01
Call sheet
Write down what callers ask
Services, suburbs you cover, call-out fee policy, hours, and what counts as urgent. This becomes the AI's instructions.
Guide · AI receptionist for tradies
Build your own AI receptionist for missed calls on the tools
You can't answer the phone up a ladder. Here's how to set up an AI that picks up the calls you miss, takes the job details and texts you a summary, without signing a contract.
Buy or build
Two ways to stop losing jobs to voicemail
There are now dozens of Australian AI receptionist services built for trades. They're the easy option: someone else sets it up, and you pay a monthly plan that usually includes a set number of calls or minutes.
The other option is to build your own on a voice-agent platform such as Retell AI, Vapi or Bland. You write the instructions in plain English, connect a phone number, and pay per minute of calls actually answered. It takes an afternoon and some testing, and suits tradies who are comfortable setting up an app and want control over exactly what the AI says.
Step by step
How a DIY tradie AI receptionist works
02
Build
Create the agent on a voice platform
Paste your prompt, choose a natural Australian voice, and tell it to collect name, number, suburb, the job and how urgent it is.
03
Number
Connect an Australian number
At the time of writing Retell's own numbers are US and Canada only, so Australian builds usually bring a local number from a telephony provider such as Twilio and connect it. Providers ask for business or address details before issuing an Australian number.
04
Divert
Forward only the calls you miss
Keep your existing mobile number and set a conditional divert (on no answer or busy) to the AI's number. You still answer when you can.
05
Test
Ring it ten times before customers do
Try the messy calls: a burst pipe at 9pm, a price shopper, someone who won't give a suburb. Fix every place it stumbles.
Be upfront
Tell callers it's an AI, and if the call is recorded
Call-recording rules differ between Australian states and territories, so the safe habit is one sentence at the start of every call: that the caller is speaking with an AI assistant and that the call is recorded. Give urgent callers a way to reach you, and don't use the AI as an emergency line. This is general information, not legal advice.
Build Your Own AI Receptionist
What the US$3.70 guide gives you
What's in the guide
- Three builds: phone answering and booking line, website chat receptionist, inbox and calendar assistant
- Three copy-paste prompts
- 10 test scripts and a launch checklist
- A compliance page (AI disclosure, call-recording consent in Australia and the US)
Typical running costs (from the guide)
- Phone number: about US$1-3 a month
- Phone usage on Retell AI: roughly US$0.07-0.31 a minute
- Phone usage on Bland: US$0.14 a minute
- Website chat: US$13-40 a month
Vendor pricing pages, November 2026. Prices change often.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How much does a DIY AI receptionist cost a tradie?
You pay for a phone number (about US$1-3 a month) and the minutes the AI actually answers. On Retell AI that is roughly US$0.07-0.31 a minute depending on the voice and model, so a handful of missed calls a day costs a few dollars a week. Platforms have offered small free trial credits to test with.
Can it book jobs into ServiceM8 or simPRO?
A DIY build is simplest with Google Calendar or a booking link like Cal.com or Calendly. If you need bookings written straight into job-management software mid-call, a trades-specific service may suit you better.
Do I need to code?
No. It's point-and-click setup plus copy-paste prompts.
Is it legal to use an AI to answer my calls?
Yes, but tell callers they're speaking with an AI and say if the call is recorded. Recording-consent rules vary by state.
Get the guide
General information, not legal advice. Prices from vendor pages, November 2026. No affiliate links.