Pricing · water & fire restoration
What a restoration answering service actually costs in 2026.
Real numbers from each vendor's own public pricing page — human services, AI receptionists, and what we charge. No "request a quote" games: if a price isn't public, we say so instead of guessing.
Prices below were collected August 1, 2026 — always confirm on the vendor's site before you buy.
Answering services price three ways: buckets of human minutes with overage, AI plans with usage caps, or flat. The pricing model matters more than the sticker — because the week a storm fills your pipeline is exactly the week a per-minute bill spikes.
Human answering services
You buy a monthly bucket of receptionist minutes; going over costs roughly $2 or more per minute at the services that publish rates. From the vendors' own pricing pages:
| Service | Published monthly plans | Overage |
|---|---|---|
| Ruby | $250 (50 min) · $395 (100 min) · $720 (200 min) · $1,725 (500 min) | Not displayed on pricing page |
| PATLive | $75 pay-as-you-go · $250 (75 min) · $460 (200 min) · $720 (350 min) · $1,170 (600 min) | $2.00–$2.60/min by plan |
| AnswerForce | Not published — the pricing page requires submitting your contact details to see plans | Not published |
Sources: ruby.com/pricing, patlive.com/pricing, answerforce.com/pricing — fetched Aug 1, 2026. PATLive notes prices exclude taxes and fees.
A live human is a real advantage for some callers. But do the restoration math: one active water loss is easily a 10-minute intake, and a storm night can bring five of them. On a 200-minute plan, one bad weekend can eat the month.
Generic AI receptionists
AI services cost less than human minutes, but most still meter you — by minutes or by caller count — and they're built for every small business at once, not for water-loss intake:
| Service | Published monthly plans | The cap |
|---|---|---|
| Rosie | $49 · $149 · $299 | 250 / 1,000 / 2,000 minutes per month |
| Goodcall | $79 · $129 · $249 per agent | 100 / 250 / 500 unique callers per month, then $0.50 each |
| Sevby | $299 flat | No minute caps, no per-lead fees — restoration only |
Sources: heyrosie.com/pricing, goodcall.com/pricing — fetched Aug 1, 2026. Side-by-side detail: Sevby vs. Rosie · Sevby vs. Goodcall · every option compared.
What we charge, and why it's flat
Sevby is $299/month flat. No contracts, cancel anytime. No per-minute meter, no per-lead fees, no overage line on the storm-week invoice. Riley answers every call, 24/7, asks restoration questions — source, category, still-active or not, insurance — and the lead is in your inbox with recording and transcript before the caller hangs up.
Straight disclosure: Sevby is new, and we're looking for our first design partners. No customer logos to show you yet — which is why the demo line exists. Call it at 2 a.m. if you want the real test: (262) 413-0766.
The cost that isn't on any pricing page
The expensive answering service is the one that loses the job. An average restoration job runs thousands of dollars, and an unanswered 2 a.m. caller doesn't leave a voicemail — they dial the next company. Put your own numbers in the missed-call calculator and compare that figure to any monthly fee on this page. How the after-hours problem plays out under each option: your three real options at 2 a.m.
Cost questions, answered straight
Why is Sevby flat instead of per-minute?
Because storm weeks exist. Metered pricing means your best revenue week is your worst phone bill, and it makes you hesitate to forward calls. Flat pricing means the incentive is simple: we want Riley answering every call you can send.
Are there setup fees or contracts?
No setup fee, no contract. $299/month, cancel anytime. You keep your phone number — call forwarding is how your line reaches Riley, and turning it off takes seconds.
Is a human service worth the extra cost?
Sometimes — some callers simply want a person, and a good operator can improvise. What you're weighing is that most human services bill by the minute and their generalist operators typically take a message rather than running a restoration intake. Our honest side-by-side: Sevby vs. a traditional answering service.
These prices will change. How current is this page?
Every third-party number here was read from the vendor's own public pricing page on August 1, 2026, and we cite the exact source under each table. If you spot a stale figure, email support@sevby.com and we'll fix it.
Hear what $299 flat sounds like at 2 a.m.
Call the demo line and act out a flooded basement — Riley answers, triages, and the lead lands in an inbox before you hang up.