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AI receptionist tools for painters and decorators in the UK

Painters and decorators rarely get emergencies. What they do get is a steady flow of quote requests, many for jobs weeks away. The receptionist's job is to get room counts, the type of work and timings, so you can price some jobs from photos and only visit when you need to.

Prices were re-checked on each provider's own page; the date is next to each one. Rules and figures from GOV.UK are linked where they're used.

Pricing from photos

Ask how many rooms, which surfaces (walls, ceilings, woodwork), whether there's wallpaper to strip, and for photos. Many decorators can give a guide price from that before visiting.

Interior and exterior seasons

Exterior work is weather-dependent. Have the receptionist take preferred months and flag exterior enquiries so you can plan the spring diary early.

Commercial and builder work

Decorating for builders and on commercial sites is listed under the VAT domestic reverse charge (GOV.UK), so take the company name on those calls.

The options, with prices

Tool	Price and free plan	UK notes and source
Moneypenny AI Receptionist A UK answering company offering an AI receptionist with the option of real receptionists.	From £49 a month according to its AI Receptionist page; you get a quote for your needs. No call or minute allowance published. No free plan.	UK company. Source, checked 15 October 2026
Smith.ai AI Receptionist An AI receptionist that answers calls 24/7, qualifies leads and books appointments, with live human backup available.	Free: 25 calls a month, then $3.00 a call. Pro: $150 a month (75 calls, about $2.00 a call). Enterprise: from $500 a month. 25 calls a month with 24/7 answering, recordings, transcripts, summaries and calendar booking.	US company, priced in dollars; confirm UK number support. Source, checked 15 October 2026
Upfirst An AI receptionist that answers, summarises and transfers calls and books appointments.	Starter: $24.95 a month for 30 calls ($20 billed annually), then $1.50 a call. Premium: $59.95 for 90 calls ($48 annually), then $1 a call. Pro: $159.95 for 300 calls ($128 annually). Scale: $299 for 600 calls ($240 annually). 14-day free trial. No free plan; 14-day free trial with all features.	US company, priced in dollars. Source, checked 15 October 2026
Rosie An AI answering service that takes messages, sends booking links and, on higher plans, books and transfers calls.	Professional: $49 a month for 250 minutes. Scale: $149 a month for 1,000 minutes. Growth: $299 a month for 2,000 minutes. 7-day free trial. No free plan; 7-day free trial.	Confirm UK number support before signing up. Source, checked 15 October 2026
Goodcall An AI phone agent billed per unique customer rather than per minute.	Starter: $79 a month for 100 unique customers, then 79¢ each. Growth: $129 a month. Scale: $299 a month. Free demo agent; you pay when you connect a number. Build and test a demo agent free; you pay when you connect a number.	US company, priced in dollars. Source, checked 15 October 2026

What to check before you choose

Photo requests after calls.
Lead capture into a CRM or job app.
Per-minute pricing for longer quote conversations.
UK number support.

A prompt to start with

Paste this into ChatGPT or Claude, or use it as your AI receptionist's instructions, filling in the brackets:

You answer the phone for [business name], a painter and decorator in [area]. Get the caller's name, address, number and the job: interior or exterior, number of rooms, ceilings, woodwork, wallpaper to strip, and preferred dates. Ask them to text photos to [number]. For builders or businesses, take the company name. Don't quote prices.

Free tools

Price a job with the quote and VAT calculator (20%, 5%, 0% and reverse charge), or work out your day rate. Before paying for a tool, check it pays for itself with the AI tool break-even calculator.

Questions

Is an AI receptionist worth it for decorators?

If you miss calls while working, possibly. Try a free plan or trial for a month and count the jobs it catches. Use the break-even calculator.

What's the cheapest option?

Smith.ai lists a free plan with 25 calls a month, then $3.00 a call. Moneypenny's UK AI Receptionist page says from £49 a month. Powered Now's AI receptionist add-on is from £29 a month. All checked 15 October 2026.

Are these prices in pounds?

Not all. Where a provider only publishes US dollar prices we show dollars, so check the price in pounds at checkout.

Do you get paid if I sign up?

Some links may become affiliate links, and we'll label them when they do. It doesn't change what we list. See how we make money.

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