A 24/7 AI receptionist for water, fire, and mold restoration companies that guides callers to stop damage safely, captures loss and insurance details, and dispatches.
Why calls matter for restoration companies
Restoration is an emergency business. Water damage gets worse by the hour, and a homeowner standing in a flooded basement at 2 a.m. calls the first company that answers. Plumbers, adjusters, and property managers also call with referrals that need a fast response.
An AI receptionist answers every call around the clock, helps callers stop the damage safely, collects loss and insurance details, and dispatches your on-call team, so emergency jobs do not go to a competitor.
Common call types
- Water damage and flooding
- Fire and smoke damage
- Mold inspection and remediation
- Storm damage and board-ups
- Insurance and adjuster calls
- Job status updates
Relevant automations
- 24/7 emergency answering and dispatch
- Loss and insurance detail capture
- Photo requests by text
- Referral partner routing
- Job status updates
Business outcomes to measure
- Win emergency jobs at any hour
- Dispatch with complete loss details
- Respond quickly to referral partners
- Keep customers updated without tying up staff
What a call sounds like
An illustrative example of a typical call. Your receptionist follows your own rules, services, and wording.
- Caller
- A pipe burst and there's water all over my basement.
- AI receptionist
- I'm sorry, we can help. I'm the virtual assistant for RapidDry Restoration. Have you been able to shut off the main water valve?
- Caller
- Yes, it's off now.
- AI receptionist
- Good. Please stay out of any standing water near outlets or appliances. I'm alerting our on-call technician now and will text you their arrival time. Do you plan to file an insurance claim?
- Caller
- Probably. I'll call my insurance company in the morning.
- AI receptionist
- That's fine. Our team documents everything with photos to support your claim. The technician will call you shortly.
What the AI receptionist asks
- Is water still coming in, and has the water supply been shut off?
- Is there standing water near outlets or electrical equipment?
- What type of property is it, and which rooms are affected?
- When did the damage start?
- Is the water clean, or from a sewage backup or outside flooding?
- Do you have insurance, and has a claim been filed?
- What is the address and the best callback number?
Urgent calls go straight to a person
Active water coming in
The caller is guided to shut off the water supply if it is safe, and the on-call technician is alerted immediately.
Standing water near electricity
The caller is told to stay out of the water, avoid electrical equipment, and call 911 or the utility if there is any danger.
Sewage backups
Flagged as contaminated water, with instructions to keep people and pets away from the area.
Fire damage
If the fire department has not cleared the property, the caller is told not to go inside.
Works with your software
- DASH
- Albi
- Encircle
- Xactimate
- Jobber
We connect through each vendor's API, webhooks, or a workflow tool. What is possible depends on your plan and the vendor's API access, which we confirm before quoting.
What to get right
- Set the callback time your on-call team can actually meet, and the receptionist will promise exactly that.
- Restoration work follows industry standards such as IICRC S500 for water damage. Drying, mold, and contamination questions go to certified technicians.
- Never promise insurance coverage; the receptionist only collects claim details.
- Referral partners such as plumbers and adjusters should reach a person quickly.
Implementation approach
- Write emergency scripts and safety wording with your operations lead.
- Set on-call rotation and backup rules.
- Connect your job management software.
- Launch 24/7 and review every emergency call for the first month.
What it costs
Focused automations such as missed-call recovery typically cost $2,000 to $5,000 to build. A production AI receptionist with booking, CRM updates, and call transfers typically costs $5,000 to $15,000, plus monthly usage for calls and texts. Every quote is fixed-scope and in US dollars. See pricing details.
Frequently asked questions
Can an AI receptionist handle restoration emergencies at night?
Yes. It answers immediately, gives your approved safety steps, captures loss details, and alerts your on-call technician.
Does it collect insurance information?
Yes. It records the carrier and any claim number if the caller has one, without promising coverage.
Can it route calls from plumbers and adjusters?
Yes. Referral partners can be recognized and routed to your team as a priority.
Does it work with DASH or Albi?
We connect through the vendor's API or a workflow tool, subject to your plan and the vendor's API access.
What if the on-call technician does not answer?
It follows your backup rules: it tries the next person, then promises a callback within the time you set and texts the details to the team.
Sources
General information, not legal advice.
- ANSI/IICRC S500 Standard for Professional Water Damage Restoration (Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification)