How much does an answering service cost?
Short answer: it depends on how you are billed. Most answering services charge by the minute or by the call, add a setup charge, and bill overage once you pass a monthly bundle. Kaico's 24/7 AI Receptionist is a $299 one-time setup, then $299 a month flat, month to month, with 30 days written notice to cancel. The rest of this page explains the pricing models you will meet and what each one does to your bill.
The pricing models you will meet.
Every answering service quote is built from a few parts. Knowing which parts are in yours is most of the work.
Per minute.
You pay for the time an operator spends on your calls, usually rounded up to the next minute, with a monthly bundle of minutes and a higher rate past it. A long, chatty caller costs more than a short one, and you do not control which one calls.
Per call.
A set price for each call answered, whatever its length. Simpler to read than per-minute billing, but wrong numbers, hang-ups and repeat callers can count as calls too. Ask what counts.
Flat monthly.
One price a month for the service. The bill is the same in a slow February and a busy July. This is the model Kaico uses.
Setup charges.
A one-time fee to write your script, load your services and hours, and connect your number. Some services fold it into the first month, others bill it on its own line. Ask before you sign. Kaico's is a one-time $299 for the receptionist, and Front Door has none.
Overage.
The rate you pay once you pass the minutes or calls in your bundle. It is usually higher than the bundled rate, and it is the line that surprises people on the first busy month.
Contract length.
Some services bill month to month. Others ask for a term of several months or a year, sometimes with a lower monthly rate in exchange. Read the cancellation clause before the price.
What pushes a bill up.
The quoted monthly rate is rarely the number you end up paying. These are the things that move it.
Call length. On per-minute plans, a caller who tells the whole story before getting to the point costs more than one who asks for an appointment and hangs up. Trade businesses get both kinds.
Nights, weekends and holidays. Some plans bill a higher rate for calls answered outside business hours, which is exactly when a trade business most needs the phone answered.
Booking as an add-on. Taking a message is usually the base service. Checking your calendar and booking the job is often an extra, priced per booking or as a higher tier.
Script changes. New hours, a new service, a seasonal special: on some plans every change to what the operator says is a billable request.
Seasonal spikes. A heat wave or a hail storm can double your calls for a week. On a bundled plan, that week lands in overage.
What Kaico charges.
A $299 one-time setup, then $299 a month flat for the phone, and two monthly services that include it. Everything is month to month with 30 days written notice.
Front Door, $900 a month. The phone plus site care, Google Business Profile management, a self-serve scheduler, the job system and a monthly report. Founding offer: the first 3 paying clients get Front Door at $450 a month for 6 months, then $900 a month.
Front Door + Growth, $1,750 a month. Everything in Front Door plus Google Ads management. You pay the ad spend. All of it is on the pricing page.
What the $299 covers.
Answers 24/7.
Every call, first ring, at 2pm and at 2am. No voicemail.
Says it is an AI.
Callers are told they are speaking with an AI. It still gets them booked.
A script written for you.
Your services, hours, prices and the questions your customers actually ask, written into what it says.
Books into Google Calendar.
The appointment lands on your calendar with the call details attached.
A call summary to you.
After each call you get a summary: who called, what they needed and what was booked.
Forwarding from your number.
Calls to the number your customers already know ring the receptionist. You keep your number.
Transfers urgent calls to your cell.
A call that cannot wait is sent to your cell, with the details recorded for follow-up. You decide which calls count as urgent.
More on how the line works: 24/7 phone.
Read next.
AI receptionist cost: what drives the price of an AI receptionist, and what is included at $299.
AI receptionist vs answering service: a fair comparison, and who should pick which.
Frequently asked.
Is per-minute or flat pricing cheaper?
It depends on your calls. Per-minute billing can come out lower for a shop that gets a few short calls and never passes its bundle. Flat pricing is easier to predict: the bill does not move when a storm week doubles your calls. Kaico's receptionist is a $299 one-time setup, then $299 a month flat.
Does Kaico charge per minute or per call?
No. The 24/7 AI Receptionist is a $299 one-time setup, then $299 a month flat. It is also included in Front Door at $900 a month and in Front Door + Growth at $1,750 a month plus your ad spend.
How long is the commitment?
Month to month. You can cancel with 30 days written notice. The full terms are in the client agreement.
What is the founding offer?
The first 3 paying Front Door clients get it at $450 a month for 6 months, then $900 a month. It applies to Front Door only.
Can I hear it before I pay?
Yes. Call (918) 359-2644 and talk to the receptionist as if you were a customer. No signup.