# Answering service for contractors

Julius Answer by DealsFlow answers your phone while you're on a ladder, on a roof or meeting a client. It books estimate visits with the address and the job details, flags storm damage and active leaks as urgent, and sends you every call.

## At a glance
- Answers every call 24/7, including while you're on a job site, driving or meeting a client.
- Books **estimate visits** and asks for the property address, what the caller needs and since when, whether they own the property, and whether it's an insurance claim.
- Marks active leaks, storm damage letting water in and sparking or burning smells as urgent, and can put the caller through to whoever is on call.
- Never quotes a job price. Gas smell or fire? It tells the caller to get out and call 911 first.
- From $79/month, every feature included, 7-day free trial.

## Why contractors lose jobs to voicemail

A contractor's best hours for work are the worst hours for answering the phone. When you're on a roof or running a saw, the call goes to voicemail, and most callers don't leave one. In CallRail's September 2025 survey of 1,000 US consumers, only 42% said they leave a voicemail when a business doesn't answer, and 21% immediately call another business.

Calling back doesn't fix it either. Quo looked at 16.7 million missed business calls on its platform over three months in 2026 and found that 69% got no callback within 48 hours. By the time you're off the job site, the homeowner has booked someone else's estimate.

## What a call sounds like

Here is an example call, shortened. Julius Answer greets the caller with your company name, says it is an AI assistant and that the call is recorded, then gets the details your estimator needs.

**Ridgeline Remodeling**Thursday, 10:15 a.m.Example

Hi, we want to redo our kitchen and maybe open up a wall. Do you do that?

We do kitchen remodels. I can book a free estimate visit. What's the address?

220 Birch Lane. We own the house.

Thanks. Roughly how much would you like to change, and when were you hoping to start?

The whole kitchen, ideally this spring. What would it cost?

The estimator gives you a price after seeing the space. Tuesday at 9 a.m. or Wednesday at 2 p.m. is open for the visit. Which works?

**Requested:** estimate visit, kitchen remodel, 220 Birch Lane, owner, spring start.**Sent:** call summary to the office's email.

An illustrative example. Your receptionist uses your company name, your services and your own information.

## What Julius Answer does for a contracting company

### Books estimate visits

Offers up to three open times on the day the caller wants and books their pick as a request. You confirm with one tap; the caller is told the time is requested until you do.

### Gets the job details first

Property address, what they want done and since when, whether they own the property and whether it's an insurance claim. Your estimator walks in knowing the job.

### Sorts urgent from routine

Water coming through a ceiling after a storm is put through to whoever is on call. A bathroom remodel quote becomes a booked visit for next week.

### Never makes up prices

It answers from what you tell it: service area, whether estimates are free, licensed and insured, financing if you offer it. Job prices come from you, after the visit.

### Remembers returning customers

When a past client calls about a new project, Julius Answer greets them by first name and knows what you did for them last time.

### Keeps lead sellers off your phone

Lead-generation pitches, SEO offers and robocalls are handled politely and noted as low priority.

## Urgent calls: how Julius Answer decides

Every call is sorted by what the caller describes, so you're interrupted on a job, or woken at night, only when it matters.

How contractor calls are handled
| What the caller says | What Julius Answer does |
|---|---|
| "I smell gas" or "there's a fire" | Tells them to leave and call 911 right away. No message first, no transfer. |
| Water coming in after a storm, an active leak, sparking or a burning smell | Takes the address and details, marks it urgent and offers to connect them to your on-call person. If nobody picks up, the urgent message is waiting for you. |
| A project: remodel, addition, deck, new roof, repairs | Books an estimate visit with the address, the scope and whether it's an insurance claim. |
| "How much for a new bathroom?" | Shares only prices you've written down; otherwise explains you quote after seeing the job and offers a visit. |

## Contractors of every trade

General contractors, construction companies, remodelers, handymen, painters, flooring and deck builders all get the same estimate-visit handling. Trades with their own urgent calls have their own pages:

 [

### Roofers

Storm surges and insurance claims.](/industries/roofing/) [

### Plumbers

Leaks flagged urgent.](/industries/plumbers/) [

### Electricians

Sparks and outages first.](/industries/electricians/) [

### HVAC

No heat, no cooling.](/industries/hvac/)

## What it costs a contractor

Every plan includes every feature. Plans differ only in minutes and in how many calls can be answered at the same time: 1 on Starter, 3 on Pro and 10 on Business.

Julius Answer plans (USD)
|  | Starter | Pro | Business |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | $79 | $199 | $399 |
| Yearly price (two months free) | $790 | $1,990 | $3,990 |
| Call minutes included | 300 | 1,000 | 3,000 |
| Effective price per minute | $0.26 | $0.20 | $0.13 |
| Calls answered at the same time | 1 | 3 | 10 |
| Local phone number | Included | Included | Included |
| Every feature | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | 7 days | 7 days | 7 days |

If your calls average three minutes, 1,000 minutes covers about 330 calls a month. Busy season? Add extra minutes from $25; they never expire.

## Stop losing estimates to voicemail

Start a 7-day free trial and have Julius Answer booking your estimate visits today.

[Start free trial](/signup/) [See pricing](/pricing/)

## Frequently asked questions

### What does an answering service for contractors do?

It answers the calls you can't take on a job site, in your company's name. Julius Answer asks for the property address and what the caller needs, books an estimate visit into your open times, flags urgent problems like an active leak after a storm, and emails you a summary of every call.

### Will it give callers a price for the job?

No. Julius Answer never quotes a price for a job. It shares only prices you've written down, such as a trip fee or free estimates, and tells the caller you quote after seeing the work, then offers an estimate visit.

### Can it handle storm damage and insurance calls?

Yes. It asks whether the call is about an insurance claim for storm or water damage and whether the caller owns the property, marks active leaks as urgent, and can put the caller through to whoever is on call. It doesn't give advice about claims.

### How much does a contractor answering service cost?

Live answering services usually bill by the minute or the call. Julius Answer starts at $79 a month for 300 call minutes, with every feature on every plan and a 7-day free trial. Extra minutes for a busy season start at $25 and never expire.

### Can my crew get the messages?

Yes. Give your team their own logins to see calls, follow up on messages and confirm estimate visits, and send alerts to a Slack channel if you use one.

### Do I need a new phone number?

No. Forward your existing number to Julius Answer, all calls or only the ones you miss. A local number in your area code is also included on every plan.

## Sources
1. [Missed calls cost businesses more than ever (survey of 1,000 US consumers)](https://www.callrail.com/blog/missed-calls-cost-businesses-more-than-ever), CallRail, September 25, 2025
1. [Small business callback statistics (16.7 million missed calls)](https://www.quo.com/blog/small-business-callback-statistics/), Quo, August 20, 2026

Checked 2026-10-20. Third-party prices and features change; check the vendor before you buy.

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Source: https://julius.dealsflow.ai/industries/contractors/
Updated: 2026-10-20