparisons
- Billing unit: Flat (unlimited as published)
- Overage as published: No overage rate in our record
- Trial: Free trial, 7 days, card required; Free test mode first (up to 15 calls or 30 connected minutes, no card); card taken when you claim the receptionist, then 7 free days before £49/mo billing
- Waboom AI
- Pricing as published: AI receptionist: NZ$130/mo platform fee (excl. GST) plus prepaid call credit, starting with NZ$500 of credit at NZ$0.95/min and dropping to as low as NZ$0.77/min with larger credit loads; credit tops up automatically and never expires. Australia: A$500 credit plus A$130/mo, 95c down to 71c/min. Prices in NZD, excl. GST. Outbound sales agent plans from NZ$990/mo are a separate product
- Currency: Currency as published (NZD and AUD); not included in USD comparisons
- Billing unit: Per minute (prepaid credit)
- Overage as published: No overage rate in our record
- Trial: Not stated; 30-day money-back guarantee on every voice agent plan; no free trial stated
AI answering vs live answering for plumbing shops
A live answering service puts people on your line to take messages and page the on-call plumber, and can use judgement within the protocol you give it. An AI receptionist answers every line at once, books routine jobs and follows the routing rules you configure. Many shops keep a person in the path for true emergencies and let AI take routine and quote calls. Read AI receptionist vs human receptionist and AI answering service vs AI receptionist.
Alternatives and other trades
Comparing a well-known name? See Avoca AI alternatives, Rosie alternatives and Upfirst alternatives. Running more than plumbing? See the best HVAC answering service, the best answering service for electricians and the best answering service for roofers.
For every plumbing-tagged vendor with pricing, trials and sources, use the AI receptionist for plumbers list, or the HVAC and home services lists.
FAQ
What is the best answering service for plumbers?
It depends on the job: booking into the field service software you already run, a low-cost after-hours plan for a solo plumber, coverage for several trucks or a quote for a larger operation. Jobber Receptionist and Housecall Pro CSR AI are the native options for those platforms. The quick picks above use current catalog facts for each job, so call each pick with an urgent and a routine call before you choose.
Can an AI answering service handle a burst pipe or gas smell call at night?
It can route the call, not judge it. Following rules your shop sets, a vendor may flag the call as urgent, alert or transfer to the on-call plumber or take the details. What a caller who smells gas is told comes from your own script, not from the AI. Test every emergency path before relying on it.
Which AI answering services work with ServiceTitan, Housecall Pro or Jobber?
Jobber Receptionist and Housecall Pro CSR AI are built into their platforms. The table in the field service section shows which other plumbing vendors list each system on their own site. We record what each vendor lists. We have not tested write-back.
How much does a plumbing answering service cost per month?
Among the picks with a USD monthly list price, the lowest start is $29/mo (Claudessa: Flex $29/mo (50 calls, then $0.49/call); overage: then $0.49/call). Check the billing unit and overage beside each price, and read the cost guide for wider context. Prices in other currencies (Alayic, Phone Phoebe, Ringroo, Sayora and Waboom AI) are shown as published and not compared in USD.
Should a plumber pay per call or per minute?
Per-call plans suit many short calls, such as a run of burst-pipe calls in a freeze week; per-minute plans suit fewer, longer calls. Both bill past the allowance, so compare the overage beside each price at your own call count and length.
Which plumbing answering services have a free trial without a card?
From the current records of the picks: Claudessa, ConvoForms (Gus), OnCrew, Ringing.io and Voniq. Read the trial terms with each pick, then see the free trial guide for more options.
Related
- AI receptionists for plumbers, HVAC companies and home services
- Best AI receptionist by use case, AI receptionist cost and free trials
Picks are editorial and never sold. Vendor facts are claims from each vendor's own site, checked on the dates on each vendor page. Read our methodology before you buy.