How Much Does An AI Receptionist Cost In The UK?

The short answer: UK AI receptionist pricing falls into two camps. Self-serve, per-minute tools start cheap but scale with call volume and leave the setup to you. Managed, industry-specific services charge a flat monthly fee — typically several hundred pounds — and handle setup, scripting and tuning. For context, RoofFlow's roofing-specific plans run from £399 to £1,199 per month, and a traditional human answering service typically charges £200–£600 per month just to take messages.

The Two Pricing Models

Per-minute / per-call tools

Generic AI phone-agent platforms usually bill by usage: a base subscription plus a rate for every minute of AI talk-time. The advertised entry price looks tiny, but three things inflate it in practice: you pay for wrong numbers and spam calls too; a busy month (say, after a storm) spikes the bill exactly when you're busiest; and the "receptionist" arrives untrained — you write the scripts, set up the telephony and maintain it yourself. For a roofer without a technical bent, that last part is usually the dealbreaker.

Flat monthly managed services

The alternative is a fixed monthly fee that includes the setup, the industry-specific scripting, the phone integration and ongoing tuning. You pay more per month than a bare tool, but the number is predictable, storm weeks don't produce surprise bills, and someone else is responsible for making it work. This is the model RoofFlow uses — plans and what's in each are on the pricing page.

What Actually Drives The Price

• Voice vs SMS. A missed-call text-back service (SMS only) costs less than a full voice AI that answers and holds a conversation. RoofFlow's SMS-only plan is £399/month vs £698/month for voice.
• Industry specificity. A receptionist that knows the difference between a flat roof and a fascia repair — and asks the right qualifying questions — costs more to build than a generic message-taker, and is worth more.
• What happens after the call. Message-taking is cheap. Qualification, lead summaries, calendar booking, quote follow-ups and review requests each add value and cost.
• Managed vs DIY. Someone has to write scripts, connect the phone line and fix edge cases. Either you do it (cheaper, slower) or the provider does (dearer, done).

The Comparison Everyone Actually Wants

The maths that matters isn't the monthly fee — it's the fee against one recovered job. UK re-roofs typically run £3,000–£8,000. If the system recovers one job a quarter that voicemail would have lost, every option in that table pays for itself; the question is only which one you'll actually use. Run your own numbers in the missed call cost calculator.

Hidden Costs To Check Before You Sign

• Setup fees. Some providers charge hundreds up front. (RoofFlow doesn't — setup is included.)
• Minimum terms. A 12-month contract on a product you haven't heard working is a red flag. Prefer monthly rolling.
• Per-lead or per-minute overages. Ask what a heavy month costs, not an average one.
• Number ownership. If the service gives you a new number, ask what happens to it when you leave. A system layered over your existing number avoids the problem entirely.
• Cancellation mechanics. Leaving should be an email, not a negotiation.

Where RoofFlow Sits — Stated Plainly

RoofFlow is the managed, roofing-only flavour: £399/month for SMS missed-call text-back, £698/month for the full AI voice receptionist (the most popular plan), and £1,199/month if you also want us running a Meta Ads pipeline that feeds leads into the same system. Those are Founding Partner rates — discounted in exchange for a testimonial, as explained openly on the pricing page. No setup fee, no contract, and you can hear the actual product before paying anything: call 07700 165250.