Free Phone Scripts and Intake Templates for Trade Contractors
Whether you handle calls yourself, train a new receptionist, or just want to standardize how your team answers the phone — these scripts cover the basics. Greetings, intake questions, scheduling language, and emergency dispatch checklists for 10 trades.
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Quick answer
Every phone script should hit four things in the first 30 seconds: (1) Professional, branded greeting that confirms the caller reached the right business. (2) Open-ended intake question to let the caller describe what they need. (3) Trade-specific diagnostic questions to capture scope and urgency. (4) Clear next step (dispatch ETA, callback time, or appointment booking). The templates below cover all four for 10 trades.
Framework
4 sections every trade phone script needs
Section 1 — Greeting (5–10 seconds)
Goal: confirm caller reached your business, identify yourself by name, set tone.
Generic template
"[Company name], this is [your name]. How can I help you today?"
Better template (warmer, sets expectation)
"Thanks for calling [Company name], this is [your name]. What's going on at the house?"
After-hours greeting
"Thanks for calling [Company name], you've reached our 24-hour line. This is [your name]. What can I help you with?"
Section 2 — Open-ended intake (15–30 seconds)
Goal: let the caller describe what they need in their own words. Don't interrupt.
Effective opening question
"Tell me what's happening." Or for scheduling-type calls: "What can we do for you today?" Or for emergency-feel calls: "Walk me through what you're seeing."
Section 3 — Diagnostic questions (60–90 seconds)
Goal: capture trade-specific details for accurate scope and dispatch. This is where trade-specific intake matters most — see per-trade templates below.
Section 4 — Confirmation and next step (30–45 seconds)
Goal: confirm address/contact, set expectation, dispatch or schedule.
Template
"Let me confirm what I've got — [name], at [address], for [scope]. We can get a tech to you [timeline]. Is [phone number] the best number to reach you if our tech needs to call?" For dispatch: "I'm texting our [trade name] tech right now. They'll be in touch with an ETA in the next few minutes." For scheduled: "I'm booking you for [day, time]. You'll get a text confirmation in a moment and a reminder the day before."
Plumbing
Plumbing greeting + intake template
Greeting
"Thanks for calling [Company], this is [name]. What's going on at the property?"
Open-ended intake
"Tell me what's happening."
Diagnostic — active leaks
For active leaks: - "Can you describe what's leaking and how bad it is?" - "Has the water been shut off yet?" - "Is it causing any damage we should know about?"
Diagnostic — water heater
For water heater issues: - "What's the heater doing — no hot water, not enough, or a leak?" - "Roughly how old is the unit?"
Diagnostic — drains
For drain issues: - "Which drains are giving you trouble?" - "How long has it been a problem?"
Diagnostic — toilets
For toilet issues: - "What's the toilet doing right now?" - "Is the water to it shut off?"
Confirmation
"Got it. Let me confirm — [name] at [address], plumbing emergency for [scope]. I'm dispatching our on-call plumber right now. They'll be in touch within the next 15 minutes with an ETA. Is [phone] the best number to reach you?"
HVAC
HVAC greeting + intake template
Greeting
"Thanks for calling [Company], this is [name]. How can I help you with your heating and cooling today?"
Open-ended intake
"Tell me what's going on with your system."
Diagnostic — no cooling (summer)
For no cooling (summer): - "Can you describe what the system is or isn't doing?" - "How warm is it inside right now?" - "Is anyone in the home especially vulnerable to the heat?"
Diagnostic — no heat (winter)
For no heat (winter): - "What's the system doing right now?" - "Are you noticing any unusual smells?" (CRITICAL — if it could be gas, escalate immediately) - "How cold is it inside, and is anyone vulnerable to the cold?"
Diagnostic — routine maintenance
For routine maintenance: - "When was the system last serviced?" - "Any concerns you want looked at, or just preventive upkeep?"
Confirmation
"I have you down for [scope] at [address]. We can have a tech there [timeline]. You'll get a confirmation text in a minute. Is [phone] the best callback number?"
Electrical
Electrical greeting + intake template
Greeting
"Thanks for calling [Company], this is [name]. What's the electrical concern today?"
Open-ended intake
"Walk me through what you're seeing."
Diagnostic — sparking / burning smell
For sparking / burning smell (HIGH PRIORITY): - "Is anything sparking, smoking, or burning right now?" - "If yes — please leave the house and call 911, then call us back." - "If it's safe, can you tell what's affected?"
Diagnostic — partial outage
For partial outage: - "What's lost power — part of the home or all of it?" - "Are your neighbors affected too?"
Diagnostic — panel concerns
For panel concerns: - "What's prompting the panel work — an upgrade, a problem, or an inspection?" - "Have you noticed anything like smells, sounds, or marks?"
Diagnostic — new install
For new install: - "What are you looking to add?" - "Is this for a home or a commercial space?"
Confirmation
"Got it. [Scope] at [address]. For safety, I'd recommend keeping that circuit's breaker off until we get there. We can have an electrician to you [timeline]."
Roofing
Roofing greeting + intake template
Greeting
"Thanks for calling [Company], this is [name]. What's the situation with the roof?"
Open-ended intake
"Tell me what's going on."
Diagnostic — active leak
For active leak: - "Where are you seeing water come in?" - "Is it raining or storming right now?" - "Are you able to protect the area until we get there?"
Diagnostic — storm damage
For storm damage assessment: - "What damage can you see from the ground?" - "Are you planning to file an insurance claim?" (Flag for documentation)
Diagnostic — estimates / replacement
For estimates / replacement: - "What's prompting the estimate — a known issue or planning ahead?" - "Any specific concerns you want looked at?"
Confirmation
"Understood. For [scope] at [address], we can [send an emergency tarping crew / send an inspector / schedule an estimate]. Timeline is [X]. Is [phone] the best callback number?"
6 more trades
Quick scripts for locksmith, garage doors, appliance repair, pest control, landscaping, cleaning
Locksmith
Greeting
"Thanks for calling [Company], this is [name]. Are you locked out, or is it a different lock issue?"
Diagnostic
"Where are you right now? Are you in a safe location? What kind of lock — residential, commercial, automotive? Make and model of the vehicle if it's a car?"
Extra
Safety: "Stay in a safe, visible location. We're dispatching now."
Garage Doors
Greeting
"Thanks for calling [Company]. What's happening with the door?"
Diagnostic
"Won't open, won't close, off-track, or making strange sounds? Is a vehicle trapped inside or outside? Approximate age of the door?"
Appliance Repair
Greeting
"Thanks for calling [Company]. What appliance is giving you trouble?"
Diagnostic
"What's the brand and model if you know? How old is it? What's the symptom — not running, not heating, leaking, making noise?"
Pest Control
Greeting
"Thanks for calling [Company]. What pest are you dealing with?"
Diagnostic
"How long have you been seeing them? Inside the house, outside, or both? Any allergies or children/pets in the home that affect treatment options?"
Landscaping
Greeting
"Thanks for calling [Company]. What can we do for your yard?"
Diagnostic
"Routine maintenance, one-time project, or design work? Approximate size of the property? Any specific issues — irrigation, drainage, tree concerns?"
Cleaning
Greeting
"Thanks for calling [Company]. Are you looking for a one-time clean or recurring service?"
Diagnostic
"Roughly how big is the space? Any areas that need special attention — post-construction, move-in/out, allergies, pets?"
Scheduling
How to talk about timing without overcommitting
Effective scheduling language sets clear expectations without making promises you can't keep:
Same-day dispatch
"We can have a tech to you in the next [X-Y hours]. They'll text you with a tighter ETA when they're 30 minutes out."
Next-day scheduling
"Our earliest available is tomorrow [morning/afternoon]. Does [time window] work for you?"
Multi-day-out scheduling
"Our calendar is opening up [day, date]. We can do [time window] or [time window]. Which works better?"
Emergencies you can't make immediately
"Given what you're describing, I want to be straight with you — our earliest is [X hours]. If you need someone faster, [give honest alternative: another company name, urgent care path]." This builds long-term trust even if you lose this specific call.
Estimate appointments
"Estimates are no-charge and usually take about [X minutes]. The tech can do it [during work hours / after hours if needed]. What works for your schedule?"
Avoid
Phone script anti-patterns to avoid
Don't say:
- “Let me check if anyone's available” (vague, suggests no commitment)
- “I'll have to call you back” (loses the moment, opens door for competitor calls)
- “We'll try to get someone out today” (uncommitted, sets caller up for disappointment)
- “That's not really our specialty but…” (kills the call)
- “Have you tried just resetting the breaker?” (over the phone, comes across as dismissive)
- “It depends on a lot of factors” (vague, frustrating for caller seeking guidance)
Instead say:
- “Let me confirm what we can do and when” (action-oriented)
- “Let me dispatch a tech right now” (immediate action)
- “We can have someone to you between [X] and [Y]” (specific window)
- “Let me connect you with someone who specializes in that” (transfers value)
- “Before our tech gets there, here's what you can do safely” (helpful, demonstrates expertise)
- “Based on what you've described, here's our usual range — we'll give you an exact quote on-site” (transparent, sets expectation)
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Yes. They're designed to be copy-paste ready, with placeholders for your company name and tech name. Customize the timing language to match your actual response times.
For someone with some phone experience, 2–3 days of supervised practice should get them confident on the basics. 1–2 weeks for full trade-specific fluency. Compare to AI receptionist setup: under 90 seconds.
Trade-built AI does, but it's more sophisticated than rigid scripts. SubCall follows trade-specific intake flows that adapt to what the caller says — asking different follow-up questions based on the situation rather than executing fixed scripts.
Yes, especially for new staff or part-time helpers. Many contractors laminate the trade-specific intake question sheet and keep it visible near the phone. Even experienced staff benefit from a visible reference for unusual call types.
Three changes for after-hours: (1) Lead with availability ("you've reached our 24-hour line"). (2) Prioritize emergency vs routine triage early. (3) Be honest about what you can do that night vs deferring to morning.
We've kept these scripts focused on intake. Upsell scripts are different — they work better mid-job (when the tech is on-site and trust is built) than during initial intake. Don't ask a stressed emergency caller about your maintenance plan; you'll lose the call.
Mostly the same flow — greeting, intake, diagnosis, confirmation. AI is faster and more consistent on standard flows. Where AI differs: it can capture structured data automatically (every field filled, every time) and dispatch via SMS in under 30 seconds, which human staff can't match for speed.
Adjust greetings, swap formal/casual language to match your brand, and add company-specific details (years in business, specialties, geographic coverage). For AI receptionists, SubCall's onboarding lets you customize greeting tone and intake style per trade.
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Live in under 90 seconds. No hardware. Works with your existing number.