What does an
answering service cost?
Short answer: a traditional human answering service costs roughly $1.00–$2.50 per minute, or about $200–$1,500+ per month depending on call volume, plus overage fees past your minute cap. Titan's AI answering service is a flat $1,197/month for unlimited calls — no per-minute meter, no overage, and it books the job instead of just taking a message.
Per-minute, per-call, hire, or flat-rate AI.
| Option | Rate | Typical / month | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per-minute human service | ~$1.00–$2.50 / min | $200–$1,500+/mo | Bill scales with call volume; overage fees past your minute cap |
| Per-call human service | ~$1–$3 / call | Varies with volume | Cheaper for low volume, expensive at scale |
| Receptionist / front desk hire | $18–$28 / hr | $3,000–$4,500+/mo | Business hours only; benefits, PTO, turnover |
| Titan AI answering service | Flat rate | $1,197/mo | 24/7, unlimited calls, books the job, no overage, you own the number |
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The cost questions, answered.
How much does an answering service cost?
Most human answering services charge per minute (roughly $1.00–$2.50/minute) or per call, which works out to about $200–$1,500+ per month depending on your call volume, plus overage fees once you pass your minute cap. A flat-rate AI answering service like Titan is $1,197/month for unlimited calls with no per-minute meter.
Why are per-minute answering services so unpredictable?
Because your bill is tied to how long every call lasts and how many you get. A busy week — a freeze, a storm, a heat wave — spikes both, so the month you most need coverage is the month the bill jumps. A flat rate removes that risk: the same price whether you take 50 calls or 500.
Is an AI answering service cheaper than a human one?
For a business with real call volume, usually yes. A human service at $1.50/minute across a few hundred minutes a month often beats $1,197 — but once you add after-hours coverage, overage, and the calls a human service takes as a message (and you lose), the AI that books the job 24/7 at a flat rate typically wins on both cost and booked revenue.
What is included in the $1,197/mo?
The AI voice agent (24/7 answering, qualifying, and booking), plus missed-call text-back, two-way SMS, automated review requests, and estimate follow-up — bundled in the Always Open tier ($4,500 setup + $1,197/mo). No contract, no per-minute charges, and you own the phone number and customer list.
Are there any per-minute or overage fees?
No. It is a flat monthly rate for unlimited calls. There is no minute meter, no per-call fee, and no after-hours upcharge.
See the flat-rate math for your shop.
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