How much do missed calls cost an HVAC or plumbing business?

Every HVAC and plumbing owner I talk to believes they answer most of their calls. Then we look at the call log together. The phone rings while you're under a sink, on a roof, or driving between jobs, and the call goes to voicemail. A lot of those callers don't wait for you to call back.

I've spent more than 25 years in customer service, sales, and operations. In this guide I'll show you what the most recent call data says, how to put a dollar figure on your own missed calls, and the realistic ways to fix it, from free habits to paid services.

What the 2026 call data shows

There are a lot of scary missed-call statistics online. Many of them, like "85% of callers won't call back," get repeated everywhere and don't lead back to any study I could find, so I don't use them. Here's what I could verify.

Measured call data

Lobby placed one call to each of 16,051 businesses in the U.S. and Canada during business hours between June 13 and October 5, 2026. Lobby sells an AI receptionist and says its results are close estimates. Invoca's numbers come from calls tracked for its own customers, which tend to be larger companies that spend more on marketing. That may be why the two studies disagree so much on plumbing.

A few other findings worth knowing:

• Timing matters. In Lobby's test, 10 a.m. was the best hour (41% answered) and 6 p.m. the worst (23%). Saturday was the worst day at 21%.
• Answered calls are valuable. Invoca found 45% of answered HVAC calls were sales leads and 43% of those leads booked on the call. For plumbing, 30% were leads and 55% of those booked.
• Even answered calls leak. Invoca reports that 55% of businesses don't ask leads to book.
• Owners overestimate. An older Service Direct study (2019) found owners guessed they answered 97% of calls, but actually answered 66%. Businesses using an answering service answered 99%.

What callers say they do

CallRail surveyed 1,000 U.S. consumers in 2025. These are things people say they do, not measured behavior, but they line up with what I see:

• 78% said they've given up on a business after a call went unanswered.
• 82% said they'd call a competitor if you don't pick up.
• When nobody answers, 42% said they leave a voicemail, 24% switch to online chat, and 21% immediately call another business.
• 41% said they hang up after one to two minutes on hold.

Work out what missed calls cost you

Industry averages only go so far. Your own numbers are what matter, and you can work them out in about 20 minutes.

1. Count your missed calls. Pull the last 30 days from your phone carrier or business phone app. Count calls that went to voicemail or rang out, then divide by four for a weekly figure. Leave out obvious spam.
2. Estimate how many would have booked. Of the calls you do answer, how many turn into a booked job? If you don't track it, Invoca's figures above are a starting point, but they measure booking among lead calls, not all calls, so be conservative.
3. Use your own average job. Take last year's revenue from service calls and divide by the number of jobs. Don't borrow someone else's average ticket.
4. Multiply: missed calls per week × share that would book × average job × 52 weeks.

A worked example (made-up numbers, for the math only)

These are example numbers, not industry averages. Some missed callers will call back or leave a message you return in time, so treat the result as the upper end of what's at risk. It also leaves out repeat business and referrals from those customers, which can matter more than the first job.

Once you have your number, compare it with what each fix below costs per month. That tells you how much coverage is worth paying for.

Five ways to fix it

1. Answer more yourself (free, but limited)

• Return missed calls fast. Set a rule: every missed call gets a call back or text within 15 minutes, between jobs.
• Set up an automatic text-back if your phone system or field service software offers it, so a missed caller gets a text right away saying you'll call shortly.
• Fix the voicemail greeting. Say your business name, when you'll call back, and how to reach you for an emergency.
• Watch your worst hours. Lunch, late afternoon, and Saturdays tend to be the weak spots. Know when your calls actually come in.
• Always ask to book. When you do answer, offer a time. Invoca's 55% figure suggests many businesses don't.

This works until you're busy, which is exactly when the most calls come in.

2. A live answering service

A live receptionist answers in your business name, takes the details, and can often book the job. Ruby's published plans start at $250 a month for 50 minutes, and Smith.ai's live plans start at $300 a month for 30 calls. I break down every plan and how they bill in How much does a virtual receptionist cost?

3. An AI receptionist

AI receptionists are much cheaper per call and work 24/7. Smith.ai's AI receptionist has a free plan for 25 calls a month and paid plans from $150 a month for 75 calls. Nextiva lists its XBert AI agent at $99 a month plus $1.50 per conversation. They're good at taking messages and answering simple questions. Test one yourself with a hard call, like an upset customer with no hot water, before you trust it with your business.

4. The AI answering built into your field service software

If you already use field service software, check what it includes. Jobber sells an AI Receptionist add-on for $29 a month (included on its Plus plan) that can take requests and book jobs into your Jobber calendar. Housecall Pro offers CSR AI but doesn't publish a price for it. ServiceTitan lists an AI Virtual Agent as a "Pro" add-on with pricing by quote. I compare those three platforms in Jobber vs Housecall Pro vs ServiceTitan.

5. A done-for-you office team

Answering is only the first step. Someone still has to schedule the job, dispatch the right tech, follow up on the estimate, and send the invoice. A done-for-you team like mine handles the call and the work that comes after it. It costs more than an answering service, and far less than a full-time hire for most small shops.

The options side by side

Prices are list prices from each company's own pricing page, checked October 23, 2026. Taxes and discounts aren't included.

Common questions

What's a good answer rate to aim for?

There's no official standard. Service Direct's older study found businesses using an answering service answered 99% of calls, so near-total coverage is possible. Start by measuring your own rate and work on your worst hours first.

Is voicemail good enough?

For some callers, yes. CallRail's survey found 42% say they leave a voicemail. That means most don't, and someone with a leaking water heater is usually calling the next company on the list.

Should I just hire a receptionist?

If you have enough office work to fill a full day, it can make sense. The BLS median wage for receptionists was $18.27 an hour in May 2025, before taxes and benefits, and one person still can't cover nights and weekends. I walk through that math in the virtual receptionist cost guide.

Do these numbers apply to cleaning companies?

I couldn't find a credible missed-call study that breaks out cleaning companies. The all-business numbers above are the best guide for now. If you run a cleaning business, see scheduling and booking software for cleaning companies; online booking catches a lot of the customers who don't want to call.

More guides

• How much does a virtual receptionist cost?
• Jobber vs Housecall Pro vs ServiceTitan for small shops
• Scheduling and booking software for cleaning companies
• Payroll for a small cleaning business: Gusto vs QuickBooks vs ADP
• Bookkeeping for HVAC and plumbing companies

Sources

All figures and prices were checked on October 23, 2026. Studies use different methods, so quote each number with its source.

1. Lobby, "Missed call statistics" (16,051 test calls, June 13 to October 5, 2026): lobbyvoices.com/missed-call-statistics
2. Invoca, "Home Services Lead Conversion Benchmarks Report 2026": invoca.com/reports
3. CallRail, "Why businesses can't afford to miss calls" (consumer survey, September 25, 2025): callrail.com/blog
4. Service Direct, "Home Service Call Performance Report" (2019): blog.servicedirect.com
5. Ruby, "Ruby plans and pricing": ruby.com/plans-and-pricing
6. Smith.ai, "Plans & Pricing" (live receptionists): smith.ai/pricing/receptionists
7. Smith.ai, "Plans & Pricing for AI Receptionist": smith.ai/pricing/ai-receptionist
8. Nextiva, pricing (XBert AI agent): nextiva.com/nextiva-pricing
9. Jobber, pricing (AI Receptionist add-on): getjobber.com/pricing
10. Housecall Pro, pricing: housecallpro.com/pricing
11. ServiceTitan, pricing and Pro add-ons: servicetitan.com/pricing
12. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, "Receptionists" (May 2025 wages): bls.gov/ooh/.../receptionists.htm

Last updated October 23, 2026. Disclosure: this guide contains no affiliate links. Infinite Time Solutions offers services that compete with the companies named here. Read our disclosure policy.