Your 24/7 Plumbing Answering Service

100% US-based virtual receptionist service for plumbers

Scaling a plumbing business is tough. Ensuring that you have enough plumbers in the field, enough leads to keep them busy, and enough office staff to mange them all is a full-time balancing act.

At Front Office Solutions, we make that a little easier. By outsourcing your call answering needs to our team, you’ll be able to scale quickly without the need for costly full-time employees, office space, and everything that comes with it.

With over 100 satisfied customers, 5 star service, a 100% satisfaction guarantee, and a 7-day free trial, you can’t go wrong with Front Office solutions

 

Receptionist scheduling a water heater call for a plumber

Grow Your Business

Sending customers to voicemail hurts your business, period. Let our team capture those leads that are going to waste, 24/7.

US-Based Operators

All calls are answered at our headquarters in La Grande, Oregon by fully fluent and native English speakers.

Fully Custom

Enjoy total control over how and when your calls are answered. We also offer appointment scheduling, custom notifications, and so much more.

Get Started with a 7 Day Free Trial

Unanswered Calls Are Missed Opportunities and Revenue

Not being there to take a phone call during regular business hours is bad enough. Not being there when an emergency strikes in the middle of the night is much worse.

With so many competitors vying for their business, callers can–and do–give up on companies that don’t have actual humans available to take their calls. Customers expect to be greeted and helped quickly, but if they’re asked to leave a voicemail, chances are good that they’ll just move on to the next plumbing company.

Our plumbing answering service allows you to focus on running your business while ensuring that phone calls are answered by skilled, live operators around the clock. Whether you experience high call volumes by day and need overflow help or have no way to take calls after hours, you won’t find a better solution. Our live answering staff can dispatch your emergency response staff directly, or schedule work during your next hours of operation.

plumber using a video camera to inspect a sewer

Missed Call Revenue Calculator

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Estimated Annual Revenue Lost
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Potential Customers Lost
85%

of the customers who call and don’t get an answer won’t call back.

32%

of customers will hang up if left on hold for any amount of time.

80%

of callers prefer phone conversations to email.

Why Plumbing Companies Trust Front Office Solutions

At Front Office Solutions, we do more than simply answer phones. Our team works specifically with home service businesses, including plumbing contractors handling emergency service calls, drain issues, water heater failures, sewer backups, repipes, commercial plumbing calls, and more.

Because we regularly support plumbing companies across the United States, our receptionists understand:

  • how plumbing emergencies should be prioritized
  • which calls need immediate dispatching
  • how to properly gather job details from stressed customers
  • how to communicate professionally during urgent situations
  • how plumbing scheduling workflows typically operate

Our operators are trained to capture critical information like:

  • water shutoff status
  • active leaks or flooding
  • sewer backup severity
  • access issues
  • property type
  • dispatch urgency
  • customer availability

We also work directly inside many of the tools plumbing companies already use for scheduling and dispatching, including platforms like Housecall Pro, ServiceTitan, Google Calendar, and other field service management systems.

Unlike generic call centers, our team is fully US-based and trained specifically for contractor and home service communication. Every script, routing workflow, and escalation process is customized around your company’s operations, service area, and business goals.

Whether your company needs overflow support during busy hours, after-hours emergency answering, or full 24/7 plumbing call handling, our goal is simple: help you capture more leads, provide a better customer experience, and avoid losing revenue to missed calls.

The Experience Your Business Needs

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Full & Partial Phone Coverage

Some customers depend on us for 100% of their phone coverage. Others depend on us for weekend, after hours, and overflow coverage.

At Front Office Solutions, we’re happy to provide any kind of coverage you need—even if it’s just temporary coverage for an employee absence. Our flexible pricing plans make it easy to expand and contract service as necessary.

plumber repairing a sink

Over 100 Satisfied Customers

Testimonials From Our Plumbing Clients

To Whom it May Concern,
We are happy to recommend Front Office Solutions for answering services. Not only have we enjoyed working with Jeremy Kilpatrick and the employees of Front Office Solutions, the results were positive and immediate. Our client base has grown and we are able to accept new clientele after business hours thanks to the services the FOS supplies. We are always striving to have the exceptional customer service and staff that are able to give great customer satisfaction.

The members of Front Office Solutions work greatly with our team of customer service specialists and provide wonderful customer service skills. Lastly, their business to business communication is exceptional and we are a satisfied customer. With that being said, I highly recommend Front Office Solutions answering services.Sarkinen Plumbing logo

Ally Green, Office Manager - Sarkinen Plumbing, Inc. Portland, Oregon | Vancouver, Washington

We at Keithley Plumbing love Front Office Solutions (FOS). We had tried other services and our clients couldn’t understand the staff or other issues. FOS are fabulous. Our clients are happy with them as well. They will take the given task and resolve it. I promise you will be happy with Front Office Solutions.Keithley Plumbing logo

Phyllis Keithley, Owner - Keithley Plumbing Pasadena, CA

Front Office Solutions makes my company so much more professional in the eyes of my customers. They are great… I love you guys!Green Box Mechanical logo

JC, Owner - Green Box Mechanical Portland, Oregon Plumbing – HVAC – Electrical

Awesome after-hours customer service. They coordinate our calls, and do a great job being friendly and helping our customers. We enjoy working with them and appreciate their level of excellence!

Carter's My Plumber logo

Carter's My Plumber, Indianapolis, Indiana

Actual Client Calls and Revenue Generated

Whether you rely on us for after-hours coverage or 24/7 coverage, our team will improve your bottom line—and generate more than we cost.

Our services pay for themselves by increasing your revenue.

Frequently Asked Questions About Our Plumbing Answering Service

What’s the Difference Between a Call Center and a Phone Answering Service?

Call centers and phone answering services have a lot in common. Both will give you a live person answering the phone on behalf of your business, but the similarities end there.

Most call center service providers are high volume and focused on cost. They’re typically understaffed, underpaid, and not located in the US. Call center services evaluate their employees based on how quickly they can get a caller off the phone, and it shows.

Call answering services like Front Office Solutions are focused on call quality, not quantity. We work with a smaller number of clients in a few focused industries, like plumbing and HVAC, which means we can put more resources into learning your unique business needs. Our staff is also coached to provide courteous, professional service to each caller, instead of trying to get them off the phone as quickly as possible. Expect us to professionally answer the phone and act just like a member of your own staff.

Last but not least, our call answering service gives you many more options for how we handle each call: we can forward live service calls to you, change the greeting based on your current promotions, screen unwanted calls, send important business development calls straight to your voicemail, and much more. Whether you’re interested in outsourcing your appointment setting to us, or whether you want your live telephone leads transferred to an internal sales person, we will do our part.

A phone answering service and a call center may sound similar, but once you’ve tried a phone answering service, we’re confident that you’ll never go back. But no matter what you choose, having your business phone answered by a real person, instead of automated answering services, will absolutely boost your bottom line.

Absolutely. Our team can schedule into the project management system or calendar of your choice. Learn more about our scheduling services for plumbers.

Phone calls not directly related to your business (sales/spam) are not billed against your monthly minute pool. This saves you money and headache.

Absolutely. Whether you specialize in residential or commercial plumbing, specific services like sewers and septic systems, or offer services in addition to plumbing (like HVAC) we have a solution for you.

We offer so much more than typical call center services. In addition to handling your inbound telephone calls, you have total control over what happens after answering, including call scripting, routing, and notifications. We can also provide a toll free number or local number to make tracking easier.

We offer full virtual office services that are completely customizable, and can include appointment setting, callbacks, dispatching services, and more.

If you don’t know exactly which services you need, feel free to contact us to speak with a team member. We’re very phone friendly!

Our inbound call center is located in Beaverton, Oregon. 100% of our telephone calls are handled by in office staff to keep quality high.

Sorry, we do not work with medical clients, or calls that require HIPAA compliant measures. But this is not typically an issue for plumbing contractors.

  • Hiring a full-time receptionist can be expensive. Not only do you have to pay their salary—there are also benefits and office space to worry about.
  • Finding reliable employees who are willing to work nights and weekends can be a challenge.
  • Office staff cannot quickly scale up and down based on your needs.
  • It takes time and resources to train new office staff on the plumbing industry and your company policies.

Outsourcing to a virtual receptionist or answering service allows you to scale faster without committing to new salaries and overhead.

Absolutely! Our team can handle 100% of your phone answering needs, or just provide additional coverage on nights, weekends, and holidays.

Absolutely. Even if you don’t schedule work until first thing in the morning, customers who are going through a plumbing emergency still want answers, fast. And once they realize how much more plumbers charge in the off hours, the majority of them will be happy to wait until first thing in the morning for service. We can also offer advice over the phone to help them while they wait, such as showing them how to shut off their water main to stop ongoing leaks and floods.

How We Handle Real Plumbing Emergency Calls

Not all plumbing calls are the same. A slow drain and a burst pipe require completely different responses, and our team is trained to recognize that instantly.

When a call comes in, our agents follow a structured intake process designed specifically for plumbing companies:

1. Identify urgency within the first 30 seconds
We quickly determine whether the situation involves flooding, water shutoff needs, sewer backup, or non-emergency scheduling.

2. Gather critical job details
We collect key information such as location, issue type, access conditions, and whether water damage is actively occurring.

3. Route based on your business rules
Emergency calls are escalated immediately based on your preferences—on-call plumber, dispatcher, or rotating technician schedule.

4. Prevent missed revenue opportunities
For non-emergency calls, we ensure accurate scheduling and capture all service details so no lead is lost or delayed.

What’s Included With Our Answering Service?

When you sign up for our answering service for plumbing companies, you’ll enjoy all of these benefits and more:

One of the top problems that plumbing companies experience with answering services is unskilled, poorly trained TSRs. You never have to worry about that with Front Office Solutions because every TSR that we employ undergoes extensive training. Our call answering staff is coached to be courteous, professional, and to understand how your business operates, so they can not only serve an important role within your business, but represent it as well. All of our TSRs are native English speakers, and they are trained to follow your exact protocols. As a result, no one who speaks to them will suspect that they are not actual employees of your business.

Our team does more than answering calls. We can also handle your incoming messaging from SMS and live chat services, call forwarding to internal sales teams, call screening, voice-mail transferring, and more.

Every type of plumbing business can benefit from professional call handling. Our live operators make upholding your professional image a priority, so commercial clients will be impressed with your responsiveness and and professionalism.

Whether you’re a general plumber, a sewer expert, a backflow specialist, or a commercial plumbing company, we’re happy to help.

Every plumbing company is different. In light of this, we will sit down with you to find our exactly what you need from an answering service, and we’ll then create a customized service plan that addresses all of your requirements.

We offer flat-fee packages that simplify the process of getting answering service assistance. Unlike many of our competitors, we won’t tack on extra charges and give you sticker shock. From the moment that you sign up, you will know exactly how much you will be paying–and that figure won’t unexpectedly change. All packages can be further customized with a la carte features for additional fees.

In the interest of reassuring your customers that you are locally owned and operated, you’d probably like any number that they call to be local to you. With Front Office Solutions’ plumbing answering service, you will enjoy local-to-you numbers, so your customers never have to know that you are hiring out for this service.

Part of our commitment to providing top-notch service includes arming our telephone service representatives, or TSRs, with the latest and best tools and equipment. Through the use of advanced digital recording technology, we are able to record all calls that we handle for you. We can also submit them to you in a variety of formats, so there is no need to compromise.

Keep up to speed about calls that are handled while you are away with detailed daily reports. These reports can be delivered to you every morning or at the time of day that works best for you. Use them to ensure that leads are followed up on and that all of your customers’ needs are being met.

Front Office Solutions stands out from other plumbing answering services by offering a vast selection of thoughtful features. Our TSRs can handle after-hours calls and overflow calls. They can also screen calls for you to minimize interruptions throughout the day. All calls are digitally recorded and then backed up to ensure that they aren’t lost. Messages can be delivered via email, chat, SMS message, fax or phone, and you can replace generic hold music with your own advertisement if you’d like.

Our Plumbing Call Intake & Dispatch Standards

Every plumbing call is handled using a structured intake and dispatch system designed specifically for field service businesses. This ensures that no emergency is delayed and no routine job is misrouted.

a customer service representative takes notes while managing plumbing dispatch and scheduling

Our agents follow a standardized intake process built around common plumbing scenarios, including leaks, clogs, water heater issues, sewer backups, and no-water emergencies. This ensures we capture the right details the first time.

Calls are categorized into three tiers:

  • Emergency: Active flooding, burst pipes, sewer backups, or no running water
  • Priority Service: Urgent but non-damaging issues (leaks, partial blockages)
  • Standard Scheduling: Routine maintenance or installation requests

This classification helps your team respond in the correct order of urgency without guesswork.

For emergency calls, we gather all critical job details before escalation, including:

  • Exact location and access instructions
  • Nature and duration of the issue
  • Any immediate safety risks
  • Customer availability for entry

This ensures technicians arrive prepared, not blind to the situation.

Each plumbing company has unique workflows. We follow your preferred routing structure, whether that’s:

  • On-call rotation lists
  • Specific technician assignment rules
  • Geographic dispatch zones
  • Emergency-only escalation triggers

Every call is documented with structured notes so your team receives clear, usable information—not just a voicemail summary.

We Are Fully Integrated

Since we’re a human-powered answering service, we don’t have to rely on APIs to book your calls. That allows us to integrate with virtually any lead management or field management software. We also have extensive hands-on experience will all leading platforms, including HubSpot, Housecall Pro, ServiceTitan, and more. 

We Are Human-Powered

Artificial intelligence is all the rage right now, but there’s one little problem: customers don’t like it.

Don’t risk your reputation and your revenue by relying on AI answering services.

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Virtual Receptionists for Plumbers

Need more than what a typical call center for plumbers can offer? No problem! Our virtual receptionist team offers everything from our phone answering service and more.

  • Dispatching and appointment scheduling. We can handle your overflow emergency dispatching, your everyday dispatching needs, or anything in between. Unlike the competition, we can work with virtually any scheduling software for plumbers, so you don’t have to redo your entire system to start up service.
  • Outbound calls. Our team can handle your outbound calling needs, such as following up with leads, or following up after a job.
  • Pulling permits. We can work directly with your local permit office, so you’ll spend less time there in person.
  • And more. We’re adding new services all the time, so don’t be afraid to ask!

Learn more about our plumbing scheduling service or call today to get started with your free 7 day trial.

Proudly Serving Home Service Businesses Large & Small

Available 24/7/365

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Pay As You Go

$7995per month
  • no minutes included
  • $3.25/minute

FOS Basic

$275per month
  • 90 minutes included
  • Overages $2.25/minute

FOS Silver

$395per month
  • 150 minutes included
  • Overages $2.15/minute

FOS Gold

$615per month
  • 250 minutes included
  • Overages $2.05/minute

FOS Platinum

$1275per month
  • 750 minutes included
  • Overages $1.95/minute

“I have been utilizing Front Officer’s services for approximately a decade, and I must express my utmost appreciation for their exceptional service. Jeremy and his entire team have consistently demonstrated the highest level of professionalism and expertise. I consider them an integral part of my business, and I wholeheartedly recommend their answering services to anyone seeking reliable and efficient support. Although this review is long overdue, I would gladly award them a perfect rating of 10 stars if possible!“

John R.

Stop Handing Business Over to Your Competition

Be there when your prospects and clients need you. Contact Front Office Solutions’ plumbing answering service to stop letting opportunities slip through your fingers.

Give us a call today to learn more: 855-208-8877

-or-

Simply click the “Get Started” button below:

We also offer plumbing scheduling services, HVAC scheduling services, and phone answering services for electricians, pest control services, roofers, and HVAC contractors.

Over 100 Happy Clients

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