A Thumbtack auto responder that sends a priced quote, not just a fast hello.
Every auto responder replies in seconds now. Speed is table stakes. What wins the job is the reply that already answers the homeowner's real question: "what will this cost, and when can you come?" ContractorHelper drafts that reply from your own price list in about 5 seconds — and you approve it with one tap.
Why "fast" alone stopped working
Thumbtack ships a free Instant Reply, and a wave of $99/month auto-responder tools replies within seconds. That was an edge in 2024. Today the homeowner gets four "Thanks for reaching out!" messages in the first minute — and still doesn't know what anything costs or when anyone can show up.
The reply that gets the callback looks like this:
"Sounds like a partial clog past the disposal — I can snake that properly. $89 call-out, free quote on arrival. I've got Thursday 2:00 or 3:30 — which works?"
Diagnosis, price, two real time slots. That's what ContractorHelper drafts — from your price list and your calendar — the moment the lead email lands.
The part nobody else does: your prices, guaranteed
Other AI responders either avoid pricing entirely or let the AI invent a number. An AI that quotes $80 on a $250 job is a liability with your name on it. ContractorHelper works differently:
Whitelist mode (default): the AI can only ever say the exact dollar amounts you configured — call-out fee, hourly rate, emergency surcharge. Any other number is blocked before the reply exists.
Estimate mode (optional): the AI may also propose a job-specific ballpark, but only inside a price range you set — and an AI-estimated quote always waits for your one-tap approval, even if you've turned on full autonomy for standard replies.
How it compares
| Tool | Price | Priced quotes from your list | Your approval | Live call + voicemail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thumbtack Instant Reply | Free | ✕ static template | ✕ | ✕ |
| Typical $99/mo auto-responders | $99/mo per lead source | ✕ AI-generated or none | ✕ fully automatic | Some |
| Per-lead responders | $1.49–$2.99 per lead | ✕ | ✕ | Partial |
| ContractorHelper | $79/mo flat, every source | ✓ whitelist + optional bounded estimates | ✓ one tap (or guarded auto mode) | ✓ text → call → voicemail |
Competitor pricing as published July 2026 — see our full comparison of the leading tools.
Built for trades, not for chat
Every trade ships as a preset template — plumbing, electrical, HVAC, handyman — written with real diagnostic language ("slow drain → grease or hair past the trap"). Pick your trade, snap a photo of your price sheet, and the AI fills in your setup for you. Emergencies (gas leak, flooding, sparks) never get a chatbot reply — they escalate straight to your phone.
One missed job pays for a year.
$79/month flat. Every lead source. No per-lead fees. No per-source fees. No contract — cancel anytime, and your price list and templates stay yours.
Claim a pilot spotFAQ
Does it work with Angi and HomeAdvisor too?
Yes. ContractorHelper reads lead emails from Thumbtack, Angi, and HomeAdvisor — one flat price covers every source, and new sources are added continuously.
Can the AI invent a price?
No. In default mode it can only say amounts on your whitelist — anything else is blocked before sending. If you enable estimate mode, estimates are locked to your min–max range and always require your approval.
What if I don't approve in time?
Your draft waits. If you've enabled full autonomy, standard whitelist-priced replies send automatically after passing four hard guardrails (no emergency, no over-ceiling amount, no muted customer, no unlisted price) — but AI-estimated prices always wait for you.
How do the live call and voicemail work?
About 45 seconds after your text reply goes out, ContractorHelper can place one call to the homeowner: if they answer, they hear a short live message; if it hits voicemail, the same message is left after the beep. Three touches from one lead.
Do I need a specific AI subscription?
No. Claude works out of the box, or connect the subscription you already pay for — OpenAI, Gemini, DeepSeek, Groq, Mistral, local Ollama, or any OpenAI-compatible endpoint.
¹ Widely cited home-services conversion research; consistent with Thumbtack's own guidance that fast, substantive replies win hires. ² Lead Response Management study (Oldroyd, MIT/HBR): responding within 5 minutes vs 30 makes qualifying a lead 21× more likely.