For plumbers, HVAC, roofers, electricians, landscapers & pest pros
First text wins.
You can't answer the phone from under a sink. When you miss a call, Porchlight texts the caller back from your business within seconds, so they wait for you instead of dialing the next name on Google. Then it hands the conversation to you. No bot chatting with your customers.
$97/mo flat · 30-day trial · no setup fee · cancel by text
of calls to home-services businesses go unanswered.
Source: Invoca, 2024. Industry estimate.
of those callers leave a voicemail. Most just call someone else.
Source: Invoca, 2024. Industry estimate.
How it works
A call goes unanswered
Your phone forwards unanswered calls to your Porchlight line. It's a standard carrier setting, and we send you the exact steps for your carrier.
One text, in seconds
The caller gets a single text from your business: "Sorry we missed you, what can we help with?" You write and approve the wording yourself. It always includes a STOP option. No ads, no "deals."
You take it from there
Their reply goes straight to you by email or text. If they ask for a person, we tell them you'll call back, then step aside. After the job, send a Google review request with one tap.
Missed-call calculator
What are unanswered calls worth to you?
Use your own numbers. The defaults are only a starting point, and nothing you type here is saved unless you ask us to email it to you.
Your estimate
This is arithmetic on the numbers you entered, not a promise. Porchlight can't make someone hire you. It just gets your name in front of them first.
Why owners pick Porchlight
Live in one business day
Fill out a 5-minute form after checkout. You get your forwarding steps the same day. No sales call, no onboarding meeting.
You stay in charge
One informational text, written and approved by you. After that, a human owns the conversation: you. Callers who reply STOP are never texted again.
Reviews included
Finished a job? Send your Google review link with one tap. There's no add-on fee, and no "only ask the happy ones" filtering.
Flat price
$97/month for one business line. No per-user seats, no setup fee, no annual contract.
Cancel by text
Text CANCEL from your phone, or email us. That's it. No retention call.
Built for compliance
Quiet hours, opt-out handling, no marketing in automated texts, and full message logs. We aren't your lawyer, but we built it carefully.
See exactly what your callers get
Type in your business name and play a missed call. Reply STOP, ask for a human, or describe a leak, and watch how Porchlight responds and what lands on your phone.
Open the live demoStarter
30-day free trial. $0 setup. Cancel by text or email, any time.
- Missed-call text-back on one business line
- Your own approved first-text template
- Owner alert on every reply, with a human handoff
- Google review requests after each job
- Opt-out (STOP) handling and logs
- Live within one business day of your onboarding form
Secure checkout by Stripe. We never see your card number.
Questions
Do I need a new phone number?
No. Customers keep calling your current number. You turn on "forward when unanswered" with your carrier, which takes about two minutes, so only the calls you miss reach Porchlight.
What does the text say?
You choose. We start you with a plain template like "Hi, this is [your business]. Sorry we missed your call, we're probably on a job. What can we help with? Reply STOP to opt out." You can edit it before anything goes out.
Is texting people who called me allowed?
Replying once to someone who just called your business is a common, informational use of business texting. Porchlight keeps it to that: one text that identifies you, a STOP option, quiet hours, and no marketing. US carriers also require businesses to register for texting (called A2P 10DLC). We handle that paperwork with you during setup. This isn't legal advice. If your situation is unusual, ask your attorney.
What happens before carrier registration is approved?
Carrier approval can take from a few days to a few weeks. Until it's approved you get assisted mode: a private one-tap page on your phone that pre-writes your approved text-back and review request, which you send from your own phone. Your trial doesn't run out while you wait. If automatic texting isn't live on your line by the end of your trial, we extend the trial.
Will a bot talk to my customers?
No. Porchlight sends one text when you miss a call, plus required replies like the opt-out confirmation. Anything a customer writes back goes straight to you.
How do I cancel?
Text CANCEL from the owner phone on your account, or email us. Billing stops at the end of your current period.