01
Emergency triage
Asks your screening questions (is water still running, is there any power, can the property be secured) and transfers real emergencies to the engineer on call with the address and problem.
AI receptionist for trades
An AI receptionist for trades that answers while you’re up a ladder
You can’t answer the phone under a sink or on a roof, and the customer with a burst pipe won’t wait for a call back. We build an AI receptionist for plumbers, heating engineers, electricians, roofers and locksmiths that sorts emergencies from routine work, checks the job is in your area and books it into your job management software.
Thanks, that’s with us.
A senior engineer reads every enquiry and will reply as soon as they can.
Want to take it further now?
Book a time that suits you, or send a message on WhatsApp.
- Gas leak? Safety first: callers are told to get out and ring 0800 111 999 before anything else
- Only takes jobs in your area: the postcode is checked on the call
- Photos by text or WhatsApp, so you can price before you visit
100%
Job Success on Upwork
4.8★
From 944 Fiverr reviews
Test line
Ring it with a fake job first
2020
Building software since
Technologies we build with
- OpenAI GPT
- Anthropic Claude
- Google Gemini
- Deepgram
- ElevenLabs
- Vapi
- Retell AI
- Prices and call-out fees
- Postcode coverage
- Triage and safety rules
- Tradify
- Jobber
- ServiceM8
- Commusoft
- Simpro
- WhatsApp Business API
- SMS photo links
- Email job sheets
- Twilio
- Call forwarding from your mobile
- Google Calendar
- Microsoft Outlook
Quick answer
What does an AI receptionist do for a trades business?
An AI receptionist for trades answers your business number while you and your engineers are on jobs. It finds out what the problem is, where the property is and how urgent it is, then does what you would do: books a routine job into the diary, puts a genuine emergency through to whoever is on call, or takes the details for a quote and asks the customer to send photos.
Emergency calls come first. If a caller smells gas, the receptionist doesn’t take a booking. It tells them to open doors and windows, avoid switches and naked flames, leave the property and ring the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999. For water, heating, electrical or lock-out emergencies, it follows your rules on what counts as urgent, what an emergency call-out costs and who to call.
It also saves you driving to jobs you didn’t want. It checks the postcode against the areas you cover, asks your qualifying questions (boiler make and age, size of roof, type of lock) and sends a job sheet to your job management software or your phone, so the details are there when you call back or arrive.
What it handles
The calls a trades AI receptionist takes off your hands
Set up around your trade, your prices and the areas you cover. These are the jobs trades businesses usually hand it first.
02
Gas and carbon monoxide safety
Recognises a suspected gas leak or a carbon monoxide alarm, gives the safety steps and the 0800 111 999 number first, then logs the call for you.
03
Postcode coverage check
Checks the caller’s postcode against your area, mentions any travel charge you set and politely declines jobs you don’t cover.
04
Quote requests with photos
Takes the job details, texts a link for photos or a short video by SMS or WhatsApp and adds the request to your job software for pricing.
05
Routine jobs and services
Books boiler services, EICRs, fault-finding visits and estimates into your diary, with the time slot, parking and access details.
06
Call-out charges explained
Explains your call-out fee, hourly rate or fixed prices exactly as you set them, so nobody is surprised on the doorstep.
Calls missed on the job
You can’t quote from under a floorboard
When the whole team is on the tools, the business phone is a mobile in someone’s pocket. A call that rings out is a customer who may try the next name on the list.
The phone in your pocket
- Calls go to voicemail while you’re on a job
- Evenings go on returning calls and writing up enquiries
- You drive out to quote jobs that turn out to be outside your area
- Emergencies and routine enquiries land in the same voicemail
- Customers describe the problem vaguely and you arrive without the right parts
- Call-out fees cause arguments on the doorstep
With a trades AI receptionist
- Calls are answered while you keep working
- Each enquiry arrives as a job sheet, not a voicemail
- Out-of-area jobs are declined politely on the first call
- Emergencies reach whoever is on call; routine work goes in the diary
- Photos arrive before you visit, so the right parts are on the van
- Customers hear your call-out fee before they book
See how it would work for you
Book a free 30-minute call. We’ll walk you through how an AI receptionist would handle your call-outs, from routine jobs to emergencies, and tell you honestly if it won’t help.
Examples
AI receptionist use cases for trades
Illustrative examples of what we build, not client results.
Leaks and blockages
Asks whether water is still running and whether the caller knows where the stopcock is, sends an active leak to the on-call plumber and books a dripping tap into the diary.
Aim: active leaks reach a plumber; drips get booked
No heating or hot water
Takes the boiler make, model and any error code, asks whether anyone in the home is elderly, unwell or very young, and prioritises using your rules.
Aim: the right parts on the van and vulnerable customers seen first
Faults and power loss
Asks whether the whole property or one circuit is affected, points callers with a neighbourhood power cut to 105, and books fault-finding visits for the rest.
Aim: no wasted visits for a network power cut
Storm-damage rush
During a storm, takes addresses, damage descriptions and photos, separates water-coming-in jobs from loose tiles and builds a call-back list in priority order.
Aim: the worst leaks seen first after a storm
Lock-outs at night
Takes the address and lock type, explains your out-of-hours call-out fee up front, asks how the caller will show they live there and transfers to the locksmith on duty.
Aim: fewer doorstep disputes over price
EV charger and solar enquiries
Asks where the car parks and how old the fuse board is, requests a photo of the consumer unit and books a survey.
Aim: surveys booked with what you need to quote
Agent and landlord work orders
Takes work orders from letting agents and landlords, records the tenant’s contact details and access arrangements and adds the job to your schedule.
Aim: agency jobs logged with access details first time
Annual service bookings
Answers customers ringing back after a service reminder and books them by area, so engineers aren’t crossing town between jobs.
Aim: service visits grouped by area
How we work
How we build an AI receptionist for your trades business
Six steps, with you approving every emergency rule and safety message. You ring it yourself with fake jobs before a customer does.
Discovery
We go through the calls you get, what counts as an emergency in your trade, the areas you cover, your prices and who is on call when.
Week 1Design
We write the triage questions, safety messages and booking rules. You approve every emergency definition and the wording for gas and electrical safety.
Week 1Build
We connect your number, job management software and calendar, and set up text and WhatsApp for photos.
Week 2Train
We load your areas, prices and common jobs, then test with realistic calls: panicked customers, bad lines and people who can’t describe the problem.
Week 2Launch
It usually starts while you’re on jobs and out of hours, while you read the job sheets on your phone.
Typically week 3Optimise
We adjust triage rules, prices and areas as the business changes. Optional monthly support covers this.
Ongoing
Clear scope · Regular demos · Full handover
Is it right for you?
When a trades business should use an AI receptionist, and when it shouldn’t
If you are already turning work away, it may not be the best use of your money. We’ll tell you.
Worth it when…
- You miss calls because you’re working
- Evening admin is mostly returning calls and writing up jobs
- You offer emergency call-outs and need them sorted from routine work
- You use job management software or a shared calendar
- You get enquiries from outside the areas you want to cover
Not worth it when…
- You already have more work than you can take and a long waiting list
- Most of your work comes from a few regular contractors who email
- Your calls are mostly from customers who know your mobile and will wait
- You’d rather answer every call yourself
Your options
AI receptionist vs answering on the job vs a call-answering service
Some trades keep answering themselves when they can and let the AI take the calls they can’t.
| What matters | Custom AI receptionist | Answering yourself on the job | Call-answering service |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emergency triage | Your questions and rules, every call | Good, when you can pick up | Often takes a message |
| Gas safety message | Given first, every time | If you remember on a busy day | Depends on the script |
| Area check | Postcode checked on the call | Yes | If it’s in the script |
| Photos for quotes | Requested by text or WhatsApp on the call | You ask later | Depends on the service |
| Into your job software | Where your software allows access | You type it up later | Usually by email |
| How you pay | Setup fee, optional support, call usage | Your time and the jobs you miss | Per call or monthly |
Pricing
How much does an AI receptionist for a trades business cost?
The main factors are how many trades and emergency types it handles, whether it connects to your job management software and how many engineers share the on-call rota. You get a written quote with scope and exclusions agreed up front.
Free consultation
Free
30 minutes
We go through your calls, areas and emergency rules, walk you through how a triage call would go and send a written estimate.
Get a quote →Trades AI receptionist
From £1,500
Typically 2–3 weeks
Triage and safety flows, area checks, photo requests, job software connection, testing and launch on your number.
Get a quote →Monthly support
From £150/month
Optional retainer
Rule and price updates, transcript reviews, new job types and technical monitoring.
Get a quote →Call minutes, text and WhatsApp messages and phone line charges are billed by the providers and estimated in your quote.
Technology
What’s behind a trades AI receptionist
Speech recognition is set up for callers on mobiles, bad lines and noisy kitchens, and turns what they say into text. A large language model (the AI behind tools like ChatGPT and Claude) follows your triage rules and works out what kind of job it is. Retrieval over your own data (RAG) gives it your prices, areas and policies to answer from. Text-to-speech replies clearly, and APIs create the job in your software and send the photo link.
Understanding: language models
- OpenAI GPT
- Anthropic Claude
- Google Gemini
Voice
- Deepgram
- ElevenLabs
- Vapi
- Retell AI
Your business knowledge (RAG)
- Prices and call-out fees
- Postcode coverage
- Triage and safety rules
Job management software
- Tradify
- Jobber
- ServiceM8
- Commusoft
- Simpro
Photos and messages
- WhatsApp Business API
- SMS photo links
- Email job sheets
Phones and diaries
- Twilio
- Call forwarding from your mobile
- Google Calendar
- Microsoft Outlook
Who it’s for
Trades we build AI receptionists for
Each trade has its own emergencies, questions and safety messages, so each gets its own call flow.
Plumbing and heatingLeaks, no heat, boiler breakdowns and services.ElectriciansFaults, EICRs, EV chargers and rewires.RoofersStorm damage, leaks and repair quotes.LocksmithsLock-outs, lock changes and security upgrades.HVAC and air conditioningBreakdowns, maintenance contracts and installs.Kitchen and bathroom fittersQuote requests, surveys and showroom visits.
FAQ
Trades AI receptionist FAQs
Straight answers to what buyers ask before they sign.
Still have a question?
Ask us directly. A senior engineer reads every question.
Ask about your projectWhat does the AI receptionist do if someone smells gas?
It gives safety instructions before anything else. It tells the caller to open doors and windows, avoid switches and naked flames, turn off the gas at the meter if it is safe to do so, leave the property and call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999. It then logs the call for you.
Can it book jobs into Tradify, Jobber or ServiceM8?
Often, but access varies by product and plan. Many job management tools, including Commusoft and Simpro, offer some way to create jobs from outside the software. We check yours before quoting. Where direct access isn’t available, the receptionist sends a structured job sheet by email or text for you to add.
Can I keep my mobile number?
Yes. Calls to your mobile or business number can be forwarded to the AI receptionist when you don’t answer, when you’re on a job or out of hours. You decide the rules, and emergencies can be transferred back to your mobile or to whoever is on call that night.
How does it decide what counts as an emergency?
By the rules you give it. You decide which problems are emergencies in your trade, such as an active leak, no heating for a vulnerable customer or a property that can’t be secured, and what call-out fee applies. Everything else is booked as routine work or passed to you as a quote request.
Will it give customers prices over the phone?
Only the prices you approve, such as call-out fees, hourly rates or fixed prices for standard jobs. For anything that needs a look, it says the price will be confirmed once you have seen the photos or visited, which helps avoid disputes on the doorstep.
Is an AI receptionist worth it for a one-person trades business?
It can be, if you regularly miss calls while working and those calls turn into jobs. If you already have more work than you can handle, or most calls come from regulars who will wait, a voicemail and call-back routine may be enough. We’ll tell you which on the consultation.
Start here
Book a free consultation for your trades business
Tell us your trade, the areas you cover and what happens to calls when you’re on a job. We’ll walk you through how a triage call would go and tell you honestly whether it’s worth it.
- You tell us what you needTwo minutes on the form, or a message on WhatsApp.
- A senior engineer reviews itAnd comes back with questions, a realistic range and an honest view on fit.
- Free 30-minute scoping callWe talk through scope, options and a realistic estimate, with no obligation.
Thanks, that’s with us.
A senior engineer reads every enquiry and will reply as soon as they can.
Want to take it further now?
Book a time that suits you, or send a message on WhatsApp.