How much does an AI receptionist cost for a contractor?
Self-serve AI receptionist apps run about $29 to $449 a month, premium managed tools are often quoted at $1,000 to $3,000 a month, and live answering services start around $250 to $300 a month for a small call allowance. NexAI's done-for-you front desk starts at $497/month with $0 setup. The better question is what your missed calls cost you now, and that takes ten minutes to work out.
What contractors pay in 2026
Prices below are what vendors published or were quoted at in October 2026. They move often, so treat them as a range, not a quote.
| Option | Typical monthly cost | Who sets it up | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Self-serve AI receptionist app (Rosie, Goodcall, Dialzara and similar) | about $29 to $449 | You | An AI that answers, takes a message, sometimes books. Priced by minutes. |
| Add-on inside your field-service software (Jobber, Housecall Pro) | about $29 to $149 on top of your plan | You | Text-back or AI answering that only works inside that software. |
| Messaging platforms (Podium and similar) | about $399 to $599, plus setup fees | Vendor onboarding, then you | Text-back, reviews, a shared inbox. Usually a 12-month term. |
| Live answering service (Smith.ai, Ruby and similar) | about $250 to $1,700+ | Vendor | Real people answering, priced by calls or minutes. |
| Premium managed AI receptionist (Avoca and similar) | often quoted $1,000 to $3,000 | Vendor | Deeper booking and software connections. |
| NexAI front desk | $497/month (Tier 1) or $997/month (Tier 2) | Me | Done for you. See below. |
The fees that hide in the fine print
- Per-minute overage. Most AI apps include a block of minutes. A busy storm week can blow through it. Ask what one minute over costs.
- Setup and phone fees. Some platforms charge a few hundred dollars per location to set up the phone line.
- Texting registration. Any business texting in the US has to register its number for A2P 10DLC. Expect a one-time fee of about $15 to $17 and a few dollars a month in carrier fees. Good vendors handle the paperwork. Unregistered texts often never arrive, and nobody tells you.
- Contract length. A 12-month auto-renewing term turns a cheap trial into a year-long bill.
How to check it pays for itself
You do not need industry averages for this. Use your own numbers:
- Pull last month's call log from your phone carrier or call-tracking tool. Count calls nobody answered.
- Estimate how many were real job requests. If you have no idea, call back ten of them and see.
- Multiply real job requests by your booking rate on calls you do answer.
- Multiply that by your average ticket.
Example, with made-up numbers you should replace with yours: 40 missed calls a month, half of them real jobs, you book 1 in 3 of those, and your average ticket is $450. That is about 6 or 7 lost jobs, or roughly $3,000 a month. A front desk that wins back even a third of that covers a $497/month bill.
What NexAI charges
Tier 1, the Speed-to-Lead Front Desk, is $497/month with $0 setup. Tier 2, the Complete AI Front Desk + Custom Site, is $997/month with $1,500 setup and adds the live AI voice receptionist. Tier 1 terms: Month-to-month · 30-day money-back guarantee. I set it up, register the texting number, and run it. Full details and terms are on the pricing page.
My honest default: if you already pay for Jobber or Housecall Pro, turn on the text-back that comes with it first. If calls still go unanswered after that, a managed front desk is the next step. I wrote about that choice in Jobber already texts back missed calls. Do I need anything else?
More questions home-service contractors ask
Is there a setup fee for an AI receptionist?
It depends on the vendor. Many self-serve apps have none, some platforms charge a few hundred dollars per location, and done-for-you builds can charge more. NexAI Tier 1 is $0 setup; Tier 2 is $1,500 setup.
Do AI receptionists charge by the minute?
Most self-serve tools include a block of minutes per month and charge for overage. Check the overage rate before you sign, because storm weeks and peak season can double your call volume.
What is the cheapest AI receptionist that actually works for a contractor?
The cheapest working option is usually the text-back or AI answering add-on inside the field-service software you already pay for. It is limited to that software, but it costs little to try.
How do I know if an AI receptionist will pay for itself?
Count last month's unanswered calls, estimate how many were real jobs, multiply by your booking rate and your average ticket. If winning back a third of that beats the monthly price, it pays.
Want a straight answer for your business?
Watch the 2-minute demo of the front desk, then book a free 15-minute fit call. See the front desk →