"AI for tradies" is everywhere right now, and most of it is noise. Here are the categories that genuinely move the needle for a trade business, what each is good for, and the honest catch.
1. AI that answers when you cannot (the big one)
Most tradies miss calls all day, on the tools, up a ladder, driving. A missed call is usually a job that goes to the next bloke. AI that texts a missed caller back or answers for you is the most valuable category, which is why it is the most searched. More on that here: AI receptionist for tradies.
2. AI for getting found on Google
AI can keep your Google profile, reviews and suburb pages working so you turn up when someone searches your trade nearby. That is the cheapest lead there is. See how to rank and your reviews on your site.
3. AI for the words
Quotes, follow-ups, review replies, website copy. A free tool like ChatGPT does all of this well: how tradies use ChatGPT and the copy-paste prompts.
4. AI for winning back old customers
The cheapest work you can get is from people you have already done. AI can work out who is due and write the nudge: the win-back text.
5. AI inside the software you already use
Job-management tools (ServiceM8, SimPRO, AroFlo and the like) are bolting AI onto quoting, scheduling and invoicing. If you already run one, check what its AI features do before paying for another tool.
The catch, and which to pick
Stitching five separate tools together, and keeping them running, is its own job, and it is the job most tradies quietly drop after a fortnight. The honest version: start with the one that fixes your biggest leak (usually missed calls or no Google presence), not all five at once.
That is the idea behind BizEdge: it bundles the marketing AI (getting found, reviews, follow-ups) into one done-for-you service from $89 a month, so the work happens without you babysitting five logins. The AI that answers your calls, On Call, is rolling out, with missed-call text-back as the first piece. Or start free with a 2-minute audit to see your biggest gap.