Electrical calls are mostly quotes, plus a few that are dangerous. Here’s how to set up an AI answerer for both.
An electrician's inbound mix is unusual: lots of planned work (panel upgrades, EV chargers, generator hookups, remodel wiring, commercial tenant fit-outs) that can wait a few hours for a callback, mixed with a small number of calls where the caller's safety is at stake. Electricians also deal with permits and inspections, which affects scheduling and what you can promise on the phone.
The AI's job here is safety triage first, then clean quote intake. It shouldn't diagnose anything, and it must never talk a caller through electrical work.
| Caller says… | What the AI should do |
|---|---|
| Sparks, smoke, burning smell, or a hot panel/outlet | Tell the caller to leave the area and call 911 if there's smoke or fire; if safe, turn off the main breaker. Then alert you immediately. |
| Downed or damaged power line / utility meter | Tell them to stay away and call the utility or 911. Log and notify; don't schedule as normal service. |
| Total power loss | Ask whether neighbors also lost power (utility outage vs. home problem). If only their home, escalate per your after-hours policy. |
| Partial outage / tripping breaker | Collect details; schedule next available. |
Have your own safety wording reviewed. The examples above are a starting framework, not professional safety advice.
Configure the AI to say permit and inspection timelines vary by jurisdiction and that you'll confirm on callback. It shouldn't promise install dates.
| Caller says… | What the AI should do |
|---|---|
| “I need a charger installed for my new EV.” | Ask vehicle/charger model, garage or driveway, panel location and size if known, and whether they own the home; offer an estimate visit or photo-based quote if you do those. |
| “My panel is old and the breakers keep tripping.” | Ask age of home, which circuits trip, any burning smell or heat (if yes → safety script); log for an estimate. |
| “Can you add outlets to my basement?” | Ask finished vs unfinished, approximate number, timeline; mention permits may be required and you’ll confirm. |
| “We’re a GC bidding a tenant fit-out.” | Collect company, site, drawings availability and bid due date; route to the estimator as high priority. |
If you sell EV chargers or generators heavily, keep a short list of the photos you want (panel label, meter, install location) and have the AI tell callers you’ll text a request for them.
| If you… | Consider | Why (vendor-published) |
|---|---|---|
| Want the lowest-cost test | OnCrew | $49 entry, 14-day trial, lists electrical as a trade |
| Get lots of web/text quote requests | OrangeChat | Calls, texts, email and chat; from $49 |
| Run Jobber and paid ads | Wakeman | Jobber booking; LSA call forwarding; $149+ |
| Need English/Spanish intake | OnCrew | Latin American Spanish included, no surcharge; $49+ |
We weight OnCrew and OrangeChat more heavily for electricians than for plumbers. Electrical leads skew toward non-urgent quote requests, so low cost and multi-channel follow-up count for more than 2 a.m. dispatch. Full pricing: AI receptionist cost guide.
| Tool | Plans (monthly)* | What's included* | Overage* | Trial* | Contract* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wakeman | After Hours $149 · Front Desk $349 · Dispatch $829 | 300 / 750 / 2,000 minutes | 59¢ / 39¢ / 29¢ per minute; spam not billed; you set a spend limit | 14 days or 500 min, no card | None; cancel online; 1st-month refund within 30 days |
| OnCrew | Starter $49 · Pro $149 · Multi-Truck $349 | 100 / 400 / 1,000 answered calls | $0.99 per extra call; alert texts $0.05 past allowance | 14 days, no card | Month to month; 30-day money-back |
| Jobholler | Starter $85 · Core $149 · Pro $399 | Flat price; call length doesn't change it | None published | 3 days (terms at checkout) | Cancel from Account → Billing |
| OrangeChat | Starter $49 · Growth $149 · Pro $299 | 250 / 1,100 / 2,300 voice minutes + SMS & chat allowances | Not published on pricing page | 14 days, no card | Not stated |
| Jobber Receptionist | $29/mo add-on (included on Jobber Plus) | Calls & texts; books into Jobber | See Jobber (its pages differ) | Jobber 14-day trial | Follows your Jobber plan |
*From each vendor's pricing page, checked October 16, 2026. Prices change; confirm before buying.
Residential callers want reassurance and a time window. Commercial callers want a callback from someone who can talk scope and price. A simple setup: the AI books residential estimates directly (if your tool supports booking) and routes commercial inquiries as high-priority leads to you or your estimator with the bid deadline in the summary.
| Tool | Plan | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| OnCrew | Starter: $49 + 20 × $0.99 | $68.80 |
| OrangeChat | Growth (1,100 min; adds Google Calendar booking) | $149 |
| Jobholler | Starter | $85 |
| Wakeman | Front Desk (750 min) | $349 |
Because electrical leads skew toward quotes rather than 2 a.m. emergencies, the cheaper per-call and multi-channel options are a better starting point than premium per-minute plans. Upgrade if you find emergency calls are going unescalated.
It shouldn't. Configure it to say permits depend on local rules and that you'll confirm.
Use a fixed script that sends them to 911 or the utility and alerts you. Test it during the trial.
Yes, as intake: capture company, scope, drawings and bid deadline, then route to you. Don't let it quote.
OnCrew and OrangeChat start at $49/month (checked October 2026).