You’ve probably heard a lot of hype lately about AI. Most of it sounds like it was written by people who have never stepped foot on a job site. But behind the buzzwords, some plumbers are actually using this stuff to get their evenings back and make their businesses look a lot bigger than they are. Here is what’s actually working, what’s a waste of time, and what’s coming next.
Using AI to move fast and scale
Plumbers are using tools built into apps like re:Quoted to turn a messy voice note into a professional quote. You can just say: "Replace water heater, 40 gallon, add a thermal expansion tank." The AI creates your materials list, estimates labor costs, markups, and taxes, and formats everything into a clean, professional PDF you can send to the customer.
This can save hours each day. It can also help you pass some responsibility down to your employees. They no longer need to call and pester you all day long to help write and approve their quotes while they're standing on the customer's front porch. You can trust these tools to kick out the right estimates, so you aren't holding up your crew.
The stuff that’s “hit or miss”: Customer Service
Some shops have tried using AI bots to screen incoming phone calls or reply to every social message. While it sounds good on paper, the data shows that customers usually hate it. According to a study by Five9, 75% of consumers still prefer talking to a real human for customer service. About 56% of people say they get frustrated by AI chatbots, and 48% don’t even trust the information an AI gives them.
When someone has a pipe bursting in their basement, they don’t want to navigate a phone tree. They shouldn’t have to wonder if they need to say "pipe leaking" or give a three-minute explanation just to get a human on the line. To a customer, that feels like a barrier, not a service. AI for customer service or intake needs to be incorporated thoughtfully into your business model to make sure it feels useful to your customers. AI works when it saves time - like getting a quote in minutes or a quick status update - not when it hides the human.
The "Digital Employee": What’s coming next
Soon, AI will handle some of your chores start to finish. We call these “agentic workflows” and “skills”, but you can really think of this as a digital office manager that completes tasks autonomously, not just automating parts of the task. It’s like having an employee that can pull revenue to prepare sales tax filings for the Department of Revenue, reconcile payroll timecards from one app and move them to your payroll software, and summarize incoming messages from all your social accounts so you don't miss a lead.
"What if it screws something up?"
It’s important to make sure the right controls are in place so your digital employees only do what they are supposed to do. You wouldn’t give a brand-new apprentice the keys to your truck and your checkbook on day one. You shouldn't do that with software, either. re:Quoted makes sure you’re in control of these digital employees just like you would be a real person.
Safety and security are handled in the background. You don’t have to "learn AI", you just have to decide which tasks you’re tired of doing yourself.
- The Double-Check: Just like a real employee, re:Quoted's AI doesn't just go rogue. For big tasks - like calculating taxes or sending a formal quote - it does the "grunt work" first and then asks you to review. It won't send a thing or pay a cent until you look it over and approve.
- Nothing to learn or program You just toggle these digital employees on or off. If you don't want the AI summarizing your incoming messages this week, you just turn it off.
- You Set the Boundaries: Think of it like a seasoned partner vs. a green helper. You might trust it to draft a basic estimate from your voice notes, but you keep the final "Send" button for yourself. As it learns more and gets better at the tasks, and as you get more comfortable with it, you can start giving it more autonomy with the click of a button.
Ready to see what simple automation looks like?
Try re:Quoted free todayQuestions About AI in the Trades
- Is AI only for plumbers, or can electricians and HVAC techs use it? It’s for anyone who hates paperwork. Electricians use it to list out wire and box counts from a voice note. Fencing and landscaping crews use it to turn a quick site walk-through into a formal bid. If you have to send estimates to get paid, this works for you.
- Do I need to be "tech-savvy"? Not with re:Quoted. If you can send a text message or leave a voicemail, you already know how to use it. The goal is to make the software work for you, not the other way around.
- Will using AI make my quotes look "fake"? No. It actually makes them look more professional. It takes your specific notes and organizes them into a clean, easy-to-read format that builds trust with the homeowner.
Want to know how to price a job?
Check out our blog on pricing plumbing repairs.