How much does an answering service for a cleaning business cost? About $79 to $720 a month, or Sharrk from $99
By Sharrk Team · October 15, 2026
A cleaning business answering service costs about $79 to $720 a month for around 200 minutes of calls, and Sharrk does the job from $99 a month with an AI receptionist that answers every call 24/7 and books quote visits while you're on a job. AI receptionists sit at the low end (Goodcall from $79, My AI Front Desk $99 for 200 minutes), while live services charge $325 (AnswerConnect) to $720 (Ruby) for 200 minutes, and busier months on live plans can reach $1,725 to $2,100.
Why do cleaning businesses need an answering service?
Most cleaning owners are the ones holding the vacuum. The phone rings mid-clean, your hands are full, and the person calling about a move-out clean on Friday calls the next company on the list. Quote requests also come in after hours, from web forms and from lead sites like Thumbtack, and the first business to reply usually gets the booking. An answering service, live or AI, covers those calls so you can keep cleaning.
What cleaning callers need is simple and repetitive, which is why it suits an AI receptionist well:
- Recurring service quotes: weekly, every two weeks or monthly, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, pets.
- One-time deep cleans and move-out cleans: move-out date, home size, whether the home is empty.
- Existing clients: reschedules, gate codes, "can you add the oven this time?"
How much does a cleaning business answering service cost?
Here is what each company lists on its own site today (checked October 15, 2026). Sharrk's monthly credits cover calls, texts and emails together; at 150 credits per AI call minute, Core's 47,500 credits work out to about 316 call minutes if used only on calls.
| Service | Type | Entry price | What the entry plan includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharrk Core | AI receptionist + CRM + follow-up | $99/mo ($990/yr) | 47,500 credits a month (about 316 AI call minutes), 1 phone number, every feature live |
| Sharrk Free | Build and test | $0 | Build and test unlimited agents with Mako, 2,500 one-time credits, no card |
| Goodcall | AI receptionist | From $79/mo | Priced by customers helped, not call length |
| My AI Front Desk | AI receptionist | $99/mo ($79/mo yearly) | 200 voice minutes |
| Ruby | Live receptionists | $250/mo | 50 minutes |
| Smith.ai | Live receptionists | $300/mo | 30 calls |
| AnswerConnect | Live answering | $325/mo + $49.99 setup | 200 minutes, then $1.95/min |
The live services climb fast as volume grows: Ruby lists $720 a month for 200 minutes, Smith.ai lists $810 a month for 90 calls, and AnswerConnect lists $475 a month for 375 minutes. If you plan to text leads from your business number, carriers also require registration: a one-time $5 brand registration and $20 campaign vetting, plus a small monthly campaign fee.
What does that look like for a real month? (worked example, made-up numbers)
Say a three-person house cleaning company gets 100 calls a month that average 3 minutes each, so 300 minutes of talk time. These are made-up numbers to show the math.
| Option | Plan that covers 300 minutes or 100 calls | Monthly cost |
|---|---|---|
| Sharrk Core | 300 min x 150 credits = 45,000 of 47,500 credits | $99 |
| AnswerConnect | Standard, 375 minutes | $475 + setup |
| Ruby | 500-minute plan (200-minute plan is too small) | $1,725 |
| Smith.ai | Pro, 300 calls (Basic covers 90) | $2,100 |
On Sharrk, the 2,500 credits left over cover about 166 text segments at 15 credits each, enough to confirm bookings by text. If you hire someone instead, compare it with the cost of hiring a receptionist.
What should an AI receptionist say on a cleaning quote call?
Keep the script short and get every detail you need to price the job. Here is a starting script you can paste in and adjust:
Agent: Thanks for calling [Your Company], this is the scheduling line. Are you looking for a regular cleaning, a one-time deep clean, or a move-out clean? Caller: A move-out clean. We're leaving our apartment next week. Agent: Happy to help. What's the address or zip code, and how many bedrooms and bathrooms? Caller: It's in 30318, two bedrooms, two baths. Agent: Got it. Will the home be empty, and are there any pets or extras like inside the oven, fridge or windows? Caller: Empty, no pets. Please do the oven and fridge. Agent: What day do you need it done by? Caller: Before Friday. Agent: I can book Wednesday at 10am or Thursday at 1pm. Which works better? Caller: Thursday. Agent: You're booked for Thursday at 1pm. I'll text you a confirmation now, and the owner will send your final quote. Anything else I can note for the team?
For recurring clients, swap the move-out questions for frequency (weekly, every two weeks, monthly), preferred day and how they'll let the team in. Add a live transfer rule for anything you want to handle yourself, like a complaint or a large commercial job.
How do you set up an AI receptionist for a cleaning business?
- List your services and service area: recurring, deep, move-out, add-ons, zip codes you cover.
- Write the questions you need to quote: bedrooms, bathrooms, home size, pets, frequency, move-out date.
- Connect your calendar so the agent books walkthroughs or first cleans into open slots.
- Pick your transfer rules: when a caller asks for a person, or for situations you define.
- Forward your business line after a set number of rings, or around the clock.
- Turn on lead follow-up for web form and Thumbtack requests so each one gets a reply fast. If you pay for Thumbtack leads, see what Thumbtack leads cost and why a fast reply matters.
How does Mako set this up for you?
Mako is the AI assistant inside Sharrk that builds anything for you from plain English. Tell it "build a receptionist for my cleaning company that quotes recurring, deep and move-out cleans, asks bedrooms, bathrooms and pets, and books walkthroughs on my calendar," and Mako drafts the agent, the questions and the booking step. It can also build a follow-up Strike for quote requests that don't book, an email campaign for past clients, or an automation that tags move-out leads. Mako shows every change and waits for you to click Apply before anything goes live.
How does Sharrk handle calls for cleaning businesses?
Sharrk answers every call 24/7 on the first ring, handles many calls at once in a natural voice, and books onto Sharrk's built-in calendar, Calendly or Cal.com (bookings can show on your Google Calendar). New leads from web forms, Thumbtack, Angi and Networx arrive in the CRM automatically and get a text and a call in under 30 seconds. Every call lands in the CRM with a summary and transcript, and callers who ask for a person get a live transfer to you.
Quote requests that don't book right away go into a Strike: a sequence of calls, texts, emails and voicemail drops that stops the moment the lead replies or books, and only runs between 8am and 8pm in your timezone. Past one-time clients can be invited back with a Hunt, a reactivation campaign with opt-out handling, quiet hours and DNC checks for lists you have consent to contact.
See the AI receptionist for cleaning businesses page and the full plan pricing. Plans have no contracts and no setup fees, and the first payment comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee (minus credits used). Start free with Sharrk and build your agent with Mako, or book a demo.
Sources
- Ruby plans and pricing (checked October 15, 2026)
- Smith.ai virtual receptionist plans (checked October 15, 2026)
- AnswerConnect US plans and pricing (PDF) (checked October 15, 2026)
- My AI Front Desk pricing (checked October 15, 2026)
- Goodcall homepage, "Plans start at $79 a month" (checked October 15, 2026)
Related on Sharrk: AI receptionist for cleaning businesses · AI answering service · Speed to lead · Thumbtack lead cost
Frequently asked questions
How much does an answering service for a cleaning business cost?
About $79 to $720 a month for around 200 minutes of calls, and Sharrk Core is $99 a month. AI receptionists sit at the low end (Goodcall from $79, My AI Front Desk $99 for 200 minutes), live services charge $325 (AnswerConnect) to $720 (Ruby) for 200 minutes, and larger live plans run $1,725 to $2,100 a month.
Is an AI receptionist good for a cleaning service?
Yes, an AI receptionist suits cleaning businesses because most calls are quote requests and scheduling. Sharrk asks the questions you need to price a job, such as bedrooms, bathrooms, pets and frequency, and books the visit onto your calendar 24/7.
How many calls does Sharrk Core cover for a cleaning company?
Sharrk Core's 47,500 monthly credits cover about 316 AI call minutes if used only on calls. At 3 minutes a call that is roughly 100 calls a month, with credits also usable for texts (15 per segment) and emails (1 each).
Can Sharrk respond to Thumbtack and web form cleaning leads?
Yes, leads from Thumbtack, Angi, Networx and web forms arrive in Sharrk automatically and get a text and a call in under 30 seconds. Leads that don't book go into a Strike that stops as soon as they reply or book.
Do I need a contract or setup fee to use Sharrk?
No, Sharrk plans have no contracts and no setup fees, and you can cancel anytime. You can start on Sharrk Free with 2,500 credits and no credit card, and the first paid payment has a 30-day money-back guarantee minus credits used.