What does a restoration company answering service cost?

Voice starts at $29/month with annual billing. Pro adds your on-call schedule. Try Penny free; see the answering service cost guide for plan and usage comparisons. When you choose to keep answering past your included minutes, 60 more are added at a time at your plan’s rate.

Does she label a supply-line leak as clean water?

She records a reported supply-line leak. Your technician determines contamination category and scope after assessing the property. The source description stays separate from that professional decision.

Must a homeowner open an insurance claim before calling?

No. Penny takes available insurer and claim details, but missing paperwork does not block an emergency handoff. She sends the address, callback and known loss details to your lead.

How does she handle a fire scene that has not been released?

She tells the caller to stay out until the fire department or responsible local authority permits return. The report records the restriction. She can take the request without asking anyone to go inside for a photograph.

Can she tell a customer when the drying equipment comes out?

No. She takes the equipment question for the lead with the project address. Moisture readings, drying completion and equipment removal remain the technician’s decisions.

What happens when a caller asks whether insurance will pay?

Penny collects the insurer and claim reference for your office. Coverage, deductibles and payment approval go to the insurer or your designated contact; they are not decided during intake.

Does a mitigation appointment include fixing the burst pipe?

Only if that service is in your approved scope. Penny keeps source repair separate from damage restoration and records whether a plumber or other contractor is already involved.

Can she handle a commercial loss or a property manager calling about a building?

Yes. She records the building, suite or unit, caller’s role, site contact, and known access restrictions. The report goes to the alert email for that location. An address or work-order reference does not override scene-clearance or entry requirements.

What does Penny do on an emergency water-loss call?

She gives the relevant safety instruction before collecting the full report. Water near electrical equipment gets an avoid-contact warning. Fire, smoke or sparks gets evacuation and 911. She then emails you the restoration request and follows the transfer setting on that rule.

AI receptionist for water & fire restoration companies

Penny takes down the loss details for your crew lead as your restoration company answering service.

New assessment requests need the property and affected rooms. Existing customers want the drying update or the next reconstruction appointment. Penny captures each request and passes status questions to your team, while active losses follow your on-call rules.

A fact about the setup

An existing customer’s question reaches your lead with the project address; drying decisions and equipment removal stay with your technician.

Try Penny free

14 days of Pro, including 100 phone minutes and 300 website conversations. No credit card.

Or call her from your phone: (630) 324-4620

The demo line

Hear Penny take an address through a noisy call

The live demo uses Summit Heating, a fictional HVAC business. Listen to her intake here; test your own trade’s rules in your Penny account.

(630) 324-4620

On the shared demo line, give an appointment address and correct the street number during readback.
In your restoration account, test a water-loss call with a missing claim number and confirm that it still reaches the crew lead.

The day of the storm

Each storm call reaches the crew lead with the loss details

During a busy week, your crew can be on one project while another homeowner calls. Penny collects the report and follows your urgent-call rules. Your lead decides the response and any arrival time.

First report
Penny checks whether this is a new loss, an assessment request, or an existing project. Reported immediate hazards take the safety instruction first.
Loss intake
She records the source as the caller reports it, affected rooms and whether water is still entering. Insurance details follow when available.
Crew-lead handoff
Your on-call roster supplies the contact. Penny sends the report and, if you turn on transfer for the rule, attempts a live transfer, or offers one when the caller says the loss is already under control; the lead decides equipment and crew availability.
Office follow-through
The office receives the same report for project setup. Later status questions go to the team as messages.

The day runs in this order whatever the call volume.

Example calls

Customers still have questions after the drying crew leaves

Everyday call
A homeowner needs an assessment after a repaired pipe leak.
The caller hears
Which rooms were affected, and has the source repair been completed?
Penny does
Records the reported source repair and affected areas, checks your priority criteria, and books an assessment when your company’s rules allow it.
Everyday call
A customer asks when the drying equipment will be collected.
The caller hears
What name and property address is the project under?
Penny does
Takes the name and address and sends the timing question to the lead. Moisture readings determine removal.
Everyday call
A customer is ready to discuss putting the rooms back together.
The caller hears
Which project is this for, and what would you like the coordinator to review?
Penny does
Captures the reconstruction questions and offers your approved project-coordinator appointment.
Needs attention
Water is spreading near electrical equipment.
The caller hears
Stay out of that water and don’t touch electrical equipment or switches.
Penny does
Follows the safety rule, records the available property details, emails you, and attempts the on-call transfer if that rule’s transfer is on.

Your intake questions, booking permissions, and contact rules decide the next step. Read the emergency rules.

A call, written out

A reconstruction question reaches the coordinator with the project attached

Existing-project call: a reconstruction question goes to the coordinator with the project reference, and a coordinator call is booked.

pennyassistant.com/dashboard/inbox

Inbound call · Fenwick Reach Restoration

Answered by Penny · transcript

Penny
Fenwick Reach Restoration, this is Penny. Is this about an existing project or a new request?
Maribel (caller)
An existing project. The drying equipment was collected yesterday, and I’d like to talk about replacing the flooring.
Penny
What name and property address is the project under?
Maribel (caller)
Maribel Aster, 46 Heron Reach. The reference on my paperwork is FR-214.
Penny
Thank you, I’ll pass that to the coordinator with your callback number. Which rooms or repairs would you like to discuss?
Maribel (caller)
The kitchen flooring and the living-room baseboards. I’m not sure what happens next.
Penny
I’ll note the flooring and baseboard questions with project FR-214 for the reconstruction coordinator. The coordinator will review the repair scope before quoting or confirming the work.
A fact from the knowledge pack, used on the call.
Maribel (caller)
Could we talk this week?
Penny
There’s a coordinator call open Thursday at 10. Is the number you’re calling from the best one to reach you?
Maribel (caller)
Yes, Thursday works.
Penny
You’re booked for Thursday at 10, with the kitchen flooring and living-room baseboards on the request. The coordinator will call the number we confirmed.

In the log

Caller

Maribel Aster · 312-555-0146

Property

46 Heron Reach · project FR-214

Request

Kitchen flooring · living-room baseboards

Appointment

Thursday · 10:00 AM · coordinator call

Written to your calendar

Every line she said is in your log with the fields she captured beside it.

Before her first call

The loss report records the source before the technician assigns a category

From the restoration knowledge pack

Water-loss intake and the reported source
Extraction, drying, and moisture documentation
Contents handling and repair handoffs
Insurer, adjuster, and claim-reference capture
Storm intake and on-call crew escalation
Electrical hazards and safe scene access
Sewage, floodwater, and contamination boundaries
Fire-department release and smoke-loss intake

Penny, on a call

I’ll note the flooring and baseboard questions with project FR-214 for the reconstruction coordinator. The coordinator will review the repair scope before quoting or confirming the work.

The topics in the list are why she can say this.

On your website

A reconstruction question starts on your website

fenwickreachrestoration.com

Fenwick Reach Restoration

Services
Hours
About
Contact

Penny

Chat with Fenwick Reach Restoration

Visitor

The drying crew has finished. Can we talk about replacing the kitchen floor?

What Penny does

Takes the name and project address, captures the flooring question, and offers your coordinator appointment. The repair scope, price, and start date come from your team.

Write a message

The chat follows the same rules as the phone line, so a visitor gets the answer a caller would.

Your numbers

Explore the value of additional water-loss inquiries

Change the three numbers to yours. The default job value comes from a named source, dated.

Missed calls a weekAverage restoration job value$Share of those callers you expect to book%

Default job value $1,383, from HomeAdvisor — typical low-end water damage restoration job (as of 2025-10-31). Change it to yours.

Potential job revenue

If you miss 4 calls a week and book 50% of them at $1,383 a job, those jobs would represent about

$11,977/month

This is estimated gross revenue, not measured lost revenue or profit. Some missed callers may still book with you. Change the assumptions to match your call records.

Penny starts at $29 a month, billed annually. At this job value, one booked job brings in enough revenue for the annual Starter subscription. Allow for extra usage charges and subtract job costs when estimating profit.

The result is your own arithmetic from the three numbers above.

Where it lands

The office receives the loss report your crew lead is reviewing

Google Calendar
Jobber
Housecall Pro
Zapier

Connect Zapier or signed webhooks to send the captured details to the tools your office uses.

Questions

Restoration owners ask about new calls and existing projects

Send setup or plan questions to support@pennyassistant.com.

Google Calendar receives confirmed inspection appointments. After the call, Jobber receives request intake, and Housecall Pro can receive a lead for your office to schedule. Zapier or signed webhooks carry the captured loss fields into your other workflows. Your lead controls dispatch.

Other lines of work

More reception workflows for damage and building repairs

Roofing

A fact about the setup

Penny checks the caller’s town or ZIP against your service area before she books an inspection.

Plumbing

A question she asks

A slow-drain request includes which fixture is affected and whether other drains are backing up, so your plumber can prepare for the visit.

Contractors

A question she asks

“Is this a permit job, and who’s pulling it?” Penny asks before she books the walk-through.

Penny bills a monthly price with minutes included; when you choose to keep answering past them, 60 more minutes are added at a time at the plan’s rate. The answering service cost guide sets it beside per-minute human services, and the plans are on the pricing page.

Give Penny a call before you forward yours.

Try the HVAC demo, then set up Penny for your business. Your account starts with 14 days of Pro, including 100 phone minutes and 300 website conversations; Free keeps your website chat after the trial.

Try Penny free Call Penny: (630) 324-4620

14 days of Pro, including 100 phone minutes and 300 website conversations. No credit card.