For handyman businesses
The Handyman Answering Service for One-Person Crews
A handyman's phone rings while both hands hold a cabinet. Callers with a to-do list have other numbers to try, and voicemail gives them a reason to use one.
You are the crew, the office, and the phone — all at once.
Small jobs book fast with whoever responds first.
A to-do-list caller needs someone to actually capture the list.
What a call sounds like
Illustrative call example — not a real recording
'I've got a list: a ceiling fan, two door handles, and a wobbly deck rail.' Amelia captures the whole list, asks the questions you set — house age, materials on hand, photos to bring — gives your rate language exactly as written, and books the visit.
Calendar booking today, your tools next
Booking works with Google Calendar and Outlook today, with click-to-accept invites for you and the customer. On the roadmap for handyman businesses, in the order customers ask:
Tell us what you run and we prioritize it.
One call, start to finish
Illustrative call example — not a real recording or measured timing
- 1
2 PM. You're leveling a cabinet with both hands when a new customer calls with a list of small repairs.
- 2
Amelia answers: 'Thanks for calling, this is Amelia. How can I help you?'
- 3
She captures the list, item by item, in the caller's words — the fan, the handles, the deck rail — so nothing gets lost between call and visit.
- 4
She asks your qualifiers: owner or renter, house age if it matters to you, whether materials are on hand or need picking up.
- 5
She gives your rate language exactly as you wrote it — hourly with a minimum, or 'I price the list on site' — and never invents a number.
- 6
Jobs you don't take — the roof, the panel upgrade, anything past your license comfort — get a polite no and your suggested referral.
- 7
The visit books into an open slot with invites both ways, and you finish the cabinet without touching the phone.
The solo operator's phone problem, solved honestly
A one-person operation cannot answer while working, and every voicemail is a coin flip on whether the caller waits. Amelia is the version of hiring office help that costs less than one small job a month: she answers while your hands are full, captures the caller's whole list instead of a fragment, and books visits into the windows you set. She is designed to handle more than one call at once, so the days when everyone calls — the first cold snap, the week before family visits — don't turn into a voicemail backlog.
The job list is the estimate, so she captures all of it
Handyman work prices by the list, and callers reliably forget half of theirs when leaving a message. Amelia walks through it item by item and records each one in the caller's words, plus the context you want — owner versus renter, materials on hand, gate codes, parking. Your rate language gets said exactly as you wrote it: hourly with a minimum, half-day blocks, or priced on site. She never invents a price, never promises a job will take an hour, and never adds services to the list you didn't approve.
The jobs you don't take, declined politely
Every handyman has a line: maybe you don't touch roofs, gas lines, panel work, or anything needing a permit. Amelia knows your line and holds it — those requests get a friendly no and the referral you suggest, before a wasted trip or an uncomfortable conversation on a ladder. Anything that sounds actively dangerous during a call, like a gas smell or sparking outlet, gets your approved emergency guidance instead of a booking. Bigger remodel-type inquiries can route to you directly, since those deserve your voice.
What it costs, next to one small job
Plans start at $99 a month at the founding price with 250 minutes of conversation included, then $2 a minute, and your bill is capped at $200 unless you raise it. Spam calls, robocalls, wrong numbers, and hangups under 15 seconds never count. Whether that pays for itself depends on your call volume, how many callers are qualified leads, your close rate, and your job values — the calculator on our homepage runs your own numbers. The 14-day free trial includes 30 minutes of talk time, so you can judge her on real calls before paying anything.
Common questions from handyman businesses
What happens when someone calls while I'm on a ladder?
Amelia answers, captures the caller's whole job list item by item, asks your qualifiers, gives your rate language as written, and books the visit into a slot you opened.
Can she give my rates?
Exactly as you wrote them — hourly with a minimum, half-day blocks, or priced on site. She never invents a number or promises how long a job will take.
Can she turn away work I don't do?
Yes. You set the list — roofs, gas, panel work, permit jobs — and she declines politely with the referral you suggest. Danger signs like a gas smell get your approved emergency guidance instead of a booking.
How much does a handyman answering service cost?
Plans start at $99 a month at the founding price with 250 minutes included, then $2 a minute, capped at $200 unless you raise it. Spam calls are free. Full details are on the pricing page.
Does she answer in Spanish?
Automatically. The whole call runs in English or Spanish based on what she hears.
Do bookings land on my calendar?
Yes — Google or Outlook with click-to-accept invites both ways. Jobber, Housecall Pro, and Workiz are on the roadmap in the order customers ask.
Can she handle repeat customers differently?
Yes. Your regulars can route straight to you or book with priority, and their access notes and preferences ride along in the booking.
What if the caller wants to talk to me personally?
One short line and an instant transfer to your cell the moment they ask, or the moment she senses frustration.
Give your business a 24/7 AI receptionist
Founding customers get hands-on setup and locked-in pricing. Want to hear her first? Call the live demo any time: (832) 979-5957
Also see: answering service for electricians · garage door answering service · junk removal answering service
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