AI Receptionist for Contractors
An AI receptionist for contractors answers every call, books jobs, captures quote requests, and texts customers back — even while you’re on the job site. Installed and working in about 5 business days. $1,500 CAD, no monthly fee required. Built by Handbuilt in Surrey BC.
The problem
You’re on a roof, under a sink, or inside a panel box when your phone rings. You can’t answer. The caller hangs up, Googles the next contractor, and books with them instead. Voicemail doesn’t help — most callers won’t leave one. Every missed call is a lost job, and you’re losing them every day you’re out doing the actual work.
What this looks like in practice
Imagine a fencing contractor running a 4-person crew in the Fraser Valley. Between April and October, the phone rings 15–20 times a day. Half those calls come in while the crew is on site. The contractor’s wife handles calls when she can, but she has her own job. They’re losing an estimated 5–8 leads a week to missed calls and slow callbacks.
In this hypothetical scenario, Handbuilt would install an AI receptionist that picks up every call, asks what the caller needs, captures the job details, and books an estimate slot on the contractor’s calendar. The caller gets a confirmation text. The contractor gets a summary. No more napkin notes, no more voicemail tag.
How it works
- 1
Discovery call — Pavneet learns your trade, your services, your booking flow, and how calls come in today. 20 minutes, no pitch.
- 2
Scoped flat-price proposal — You get a fixed $1,500 CAD price, a list of exactly what the receptionist will handle, and a go-live date.
- 3
Build & test on your real calls — Pavneet builds the receptionist, trains it on your services and pricing, and tests it against the kinds of calls your business actually gets.
- 4
Handoff + optional Care Plan — The receptionist goes live on your phone line. You get a walkthrough. Optional $99/mo Care Plan if you want ongoing tuning as your services change.
Why Contractors Lose Jobs to Missed Calls
Speed wins in trades. When a homeowner’s pipe bursts or their fence blows down, they call the first few contractors on Google. The one who picks up books the job. The others get a voicemail the homeowner never follows up on. Plenty of contractors describe losing work exactly this way. An AI receptionist answers every call instantly, so you’re always the one who picks up.
- Most callers won’t leave a voicemail — they’ll call the next contractor
- Returning calls 2 hours later means the job is already booked
- Hiring a full-time receptionist costs $35,000–$45,000/year plus benefits
- A shared answering service doesn’t know your trade, your pricing, or your calendar
What the AI Receptionist Actually Does
It’s not a phone tree. It’s not “press 1 for service.” The receptionist has a natural conversation with the caller, trained specifically on your business:
- Answers calls with your business name and greeting
- Asks what the caller needs — new install, repair, quote, or emergency
- Captures job details: address, scope, timeline, photos if texted
- Books an estimate slot on your real calendar
- Sends the caller a confirmation text immediately
- Texts you a summary so you know what’s coming before you call back
Built for Trades — Not a Generic Chatbot
Generic answering services don’t know the difference between a service call and a new install. They can’t quote a ballpark for a 50-foot cedar fence or tell a caller whether you do panel upgrades. This receptionist is trained on your trade, your service list, and your area. It speaks your customers’ language because it was built around your business, not a template.
What you get
- Every call answered — nights, weekends, while you’re on the job site
- Job details captured and texted to you in real time
- Estimate and service appointments booked directly on your calendar
- Callers get an instant confirmation text so they stop shopping around
- Trained on your specific services, service area, and pricing
- No monthly contract required — one-time $1,500 CAD build
Recommended package
AI Starter System
Live in ~5 business days
Fixed price in CAD · USD / AUD / NZD quotes on request. Built remotely for small businesses across Canada, the US, Australia & New Zealand.
One AI worker, live in days.
Get your AI receptionistCommon questions
$1,500 CAD. That covers the build, training on your business, and go-live. No monthly fee is required, though a $99/mo Care Plan is available if you want ongoing adjustments.
Want this built for your business?
Tell us about your setup and we'll send a plan and a fixed quote within one business day.