Top DispatchTypical 2026 price ranges
| Option | How it is priced | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| In-house receptionist | Hourly wage plus payroll taxes, benefits, training and sick/holiday cover | Median wage $18.27/hour, about $38,010/year before employer costs (BLS, May 2025) |
| Shared answering service | Per minute or per call, usually with a monthly minimum and overage | Published rates commonly around $0.70 to $2.00 per minute |
| AI receptionist | Monthly plan sized by minutes or calls | Published plans commonly $25 to $300 per month |
| Top Dispatch dedicated receptionist | Flat monthly fee for a dedicated person's hours, no per-minute charges | Quote based on hours and tasks |
Market ranges reflect published provider pricing we reviewed in October 2026 and change often. Check current pricing with each provider.
The in-house figure is only the wage. Employer payroll taxes, benefits, recruiting, training and cover for sick days and holidays sit on top, and one person still only covers one shift. That is why owners compare a flat monthly fee for a dedicated remote receptionist against the fully loaded cost of a local hire, not just the hourly rate.
The three pricing models
Per minute. The most common model for shared answering services. You buy a bundle of minutes each month and pay overage when you go over. Watch how minutes are counted: some providers round each call up, or count hold and transfer time.
Per call. A set price per answered call. Simple to budget at low volume, but expensive in a busy season and it often doesn't include booking or dispatch.
Flat monthly. You pay for a person's time, regardless of how many calls come in. This is how Top Dispatch prices a dedicated receptionist.
Fees to ask about
- Setup or onboarding fees
- Monthly minimums
- Overage rates
- After-hours, weekend or holiday surcharges
- Charges for appointment booking, warm transfers or software integration
- Long-term contract and cancellation terms
Top Dispatch has no setup fees and no long-term contract. Service is month to month.
When per-minute gets expensive
Home service calls are rarely short. A good intake call for a no-heat emergency or a water heater quote takes several minutes, and busy seasons multiply volume. At steady daily volume, the per-minute bill can match or exceed the cost of a dedicated person who also books, dispatches and follows up.
How to compare fairly
Estimate your monthly call count and average call length, then price each option against the same month. Add the value of what happens after the call: a message taken versus a job booked and dispatched. Our missed-call calculator helps put a number on calls that currently go to voicemail.
Work out cost per booked job, not cost per minute
The cheapest plan on paper is not always the cheapest service. What matters is how much you pay for each job that actually lands on your calendar.
Take a shop that receives 300 calls a month, of which 120 are genuine service requests. If a message-taking service passes all 120 on as messages and you call back, some of those callers will already have booked a competitor. If a receptionist books most of them while the caller is still on the line, more of the 120 become jobs.
So compare options like this: monthly cost ÷ jobs booked = cost per booked job. A higher monthly fee that books more jobs can be the lower cost per job. Run the numbers with your own call log and average ticket. The missed-call calculator helps estimate what is slipping through today.
What pushes the price up or down
- Hours covered. Business hours only costs less than evenings, weekends or 24/7.
- Call volume and length. On per-minute plans, longer intake calls and busy seasons raise the bill.
- What happens on the call. Message-taking is cheapest. Quoting, booking into your software and dispatching are worth more.
- Outbound work. Confirmations, estimate follow-ups and reactivation calls add value on top of answering.
- Integrations. Some providers charge extra to connect your calendar or CRM.
Questions to ask before you sign
- What exactly counts as a billable minute or call, including spam, transfers and hold time?
- What is the overage rate, and what happens in a peak month?
- Will the same person answer my line every day?
- Can they book into my field-service software, or only take messages?
- Are there setup fees, minimum terms or cancellation fees?
- How are emergencies and after-hours calls handled?
Top Dispatch answers these simply: a flat monthly fee for a dedicated person, no per-minute meter, no setup fee and month-to-month terms. See our answering service or the outsourced call center option.
Bottom line
Low volume or overflow only? A shared service may be enough. Steady daily calls and you need booking and dispatch? A dedicated receptionist is usually better value. Get a quote for your hours.