Free calculator
AI receptionist vs answering service: what does each one actually cost?
Plug in your daily call volume and average call duration. See the real monthly + annual cost difference between Heyfield's AI plans and a typical human answering service for your trade.
Monthly = 450, annual = 5475
Trade dispatch calls typically 2-4 minutes; bid-heavy trades can run 6-8.
Default $1.45/min — typical for contractor-aware human answering services. Override if your current vendor charges differently.
Beyond cost
Both options book jobs. Heyfield picks up in under 5 seconds (sub-30s for human services), books directly into Google Calendar (vs message-take), and runs flat 24/7 (no after-hours premium). For typical plumbers, that's an additional $62,900/yr in recovered missed-call revenue layered on top of the cost savings.
How this calculator works
Monthly minutes = calls per day × avg call duration × 30. This is the simplest model that captures both call frequency and call complexity. Trade-dispatch calls usually run 2-3 minutes; bid-heavy trades (general contracting, restoration sales) can run 6-8.
Heyfield plan selection picks the cheapest plan whose included minutes cover your projected volume. If you exceed Business (800 min/mo), the calculator adds the per-minute overage rate. Plans: Starter $49/mo (150 min), Pro $99/mo (400 min), Business $199/mo (800 min).
Human answering service rate defaults to $1.45/minute — typical for contractor-aware services like Nexa, AnswerForce, and Pink Callers at small-business volumes. Premium services with after-hours surcharges run higher; budget services run lower. Override the slider to match your current vendor's actual rate.
The “beyond cost” line uses your trade's missed-call benchmark to estimate recoverable revenue Heyfield captures that a slower human service might miss. Sub-5-second AI pickup beats human-service pickup speed at peak hours, and direct calendar booking converts more inbound to confirmed jobs than the message-take + callback model.
When AI is the right pick — and when it isn't
AI wins for transactional dispatch
- • Speed-shopping callers (lockouts, leaks, no-cool emergencies)
- • Routine booking + qualify intake
- • Shops doing 50-500 calls/month with predictable patterns
- • 24/7 coverage without after-hours premium
- • Trade-specific dispatch logic baked in
Human wins for relational + edge
- • Distress / emotional calls (water restoration, fire damage)
- • Multi-language native fluency (Spanish, others)
- • Complex multi-party / multi-property scenarios
- • High-touch sales conversations on premium-priced shops
- • Long-tenure relationship continuity
Many shops run both: Heyfield as primary line, a small human service as overflow / Spanish backup. The cost math still favors the hybrid because AI handles the bulk of routine inbound at fractional cost.
See the math for your trade
Each trade page shows real call patterns, ticket sizes, and dispatch rules — the inputs that determine whether AI or human is the right pick for your specific shop.
Stop overpaying for the same job
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