Answering services for contractors: live agents and AI-plus-human
Included: Services whose vendor describes human receptionists answering, either fully live or as backup to AI.
Order: Lowest published monthly plan first; quote-only services last.
Data: each vendor's own pricing page, check date per row. Nobody paid to be on this list. Methodology
A live answering service puts a person on your line. That handles unusual calls and upset customers better than most AI, but costs more per minute and usually bills in minute blocks with overage.
Hybrid services answer with AI and hand off to a person when needed. They cost less than fully live service, but check when the handoff happens and whether human minutes are billed separately.
The list
| # | Tool | Type | Lowest plan | Plan includes | Billing | Free trial / plan | Contract | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Smith.ai AI Receptionist | AI + live backup | From $0/mo | 25 calls/mo, $3.00 per extra call | Per call | Free plan (25 calls/mo) | Month-to-month, 30 days' notice | 2026-11-09 |
| 2 | PATLive | Live answering service | From $49/mo | No included minutes; $2.99/min | — | — | — | 2026-11-09 |
| 3 | Posh | Live answering service | From $65/mo | 0 min included; $2.30/min | — | — | — | 2026-11-09 |
| 4 | Abby Connect | AI + live backup | From $164/mo | 50 Abby minutes | — | — | — | 2026-11-09 |
| 5 | Ruby | Live answering service | From $250/mo | — | — | — | — | 2026-11-09 |
| 6 | AnswerForce | Live answering service | Pricing on request | — | — | — | — | 2026-11-09 |
The check date links to the vendor pricing page it was read from. Prices change; confirm at signup.
Smith.ai AI Receptionist
Shops that want AI answering with live-human fallback for complex calls
PATLive
Live, human answering service for small businesses.
Posh
Live virtual receptionist service billed by receptionist minutes.
What to check
Live services usually sell minute bundles; check the per-minute overage.
Some charge more nights and weekends.
Can agents reach your on-call tech for emergencies?
Can you supply the exact emergency and pricing script?
Related
- AI vs answering service vs hiring
- AI receptionist price table
- Cheapest AI receptionists
- The cheapest AI receptionists
- Free AI receptionists
- AI receptionists for small businesses
- AI receptionists billed per call (not per minute)
FAQ
What answering services do contractors use?
Live and hybrid options we track include Smith.ai AI Receptionist, PATLive, Posh, Abby Connect, Ruby. See the table for prices and billing.
AI or live answering service?
Live costs more per minute but handles odd calls better; see our guide comparing AI, answering services and hiring.
Price changes and new tools, every week
One short email for home-service owners. We track vendor prices so you don't have to.
TradeTested is independent. We may earn a commission from some links, and sponsored placements are always labeled. How we make money · How we verify