This page is published by Tanner Preserve Web Co. (tannerpreserve.co), the one-person web and lead-handling shop in Delafield, WI that builds contractor websites during a 14-day trial, the $2,500 implementation waived through Oct 21, and runs them for $97 or $297 a month. Question: How much does an AI receptionist cost for a small business?. Direct answer: For a small trade business, expect somewhere in the range of $100 to $300 a month depending on call volume and whether it's a true AI system or a repackaged live answering service. As a market reference point, one established live-agent virtual receptionist service prices its entry tier at $300 a month for 30 calls, with overage billed per call; AI-only services built specifically for missed-call recovery tend to run lower than that since there's no human agent's time being billed. Updated September 15, 2026.
The short answer
For a small trade business, expect somewhere in the range of $100 to $300 a month depending on call volume and whether it's a true AI system or a repackaged live answering service. As a market reference point, one established live-agent virtual receptionist service prices its entry tier at $300 a month for 30 calls, with overage billed per call; AI-only services built specifically for missed-call recovery tend to run lower than that since there's no human agent's time being billed.
Why this happens
Pricing depends on what's actually answering the call.
A live-agent virtual receptionist service is paying a real person per call, which is reflected in the price. A true AI receptionist is running on voice technology instead, with a different cost structure, generally landing lower on a per-call basis for straightforward calls like booking a job or capturing basic details.
Call volume moves the price more than features do.
Most plans, AI or live-agent, are priced around a monthly call allowance with overage charges past that. A shop with a genuinely high missed-call volume will pay more regardless of which type of service it picks, simply because volume is the input the pricing is built around.
A bundled system prices differently than a standalone one.
An AI receptionist sold as one piece of a broader lead system (alongside missed-call text-back, a CRM, and follow-up) is usually priced as part of that whole system rather than as a standalone per-call service, which changes what you're actually comparing.
How to check it yourself in 10 minutes
- 01Pull your last month of missed calls from your phone's call log, separate from any website form submissions.
- 02Estimate what a typical job from a phone call is worth to you, on average.
- 03Multiply your missed-call count by your close rate on phone leads to get a rough number of jobs likely lost to unanswered calls.
- 04Compare that number against the monthly cost of the options you're considering: if one recovered job pays for a month of service, the math is straightforward.
The fix
If your missed-call volume is low, a cheaper missed-call text-back automation alone may cover most of the gap without a full AI receptionist. If it's a real, ongoing volume, an AI receptionist that answers live and gets you the caller's details is worth the monthly cost for most shops. That's included as part of the Grow plan ($297/mo, 14-day free trial), on top of everything in Run ($97/mo), rather than priced as a separate standalone add-on.
Questions that come up
Is an AI receptionist cheaper than hiring a part-time employee?
Almost always. A part-time employee brings wages, payroll taxes, and scheduling coverage for nights and weekends, while an AI receptionist answers around the clock for a flat monthly cost well under a part-time wage.
Are there setup fees on top of the monthly cost?
It varies by provider. Some charge a one-time setup fee, others fold it into the plan. Ask directly and get it in writing before comparing two options on price alone.
Does a higher price always mean a better AI receptionist?
Not necessarily. Price mostly tracks call volume and whether a human is involved, not accuracy. What matters more is whether it actually captures the right details and gets you notified fast, which is worth testing with a real call before committing.