The AI receptionist built for contractors — answers every call, books every job.
Callbook answers your calls 24/7, triages emergencies, and books the job into your schedule — while you’re on a roof, under a sink, or driving. Built for the trades, $149/month, 300 included AI minutes, then $0.40/min.
Why contractors use an AI receptionist
You can’t answer from a roof or a crawlspace
Contractors miss calls because they’re working — on a job, driving, or under a sink. Callbook answers every call right away, 24/7, and books the job or logs the lead for you, so it doesn’t go to the next contractor on Google.
Emergencies triaged, routine booked
It knows a burst pipe at 2 AM from a routine quote. Urgent calls get flagged and can route to your cell; everything else is booked for the next business day — so you’re only interrupted when it matters.
Google Calendar booking, QuickBooks sync
Booked jobs can sync to your Google Calendar, and the customers, invoices and payments you create in Callbook sync to QuickBooks Online — no sticky notes, no double entry.
Predictable monthly pricing
Old answering services bill $1–2 a minute and still take messages. Callbook starts at $149/month with 300 minutes included and $0.40 per extra minute, with no contract — every call answered.
What happens when a customer calls
Whether you forward every call or only the ones you miss, each forwarded call goes through the same steps:
- 1
Answers with your business name
The call is picked up right away and greeted as your company, in English or Spanish, so the caller never feels handed off.
- 2
Asks your trade’s questions
It follows the intake you set: what the problem is, the address and ZIP, and how urgent it is. Addresses outside your service area are told so politely.
- 3
Sorts urgent from routine
Urgent calls get the soonest emergency slot or a transfer to the number you choose. For gas, fire, carbon monoxide or electrical-shock calls it first tells the caller to get to safety and call 911, then offers your emergency line if you set one.
- 4
Books the job
Routine work is booked into an open slot on your Callbook schedule while the caller is on the line, and the customer gets a confirmation text.
- 5
Can text you the details
Turn on text alerts and you get the caller, the problem and the appointment by text before you’re back in the truck.
Example call (simulated)
Roofing: storm leak
Caller
Water is coming through my kitchen ceiling. It started in the storm last night.
Callbook
I can help get someone out. Is the water still dripping now, and is it near any light fixtures or outlets?
Caller
Still dripping, a bucket every hour or so. Nowhere near the lights.
Callbook
Thanks. I’ve marked this as an active roof leak. What’s the address, and is this the best number to reach you?
Texted to the owner: active roof leak after the storm, kitchen ceiling, not near electrical, address and callback number captured.
How setup works
1. Tell it about your business
Add your services, prices, service area, business hours and the questions you want asked. Bookings go into your Callbook schedule, and can sync one way to Google Calendar.
2. Choose which calls it takes
Keep your number and forward all calls, only the ones you don’t answer, or only after-hours calls. See how to forward calls for carrier codes and phone settings.
3. Test it, then go live
Call your own line from another phone, let it ring through, and check the booking and the confirmation text the caller gets. Voice plans can start with a 7-day trial for $29 (up to 60 AI minutes).
Hear it answer before you set it up
Call our line and the Callbook AI receptionist itself answers — ask it about plans, or book a free setup call. What you hear is exactly what your customers would get.
AI receptionist vs. answering service vs. hiring
Three ways contractors get their phones answered, and where each one fits.
| Callbook AI receptionist | Live answering service | Hiring a receptionist | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hours covered | 24/7, including nights, weekends and holidays | Varies by plan | Their working hours |
| Booking | Books into your schedule during the call; syncs to Google Calendar | Depends on the service; many take a message | Yes, while they’re at the desk |
| Trade knowledge | Asks your trade’s intake questions and flags emergencies | Follows the script you provide | After you train them |
| How you pay | Monthly plan: $149/mo with 300 minutes, then $0.40/min | Commonly by the minute or by the call | Wages, payroll taxes and benefits |
More detail: AI vs. a traditional answering service · AI receptionist vs. hiring
What it doesn’t do (yet)
Better to know before you forward a single call:
- It doesn’t connect to Jobber, Housecall Pro, ServiceTitan or other field-service software. Jobs book into Callbook’s schedule and can sync to Google Calendar; customers, invoices and payments sync to QuickBooks Online.
- Transfers go to one number, not to different people by department.
- It leaves a flat buffer after each job; it doesn’t calculate drive time between jobs.
- If your customers expect a person on every call, a live answering service may suit you better.
Tuned to your trade
Callbook is pre-trained for each trade — the questions to ask, the emergencies to flag, and how you book a job. Pick yours:
See also: AI receptionist · AI receptionist for small business · After-hours answering service · Bilingual answering service · Missed-call text-back · vs. a traditional answering service
AI receptionist for contractors — FAQs
- What is an AI receptionist for contractors?
- It’s an AI that answers your trade business’s calls 24/7 — qualifying the caller, recognizing emergencies (a burst pipe, no heat, a power outage), booking the appointment, and texting you the job details. Built for contractors who are on a roof, under a sink, or driving when the phone rings.
- How is it different from a generic answering service?
- Callbook is purpose-built for the trades — it understands trade terminology, triages emergencies by urgency, books jobs into your Callbook schedule (synced to Google Calendar if you want), and starts at $149/month with 300 minutes included, then $0.40 per extra minute. A generic call center reads a script and takes a message.
- Does it work for after-hours and emergency calls?
- Yes — 24/7/365. It flags urgent calls, can route them straight to your cell, and books routine calls for the next business day. After hours is exactly when contractors lose the most jobs to voicemail.
- Does it connect to my field-service software?
- Not yet. Callbook books jobs into its own schedule, syncs them to Google Calendar and connects to QuickBooks; it does not connect to Jobber, Housecall Pro, ServiceTitan or other field-service software today.
- How much does it cost?
- Plans start at $149/month with 300 AI minutes included, then $0.40 a minute. No contract and no per-call billing.
- Can it handle Spanish-speaking callers?
- Yes. Callbook answers, qualifies, and books in English or Spanish automatically — important for the many trades markets with large Spanish-speaking communities.
- Do I keep my business number?
- Yes. You keep the number on your truck and your Google listing and forward calls to your Callbook number: all of them, only the ones you don’t answer, or only after hours.
- Can my phone ring first?
- Yes. Forward only unanswered and busy calls, so you get the first chance to pick up, or have your phone and Callbook ring at the same time and let whoever answers first take the call.
- Is there a trial?
- Voice plans can start with a 7-day trial for $29 (up to 60 AI minutes), then your plan starts unless you cancel. You can also call the live demo line first to hear the AI answer.
Never lose another job to a missed call.
Give your trade business a receptionist that answers 24/7, triages emergencies, and books the job — from $149/month with 300 minutes included.